adminJah Prayzah’s former manager says she can groom another artiste who can be as great as him. Popularly known as Mama Fillo, Filda Muchabaiwa was fired by Jah Prayzah early this year for working with an up-and-coming musician, Andy Muridzo, whom he mentored and was later labelled his “copycat”. Mama Fillo is now managing Muridzo — a Bulawayo-born artiste who grew up in Murehwa. She had worked with Jah Prayzah for nine years.
It was reported that Jah Prayzah decided to fire Mama Fillo as she was managing his band and at the same time, managing Muridzo, who now seemed like competition. As a result, Mama Fillo decided to start working with Muridzo, an artiste she sees a lot of potential in and hopes to help reach levels higher than Jah Prayzah.
“I’m just guiding Andy and seeing him safely to his destination, which is stardom. I did this with Jah Prayzah and he’s now one of the greatest musicians in the industry,” Muchabaiwa said. “Andy is a talented kid. He’s ambitious and I’m sure he’ll be one of the top musicians soon. I’ve faith in him and that’s why I’m his manager.”
She said she had been managing Muridzo for the past eight months. The two are now working towards releasing a second album in March next year. “Andy’s music has already been accepted and it won’t be long until he’s great, just like Jah because they’ve the same kind of music,” she said. Interestingly, Muridzo’s music career was inspired by Jah Prayzah who took him under his wing, advising him to sing music similar to his instead of dancehall which the latter fancied.
“I started singing when I was in Form Two when I was the church choir leader. I started writing music after Jah Prayzah took me under his wing in 2013,” Muridzo told Zimbojam early this year. “We used to sing at church together, before he was as popular as he is now. He’s the one who inspired me to start composing my own lyrics and follow in his tracks. Jah advised me to try his type of music because he didn’t have anyone who he was mentoring. That’s how I started singing his type of music — I’m essentially Jah Prayzah’s student. At first I wanted to sing dancehall music, but Jah advised me against it.”
With a fully-fledged band and one album to his name Pakubuda Kwezuva which was released this year, Muridzo said his music was heavily inspired by Jah Prayzah, hence people calling him the former’s copycat.
“I’ve eight singles I released previously, and I released an eight-track album titled Pakubuda Kwezuva in March. The songs on that album are all inspired by Jah. I also play mbira as he does,” Muridzo said. Asked how he felt about people calling him a copycat, Muridzo said: “My understanding of a copycat is someone who copies what someone is doing and does it themselves. I’m not a copycat, but I’m someone who’s inspired by Jah Prayzah. I just sing a genre that he has mastered, and I follow in his tracks.”
However, Muchabaiwa seems confident of her ability to raise a good artiste as she did with Jah Prayzah. “I’m a good teacher. I know that because I raised Jah. Andy will be my second success.”
Asked who she thought was the better of her two ‘students’, she said: “I can’t compare the two since they’re both talented, ambitious and eager to learn. It’ll not take long for Andy to rise as it took Jah because I now know what to do and where to take my students,” said a confident Muchabaiwa. — Zimbojam/Showbiz Reporter.
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