Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Senior Lifestyle Writer
There are songs that entertain, and others that awaken something audiences thought had gone silent.
Junior Spragga’s latest offering, “Daka”, belongs firmly in this latter category.
The song has surpassed one million YouTube views in just one week, signalling its growing popularity and the strong connection it is making with listeners.
For many Zimbabwean music lovers, “Daka” has also stirred memories of the late Zimdancehall giant Soul Jah Love, whose distinctive sound, raw storytelling and emotional connection with the streets made him one of the genre’s most enduring figures.
But “Daka” is not simply about sounding like Soul Jah Love.
It is about evoking the spirit he left behind.
Listening to the song, one is reminded of the musical world Soul Jah Love created, where pain, resilience, street life, relationships and everyday struggles were transformed into music that spoke directly to ordinary people.
That is what makes Junior Spragga’s offering intriguing.
“Daka” carries an energy that feels familiar, almost as if a forgotten chapter of the Soul Jah Love era has suddenly been reopened.
Soul Jah Love, born Soul Musaka, died in 2021, leaving behind a catalogue that continues to influence Zimbabwean Zimdancehall.
Five years after his death, his musical fingerprints remain visible.
His influence can be heard in the way younger artistes approach storytelling, confront life’s struggles and turn personal experiences into songs that resonate far beyond the recording studio.
Against that backdrop, “Daka” becomes more than another Zimdancehall release.
It feels like a reminder that an artiste can leave the physical world while remaining alive through music.
Soul Jah Love’s body may have departed, but the soul (Musaka), love, passion and musical spirit associated with his name continue to live on.
And this is where Junior Spragga enters the picture.
Rather than attempting to replace the late chanter, “Daka” demonstrates how an artistic legacy can find new life in another generation.
There are similarities in the emotional texture, streetwise delivery and ability to make music feel personal. Both artistes connect with listeners through an authenticity that does not depend on excessive polish.
Their music speaks from the ground.
It speaks to people who understand struggle, heartbreak, ambition and survival.
Perhaps the strongest connection, however, is the feeling.
Soul Jah Love had a rare ability to make listeners feel that he was singing with them rather than simply to them.
“Daka” evokes a similar response.
For those who grew up listening to Soul Jah Love, the experience can feel nostalgic. Not because Junior Spragga is Soul Jah Love, but because the young artiste appears to have tapped into a musical language his mentor helped popularise.
“Soul Jah Love was a huge inspiration to me, not only musically but personally as well. He was my mentor, my boss, my father, my brother he was everything to me,” said Jnr Spragga.
“He taught me so much of what I know about music. He was my rock, my motivation and one of the biggest inspirations behind the artiste I have become today.”
This is the beauty of music.
Artistes die, but musical movements do not.
Voices disappear, but their echoes remain.
Sometimes, those echoes return through unexpected voices.
Junior Spragga’s “Daka” is one such moment a point where the past meets the present and the legacy of one of Zimbabwe’s most influential Zimdancehall figures finds another vessel.
Soul Jah Love may no longer be physically present to release new music, perform on stage or interact with his fans.
But if music is a form of immortality, then he never truly left.
His influence lives through the rhythms, through the artistes he inspired and through songs that unexpectedly bring his spirit back into public consciousness.
For Junior Spragga, however, the journey is not about becoming the next Soul Jah Love.
In an exclusive interview, Jnr Spragga paid tribute to his late mentor, describing him as the foundation of his musical journey while making it clear that he intends to build a legacy of his own.
While fans continue to draw parallels between “Daka” and Soul Jah Love’s music, Jnr Spragga said the song was not created to replicate his mentor.
Instead, it came from a deeply personal place.
“DAKA came from a very personal place. It was me meditating and reflecting on my own life, thinking about the journey I have been through, the things I have experienced, how far I have come and everything that still lies ahead of me,” he said.
He acknowledged that comparisons with Soul Jah Love were inevitable because of the late artiste’s influence on his career.
“When somebody teaches you, mentors you and helps shape your understanding of music, a part of what they taught you will always remain with you,” he said.
But he was quick to distinguish inspiration from imitation.
“Ultimately, I am Jnr Spragga. I have my own story to tell, my own journey to walk and my own legacy that I hope to build.”
He said it was humbling to have his name mentioned alongside Soul Jah Love, whom he described as “a giant” of Zimbabwean music.
“There will only ever be one Soul Jah Love. I could never replace him or fill his shoes. If anything, I can only hope that I can become even a fraction of the artiste that he was,” he said.
For Jnr Spragga, music is not a competition.
“For me, music is a mission, not a competition. I’m not trying to overtake Soul Jah Love or become the ‘next’ Soul Jah Love. I’m simply trying to live by the things he taught me while creating my own path and telling my own story.”
He also credited his management for helping him develop the foundation inherited from his mentor.
“Soul Jah Love laid the foundation. Then my management came into my life, understood me, saw something in me and believed in the vision. Manager Patron understood where my love and passion for music came from and has worked to take that foundation and help me expand my journey even further.”
As “Daka” continues to connect with listeners, Jnr Spragga said the response had strengthened his confidence.
“Seeing the way people have connected with DAKA has made me incredibly happy and proud. People are resonating with the message, relating it to their own lives and genuinely embracing the music.”
Renowned music producer and arts critic Clive “Mono” Mukundu said “Daka” strongly reflects the lyrical style of the late Soul Jah Love, particularly through its use of street language, personal experiences, humour, struggle and bravado.
“Jnr Spragga’s writing, particularly on this song, takes the same approach, which indicates that he was heavily inspired by Soul Jah Love,” he said.
“In my view, this is the reason why music fans claim it reminds them of the late Soul Jah Love. Daka perfectly captures Soul Jah Love’s lyrical style.”
For Jnr Spragga, however, the connection is ultimately about carrying forward what his mentor taught him while forging his own identity.
“The foundation was laid. The journey continues. And I’m grateful for everyone walking it with me.”
A fan of “Daka”, Paidamoyo Ngoma, whose surname, interestingly, is a vernacular term for musical tunes in Zimbabwe’s street lingo, said the song had convinced her that Soul Jah Love’s musical spirit was still alive.
“Indeed, Soul Jah Love is alive. When I listen to Daka, I feel his spirit in the music. The sound, the feeling and the way the song connects with people remind me so much of him. It is like he is still here with us through music,” she said.
And perhaps that is the greatest testament to the power of Soul Jah Love’s legacy.
Years after his death, a new song can still make Zimbabweans stop, listen and reconnect with a sound they thought had gone quiet.
“Daka” is not the resurrection of Soul Jah Love the man.
It is the resurrection of Soul Jah Love the feeling.
