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Arts Reporter
Ticheneke!
What a new music video masterpiece from seasoned contemporary artiste Jah Prayzah.
In Zimbabwean musical circles when one wants to party or reminisce with deep African culture Jah Prayzah is simply one of the the solutions.
The artiste’s degree of sophistication is usually rare to find in the music industry, talk of talent, creativity, originality and of course consistency.
Those who dare to compare him with any artiste do so at own risk. Jah Prayzah is proving to be exceptionally special each time he pulls surprise packages from his bag of tricks.
Last month he did a rendition of Furuwa originally done by one Tairos Tendaupenyu which is proving to be fairly good.
His latest track “Ticheneke” released a few days ago has once again reminded music fanatics that he is still on top of the game.
A well composed spiritual track also deep in cultural content.
Talking of spirituality his legion of fans will quickly be taken down memory lane to tracks like ‘Goto’.
However, without doubt the new piece, ‘Tichineke’ is a world class piece completely diversified with authentic Afrocentric taste that defined both the advent and ripeness of his music career.
As one listens to the track also paying attention to the visuals can attest unquestionably that it is simply intact from composition, instrument arrangement, vocals and the scene.
Wagwizi as he is also affectionately known, Jah Prayzah, showed mastery by introducing the track through ululation and polyphonic, blending several tones although each having a melody of its own.
Soon after the ululation he then manifests in poetic form chanting words filled with deep African spirituality most likely to be understood by those familiar with traditional diction.
Some of the lines goes like “. . . hapachina chiga chakacheka kana chingava nenduramo. Nekuti madziSekuru ako, Akakanganwa kubvunza Tateguru, Nhasi zvodzoka, zvo kupandukira
“Zvokupa utenda neurwere, Nhasi zvodzoka, zvokupandukira zvokupa jambwa nemunyama muzukuru Asi zvigadzirise zvizere ramangwana rako rinojeka.”
As the song plays, Jah Prayzah is backed by melodic female voices that maintains a low note up to the end.
While others are going the Western way, Wagwizi is simply reminding fans of the African roots through both the lyrics and visuals.
Graphics of the video are eye catching at first sight, the dressing seals it all, Jah Prayzah and the rest of the team were all clad in animal skin apron, nhembe-ibhetshu, in vernacular languages.
The deliberate choice of the setting is also magnificent, with rondavel huts featuring in the background helping portray a pure African set up.
When the video starts viewers are shown the back of an unidentified person walking slowly.
Like the old adage says, there is no hurry in Africa.
Soon after men dancing comes into picture followed by the man himself, Jah Prayzah, who appears in front of them although standing portraying a picture of somehow shocked.
The choreography throughout the song is also perfect.
As the video progresses women also appear at different intervals with their male counterparts in swaying motion.
Traditionally men arguably had the last say in Zimbabwean culture, that was also evident as they were the last to appear on the video.
Throughout the track Wagwizi is versatile yet remaining true to his art and roots.
Indeed, through the track Jah Prayzah proved once again to be a force to reckon with being a bridge between the disintegrated youth of today and their African spirituality.
Online Reporter