Jah Prayzah - Ndini Mukudzeyi Album Review

Jah Prayzah has been on a roll with his past releases, his last offering which was a double album release of Chiremerera and Maita Baba was well received, both albums were solid but it was Chiremerera which excelled the most, come awards season it was crowned Album of the year. Those albums followed up on Gwara which was another superb offering that was received very well by Zimbabweans all over. This run has made JP the biggest artist in the country so when he announced that a new album was in the works you can imagine the hype and expectation that comes with that announcement.

The major expectation was can he continue of this insane upward trajectory?, can he outdo Chiremerera?, can he retain his crown as the top artist in the nation?? His album launch for Chiremerera held the record for attendance for  local live show and this new one is expected to surpass that record. Now that the album is out I have to update that he surpassed his past attendance record, Old Hararians  was packed, thousands of fans braced the cold night to be a part of the launch.

After some days of listening today will be sharing with you my views and thoughts on the album.

1. Ndini Mukudzeyi

The title track is the first track on the album and on the track he is celebrating his ancestors for guiding and watching him, paving the way for him to do what he does, to make this good music. He states that he was sent to make music, to make the people dance and honor their ancestors. The track is well produced, the arrangement is done well. JP was solid on the vocals as you would expect. 

2. Necessary

On this track JP is saying some of the things you do are not necessary, they only bring curses upon your life. Some of your actions have pushed your Ancestors to turn away from you, to remove their covering and blessing on you life. In life do not engage or say certain things recklessly for actions and words have consequences. The track is arranged well, huge fan of the intro, overall production is solid. JP was solid on the vocals.

3. Shuga

The tempo is turned up on this track, the track reminds me of his hit Dangerous. On the track JP is saying enjoy the fruits of your labour, take some time to wind off and enjoy yourself. The tack is produced well, the arrangement is done well, the lead guitarist did a good job on this track.

4. Kwaunobva

The strength of a fish is in the water and the strength of a person is from where they come from. JP is saying blessings come from where you come from, kumusha as we call it in Shona. That is where your ancestors are, that is where your bloodline comes from, you need to be in touch with who you are in-order to succeed in life. The track is made well, the arrangement is spot on. JP was passionate on the vocals.

5. Ibvo

Many were waiting for this one especially after JP dropped the teaser. The track takes its melody from a popular progression millions of Zimbos are already familiar with. On the track JP is singing about a guy who crazy in love with this girl, he is powerless to her charm and loses all senses when she touches him. The production is well done, the track also comes with some solid visuals. 

6. Kuno

This was the first single released prior to the album launch, setting the tone for the album. Kuno (Here) is a emotional track where a loved one has passed on and their spirit is now watching the remaining loved ones. The spirit wants to re-assure the living that he has passed on well into the land of our Ancestors (Nyikadzimu), and will be protecting you from the other side so do not worry much. The track is well made, production is solid. It also came with some fitting visuals. 

7. Manja

JP is saying lets put our hands together as we talk to our ancestors, we need their guidance before we go astray. This track hits deep, its perfect for those moments where you feel lost in the jungle of life and you're desperate for some guidance as to what path to take, how to move forward. Sometimes as a Zimbabwean all you need is to take some time, compose yourself, put your hands together and converse with your Ancestors and they will guide you. The track is arranged superbly well, the guitar work is on point if you listen close you can hear some Chiri Nani by Tuku in the background, the drums and vocal arrangement is all solid.

8. Mibvunzo

On this tack JP is asking the Creator to save us from this life filled with death, loss, hatred, poverty, sickness, hunger, evil...Many are going through life with a heavy heart because of the many challenges they are facing all they need is peace in their lives. They went for a Mapostori structure on this track and it fits the themes of the track well, Mapostori are know to go deep into the spirit when they sing.

9. Hubaba

This is a beautiful song that talks about the teamwork and power of understanding in a marriage. A father who is working his socks off to try and provide for his family in a tough world, gets strength from his wife who understands the mountain his husband has to move and is appreciating and praising his man for the effort. Its such a beautiful song especially in this age where marriages are only founded on good times, there is no moral support anymore, once the man get down the wife is out of the union. The production is also well done, the drums remind me of traditional dance in primary school. JP was superb as usual on the vocals. 

10. Chiramu

JP gives attention the those who abuse the culture of Chiramu, those who hide behind the culture to hide their fleshly desires. Chiramu is a culture whereby the sister(s) of your wife are also regarded as your wives, so it is allowed to play house with them minus sexual activity, but then some end up sleeping together and try to cover any suspicions by saying its Chiramu. The track is well produced, the guitarwork is definitely inspired by the Chimurenga legend Thomas Mapfumo, even the vocals are all influenced by how Mukanya arranged his vocals and backing vocals.

11. Chiringiro

JP is an advocate of accepting one's appearance and tradition and on this track he is saying nothing makes me more proud than being referred to as a Son of the soil, Mwana Wevhu. He is urging our women to be proud of their black skin and appearance, they should take a look in the mirror and see how beautiful they look. Always be proud of where you come from, your history  makes you strong and unique. Production is done well, track is well arranged and JP was solid on the vocals. 

12. Sori

JP is saying Sorry to those who spend time trying to pull him down. He understands that his gift is the reason they are always trying to pull him down, however the gift came from the Creator so they cannot take it away from him, they can only just watch as he flourishes. The production is done well, as you listen you get some Mawere Kongonya vibes throughout, especially the kick pattern and lead guitar combination, JP was solid on the vocals.

13. Ruzhowa

JP is crying out unto he Lord for protection and favour in his life. He wants to be guided on this journey of life that is filled with many traps and temptations. This song is basically a powerful prayer where JP accepts that he is nothing without the grace of the Creator, so he is asking for the Creator  to lead, guide, protect and shower blessings in his life. The production is done well, the arrangement is spot on, the drums are spot on, you can hear a Vabvuvi vibe throughout this track, I can picture the Vabvuvi dances. JP was solid on the vocals, the backing vocals are also on point. 

14. Moto

The last track on the album takes off on a Chimurenga tip, the intro mbira guitar takes me directly to Ndave Kuenda by Thomas Mapfumo, most of the arrangement is borrowed there. Another progression that I pick is this traditional song Ndiwe Here Muroora Watema Tsanga, especially the bass, its singing that song. The production is spot on. On the track is saying I cannot find any rest in this life, there are wars and battles going on everywhere, its all about putting out fires everyday and there is no-one to tell, most people are no longer trustworthy. 

So ya that's it for Jah Prayzah latest offering Ndini Mukudzeyi and its a fitting project to have his name slapped onto the title. The albums takes you on ride through JP's musical journey, where he is coming from and where he is going whilst at the same time capturing his influences and motivations in a engaging way. 

Production is solid throughout the album, the track arrangements are well executed. He draws inspiration from various artists and sectors, we hear the Mapostori influence on Mibvunzo, we hear  Vabvuvi elements on Ruzhowa, we hear some Tuku on Manja, Andy Brown on Sori, we hear some Mukanya on Chiramu and Moto. You can see JP is greatly influenced by the traditional sound from Zimbabwe and music from those who paved the way. He is showing you can succeed whilst fostering continuity of sound from one generation to another. Have been for years advocating for current artists to boldly take inspiration from the many legends we have had, the many classics and music styles and push them forward, offer a different interpretation of a sound we already love rather than distancing your sound with past proven music opting to copy foreign sounds. That lack of continuity has greatly held our music industry back, we are always playing catch up to those we copy instead of  lading in our own sound. So having JP doing so whilst also excelling as a brand and artist is a great testament of how this formula works. World over continuity is the way to go for the arts industry.

JP also makes good use of the magical trio of; Mbira, Hosho and Ngoma (Drums). Say what you will, you rarely go wrong if you add these three instruments in your music. the magical trio. They add a vibe, a rhythm that is distinct and they blend well with our language and pronunciations. What I love about the Mbira is that it blends, it can do its magic from the background, on top of everything its adds a sound no other instrument can deliver, add hosho to that and its heaven. JP proves with this album that he now fully understands the best sound for him, yes he still can (will) release some afro beats, afro house tracks probably as singles or features but when it comes to albums, this is JP. His double release last time gave his team all the information they needed to make a decision on this. 

As we continue on this journey we get tracks such as Ndini Mukudzeyi, Neccessary which have a sound we now know and love about JP but he also shows he has not lost his playful side with tracks such as Shuga and Ibvo. He also shows he can go deep with tracks such as Kuno and Hubaba, tracks with many layers, that keep on adding the more you listen. He also can go deep on the spiritual front as proven by tracks such as Mibvunzo, Manja, Kwaunobva & Ruzhowa. JP is among the best songwriters we have in Zimbabwe and it shows throughout this album, he manages to address personal, spiritual problems with level of depth that many only dream off. The choice of words, the structure of his statements evoke a lot of emotions as you listen, for example Hubaba made me drop some tears as I thought of a lifechanging period I went through where my wife despite how much we were struggling, despite how many things weren't going our way for long periods of time kept on praising and hyping me up, such support is priceless. He manages to evoke emotion whilst at the same time boldly celebrating, teaching and showcasing the beauty of Zimbabwean tradition and culture, Chivanu chedu.. 

On the vocal side, JP delivered a top performances all over. Passionate, emotional, playful as needed in the track. He is a super vocalist and this album further testifies to that. The trend for most albums recently has been features so It was surprising to see no features on this album. Taking into consideration the significance of this album, JP had to go at it alone to showcase people Mukudzeyi in his different variations. Features add diversity and flavour but also each artist comes with their aura which may not be appropriate for how you want that project to be remembered. 

To end this review, I have to say JP still has it, in fact his stock is now growing at a faster rater than before, Chiremerera took him to a new level and this one will just push him into the next bracket, he can now properly showcase the Zimbabwean sound to the international market. With projects such as these, you can easily see why people would fill a venue and gladly pay $40 for a show with only JP performing or why he is the artist of choice at every premium event in Zimbabwe, he wears his tradition on his sleeve so if you want the purely Zimbabwean experience, he is the artist for the job. Have enjoyed listening to this project a lot, was skeptic of this one given how much I loved Chiremerera and Gwara but he delivered, he did not even try to copy Chiremerera which is what many do after a successful project, this is a standalone project which takes over from the predecessor and succeeds it with so much confidence and style. I highly recommend this one, as to which is my favourite track I cannot select between Manja and Ruzhowa. This is now undoubtedly the best album of 2025 so far, we wait and see if there is another project that will drop and surpass this one as the year goes.

My overall Rating is :  9/10

I know many of you have managed to listen to the album, feel free to share your comments in the comments section.

Proud_Zimbo