The international collaborations just keep rolling in for Jah Prayzah. Fresh from doing tracks with DJ Tira, Sha Sha and Heavy K on his album two months ago, the artist has now collaborated with Jerusalema hitmaker Master KG. Jah Prayzah vocalises Master KG’s latest single Kusina Mai.
Although a Master KG track, it sounds like it could’ve been ripped from Jah Prayzah’s last album Maita Baba. Vocalised in Shona throughout, the track can be described as mid tempo Afro House. The song title is borrowed from the Shona proverb “Kusina mai hakuendwe”. Never go where your mother is absent. A proverb that means that they’re certain hardships you face away from home.
Some have said the song tells the story of Zimbabwean migrants and how difficult it is for them abroad. Although the song has been left open to interpretation, Jah Prayzah’s lyricism runs parallel with this narrative. He talks leaving well before you take a journey through the Shona proverb “Natsa kwaunobva” and he also sings about being in a place you don’t know, and where you can’t call out to a brother or sister for help.
Although Afro House isn’t known for intricate lyricism, Master KG and Jah Prayzah make it. Kusina Mai has a very similar sound texture and storytelling to Kure Nehama, which was Jah Prayzah’s Afro House collaboration with Heavy K on his last album. It told a similar story of being away from family and sonically it had mostly the same elements as Kusina Mai, although it was slightly more vibrant.
Afro House as a genre is proving to be somewhat fertile ground for Zimbabwe’s Contemporary Traditional star. In addition to dabbling into Zimhiphop on Probeatz’s Munengwe and other sounds he tried on his last album, Jah Prayzah is proving they’re no limits to his capabilities with different sounds.
You can listen to Master KG and Jah Prayzah’s collaboration here.
