Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
NO one knows exactly when, but at some point during his long and storied career, Oliver Mtukudzi became known as a superstar.
The late Oliver Mtukudzi
Superstar is not a word that is uttered lightly. It implies that one has transcended simple stardom and has ascended onto the realm reserved for the crème de la crème.
In Zimbabwe, one can argue that it is even harder to acquire this lofty title. Perhaps this is because for one reason or another, Zimbabweans have always had a hard time acknowledging the celebrity of its most celebrated musicians.
Perhaps it is the life they live, as some musicians seem to be perpetually only a cancelled gig away from asking for bus fare from their beloved fans.
It is for this reason that the superstar label does not come easy, and why Tuku acquiring towards the turn of the century was a big deal.
The unwritten rule in most newsrooms was when writing about entertainers, particularly those based in Zimbabwe, Tuku was the only one who deserved that title. Every would journalist look around nervously waiting to be chastised if they wrote those words and assigned them anyone but the great man.
Over the last few years, more and more showbiz writers have felt at ease when describing Jah Prayzah, and his great rival Winky D, with that same title.
After all, this is not a title that is won through the excellence of one’s music alone.
When Mtukudzi released Tuku Music in 1999, it was clear that he had finally stumbled on a formula that would finally take his gruff voice beyond Zimbabwean households.
Sure, he was still the same Zimbabwean music darling that made that popular Olivine advert but after the release of that album, he was more than that. It instantly became unfair to compare him to any other active Zimbabwean musician besides Chimurenga maestro Thomas Mapfumo.
Tuku had arrived in that position off the strength of his undeniable music but also the decisions that he had made. The decision to work closely with Debbie Metcalfe, for example, was a masterstroke for an artiste that wanted to crack the international market.
In a similar vein, over the last few years, Jah Prayzah has made numerous decisions that have made him the undoubted top dog in Zimbabwean music. In the last couple of weeks, there was outrage when Jah Prayzah announced that he would not entertain any professional video people at his shows.
“We have professional videographers and photographers who are always there, so if there is any news agency, like they do worldwide, if there is any specific content that news agencies want, we obviously release it for them to publicise,” Jah Prayzah’s manager Keen Mushapaidze said. What we are saying is no one can just (pop) up with their camera and start recording unless we have done arrangements. For now people who have good phones may enjoy the privilege of having a good phone not the privilege to record, we are not worried about phones at the moment.”
At the core of the decision, was the critical issue of money and just compensation.
“Content is money, it is like that everywhere. Imagine a football match, (can) you just come and set up your cameras in the ground and start recording? There are what are called broadcasting rights and it is about time we introduced that to Zimbabwe. We are talking about Zimbabwe being globalised and engaging with other nations on a global level,” Mushapaidze said.
For some, the decision by Jah Prayzah was unjustifiable. He is a man who, after all, has been regarded as a beacon cultural astuteness, Ubuntu.
However, when stripped of all the drama and noise that followed it, Jah Prayzah sounded like an informed businessperson making a decision that he will live to be proud of.
If promoters are interested in making money from his performances through videos, then they should pay top dollar for it.
The decision was just the latest in a string of power moves that have gradually propelled Jah Prayzah towards superstardom through the years.
For example, his decision all those years back to perform while donning army gear made him stand out apart from all his peers.
When he decided in 2017 that he would be making music that deviated from his usual sound, as he deviated towards pop music territory by collaborating with African music royalty like Diamond Platinumz, many criticised him. Here was an artiste that was losing the plot, some said, who was giving in to the lure of simplistic music that was the staple of mainstream listeners. He was losing the grit of Uzumba, that distinctly rural spirituality that he seemed to have been born to divine with the mbira.
However, Jah preserved with his experiment, and with time people accepted it as part of his identity.
It was an important move, as it steered him towards an urban audience that in years past, thought of him as a traditional, which in the Zimbabwean context means rural, performer.
A week ago, Jah Prayzah hosted a black tie event at The Venue in Avondale. For this gig, only three hundred paying guests, were invited, with each paying a tidy sum of US$100. It was sold out before he had set foot on stage.
“Jah Prayzah has made it clear that he wants to cater for both classes of people and this time around he has a specific target market. He is trying to strike a balance by catering for everybody. I know there are several shows lined up and he will be catering for every class of people. I support him on this one because he knows his value and what he wants in showbiz,” said Mushapaidze.
That concert showed the lure of his superstardom, but also the wisdom of the decision that had been taken to get him there. Suddenly the glossy videos, the elegant wardrobe from superstar designers and collaborations with African stars made sense. As he cradled his mbira, with suave gentlemen in double-breasted suits and ladies in high heels taking in every note, it was clear that Jah Prayzah, the superstar, had arrived.