Singer savages Jah Prayzah

By Prince Mushawevato

Songbird Jean Masters has lambasted Jah Prayzah’s camp for using her as a scapegoat when angry fans violently protested the musician’s late arrival on stage last weekend.

Jah Prayzah appears to be continuing with his heavily detested habit of going on stage late. He kept fans waiting into the wee hours of the morning when he performed at Club Las Vegas recently.

The lanky musician arrived for the gig way after midnight resulting in his band members who were warming up the stage being pelted with all sorts of objects.

Instrumentalists and backing vocalists-cum-dancers had to “take cover” when missiles started flying. Sensing danger, the band’s road manager, Lloyd Kurima aka Mabla 10, quickly intervened, wearing a helmet.

He accused Jean Masters of having shortchanged the fans, not his paymaster, Jah Prayzah.

“Our supporting act was supposed to have performed for one more hour but failed to do so, which is why Jah Prayzah is not yet on stage.

“But don’t worry Jah (Prayzah) is 7 minutes away, akutosvika. Please don’t throw missiles they might kill someone. It has happened before. Unotema munhu ari kuzvirwarira obva afa (you might hit someone who is sickly and they die) and you will be charged with murder,” said Mabla 10.

Seven minutes after the announcement, Jah Prayzah was still to get on stage. And one could not help but feel pity for the fans who braved the chilly weather.

Hooligan behaviour like missile throwing is not condoned at all, music fans just like soccer fans should find ways of protesting that does not involve violence.

However, musicians must avoid angering their paying customers. Imagine attending a gig billed to start at 8pm and only getting to watch the main act around 1am?

Jean Masters defends herself: “I was punctual and performed for the agreed two hours before leaving the stage for the Third Generation Band at 11pm. I’m not in the habit of shortchanging my fans.

“I always make sure that I go on and off stage at agreed times. You can even come and witness this Saturday (yesterday) when I perform at FnG in Southerton.

“It’s unfortunate that Jah Prayzah’s people made that unwarranted statement when I had already left the venue. I would have confronted them on that very same day. However, I am still going to find out why I’m being made a scapegoat for their own shortcomings,” remarked Jean Masters.

The Las Vegas show was one of Jah Prayzah’s few public gigs in the capital in more than a month. Surely can his actions on the day in question be the best way to repay fans that had waited for so long?

He seems to have mastered the art of annoying music fans and has equally developed an unhealthy ‘I don’t care attitude’. If he is not going on stage late, he is playing for fewer than expected hours.

The apology “Ndiregerereiwo masoja pane kwatambo batikana”, has become “daily bread” at most of his gigs and the fans are getting fed up. Barely 24 hours after the Club Las Vegas debacle, the dreadlocked singer went on to pull a fast one yet again, this time with his Military Touch Movement (MTM) in the matrix.

The “Karunyerekupe” singer exposed members of MTM by letting them face thousands of revellers that attended the annual OK Grand Challenge without his support. As usual, he was engaged in some business elsewhere, and only managed to come for the event as it folded.

Nutty O, who was at the receiving end of missiles by angry fans and was booed off stage, and a female singer Tahle were the worst affected by Jah Prayzah’s action. Tahle’s guts to stand in front of the huge and intimidating crowd varnished completely upon witnessing Nutty O’s baptism of fire.

This is not the first time Jah Prayzah’s band members have been pelted with missiles on stage. At a New Year’s Eve gig held at HICC, after their boss had failed to arrive for the event on time – the band members scurried off stage after the angry crowd got rowdy.

That night, Jah Prayzah was booked for another show in a different town. A number of similar incidences have gone unreported in the past.

However, the sad part of all these unpleasant incidences though, is that it is the supporting acts and band members that have had to suffer physical attacks and not “the boss”.Usually the missile throwing stops when Jah Prayzah goes on stage.

The rate at which Jah Prayzah is taking his local fans for granted creates a possible scenario whereby he is going to make it big on the regional market yet fall hard locally.

Figures at his gigs have dropped drastically despite the artiste having a handful of gigs per month, especially in the capital. His recently released single “Sendekera” has not received due recognition locally despite doing well on regional music charts.

Could this be due to disgruntlement that currently grips a sizeable number of his fans? The abandonment of his traditional beat has also made things worse.

Of course, buoyed by the regional penetration, Jah Prayzah is unlikely to change his attitude soon. Nonetheless, it is imperative he understands the adage, “natsa kwawabva, kwaunoenda husiku.” The Sunday Mail