Online Reporter
Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Zimpapers Entertainment Editor
IT is not unusual for one big star to bring another big star onto the stage at a wedding.
In fact, celebrity weddings around the world have become occasions where music royalty sometimes provides the soundtrack to the couple’s big day.
Just look at Beyoncé.
The global superstar performed at the lavish 2018 wedding celebrations of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal in Udaipur, India, delivering songs including “Perfect” and “Crazy in Love” at a gathering packed with global celebrities and dignitaries.
Now, Zimbabwe could have its own big musical wedding moment.
Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo is expected to land in Zimbabwe on Thursday and is expected to perform at Jah Prayzah’s wedding.
And, suddenly, one question is louder than the wedding bells – what will Mukanya sing?
That is where the speculation gets interesting.
Mapfumo has decades of music behind him and a catalogue that cuts across generations.
But, this is a wedding, meaning his song choice could carry a completely different emotional weight.
Will he choose something romantic?
Will he dust off a classic that gets the older generation singing?
Or could he select a song that speaks directly to love, companionship and the beginning of a new chapter for Jah and his bride?
Whatever the choice, it could become one of those unforgettable wedding moments.
And, perhaps Mukanya could even invite Jah onto the stage.
Imagine the Chimurenga icon and the contemporary superstar sharing one microphone at Jah’s wedding?
That would be a moment.
But then there is the groom himself.
Jah Prayzah has spent years singing about love and relationships, so will his own songs make the wedding playlist?
Will the DJ play “Nyeredzi”?
And what about “Mukwasha”?
The latter could provide one of the cheekiest moments of the evening, considering Jah is about to officially become someone’s mukwasha.
Imagine the DJ dropping “Mukwasha”, the guests immediately recognising it and the groom suddenly finding himself at the centre of a giant sing-along.
Then there is the international question.
Because this is expected to be a private wedding, there is no publicly confirmed list of international performers.
But Jah Prayzah has developed musical friendships and collaborations across Africa, leaving plenty of room for speculation about possible surprise appearances.
Could one of his collaborators quietly turn up?
Could an African star, who has shared a studio with Jah, suddenly appear for one song?
Or will the wedding remain strictly intimate, with the music coming from the Zimbabwean stars closest to the couple?
For now, those remain questions.
Meanwhile, Rufaro’s bridal shower over the weekend has already given wedding watchers something to talk about.
Her celebration has raised expectations around the style and presentation of the big day, with fashion likely to be another major talking point.
And then comes the question nobody seems to have an answer to yet – did Jah also have a bachelor party?
Nothing has been publicly confirmed, but given his celebrity status and extensive circle of musicians and friends, speculation about a private boys’ celebration is inevitable.
Perhaps it was a quiet affair away from the cameras.
Perhaps it was a music-filled night.
Or perhaps the groom simply kept his cards close to his chest.
Either way, the wedding is shaping up to have several talking points beyond the vows.
There is Mukanya’s microphone.
There is Jah’s own catalogue.
There are possible surprise guests.
There is Rufaro’s bridal style.
And, of course, the mystery of what happens when the DJ finally presses play on “Mukwasha”.
The stage may belong to the newlyweds, but if Mukanya picks up that microphone, Zimbabwe’s music history could suddenly meet its present in one unforgettable wedding moment.
