He has a beautiful family of four kids, a loving wife and a career that continues to soar in which he has transformed himself into a superstar.
But, for Jah Prayzah real name Mukudzei Mukombe, this blissful family life could not have been possible had it not been for the efforts of his brother Nigel.
He was the one who brought Rufaro to him, convinced him she was someone he could consider as a person to marry, and start a family with, long before the musician had struck gold.
Today, he has nothing but praise for his brother.
The man who grew up in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe before his dreams brought him to Harare, on a mission to become a successful musician, says he can’t ask for more.
Largely self-taught and passionate about his artistic calling, Jah Prayzah has amassed almost everything on offer on the Zimbabwean showbiz landscape.
And, he believes a lot of it also has to do with the stable family environment at his home, thanks largely to the part played by his lovely wife Rufaro.
He reflected on his journey during The Phoenix Podcast with Kenneth Sharpe aired on ZTN.
Jah Prayah answered several hard-hitting questions with ease.
These questions ranged from early childhood, musical calling, early days in showbiz, the musical breakthrough to his current success.
At 36, he still has a long way to go in his career and, if recent releases are anything to go by, the best is still to come from him.
LOVE LIFE
“She (Rufaro) used to work with my brother Nigel. He is the one who introduced me to her and told me that she was ‘wife material’ then.
“He advised me not to mess around with her and, from that day, I knew she was mine.
“We now have four kids together. We are happily married.”
Jah Prayzah also travelled with a big team to pay lobola as part of the African tradition.
“We travelled with more than 10 relatives and friends to pay lobola for my wife.
“It was a big occasion for both families and we are still together and happily married.”
UPBRINGING
While distortions have over the years been peddled about his upbringing, Jah Prayzah cleared the air on the issue.
“I was born on the 4th of July in 1987 in a family of five. I lost two brothers.
“My father was a headmaster, he is retired now and quite old.
“My mother used to work for the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council.”
Unlike most boys growing up in rural areas, who struggled to make ends meet, it was a different case for Jah Prayzah.
“Mine is a different case because they used to spoil me in our family. I am the last born and tallest in the family.”
CALLING
Jah Prayzah believes he made the right decision by choosing music as a career.
He, however, conceded it was hard for him to convince his parents before they later blessed his journey.
“I think it (music) was something that was always in me from day one. I started singing when I was around five-years-old.
“I used to compose songs for the school choir, singing in church and church events because my mum loved preaching.
“We used to go to church together and I would read her Bible. The church had about 100 or so people. I still sing gospel.”
HARARE JOURNEY
Upon completing high school, Jah Prayzah set his sights on music.
“When I came to Harare and stayed in Budiriro, I had no access to the studio.
“I wanted to record my music and hear it being played on the radio.
“I then got access to the studio and recorded my music. I realised I could do music and pursued it.”
Unlike most people who get distracted when they settle in a big city, Jah Prayzah remained focused.
“I have always prayed to be a star and everything that I have achieved now is a surprise to me.
“My main goal, when I came to Harare, was to have access to record and have my music played on the radio. For me, that was enough.
“What I got was more than enough from what I asked for, from what I prayed for. Being able to release hits, collaborate with international artists, being able to represent big companies in Zimbabwe was more than enough.
“God has given me more than what I asked for.”
HUMILITY
A role model and international ambassador in his own right, Jah Prayzah says he will always stick to his parents’ advice.
“My parents always remind me that no matter how big you become, always remember to remain humble.
“I have always remained humble.”
He, however, admitted that he was yet to instil the same in his children but it remains in the plans.
“I haven’t started yet but it’s something that I will follow,” he says.
ADVICE
As a true influencer, Jah Prayzah gave aspiring artists sound advice to achieve their dreams.
“You should remain focused and passionate about what you dream of in life.
“We also need to be united if we all want to achieve success because there is more power in unity.
“We also need to work hard to achieve our dreams and nothing is impossible if we remain focused,” he said.
WISH LIST
“I’m looking forward to performing at big festivals, especially in Germany and the rest of Europe. I want my music to reach that level and become popular in the rest of the world.
“I am also working on new stuff and it will be purely biased towards Mbira.
“I can sing anything but the new album will have a mbira bias.”
He urged fellow artists to embrace technology and sell their music online. -H Metro
