For Keen Edzai Mushapaidze, the astounding success that Jah Prayzah has achieved during his tenure as manager so far was pre-conceived.
the style interview by Kennedy Nyavaya
Mushapaidze took charge of the Third Generation Band cockpit in 2015 and at the time, he was a fairly new face and many thought it was an unwise experiment with a potentially massive brand.
But, armed with a marketing degree and two years’ experience from JP Studios, where he headed the public relations department he was keen to prove a point.
And, whether by coincidence or sheer strategy, Jah Prayzah’s stock has continued to rise both locally and beyond the country’s borders, a feat that has seen his awards cabin crowding with accolades.
The camp has of late been rubbing shoulders with top African acts, including Diamond Platnumz, Mafikizolo and Davido.
However, the journey is still on and despite slowing momentum, the stable is out to show what they are made of. they launch Chitubu, JP’s eighth album, this Friday at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
With a stern test set on the success of the Chitubu project, The Standard Style reporter Kennedy Nyavaya (KN) caught up with Mushapaidze (KM) to reflect on the past and future prospects. Below are excerpts from the interview.
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KN: You have come this far with the JP brand, which is arguably the fastest growing in local music, how does it feel to be in your shoes?
KM: It is really exciting that most of what we planned has become reality because dreaming is exciting, but when your dreams come to pass the feeling is very gratifying. However, achieving also comes with its fears because when we set goals initially we had to work hard to get where we are and it does not stop here, so the fear is that of a bigger task that lies ahead.
KN: Looking back, would you say you achieved all you had imagined for the JP camp?
KM: We are really happy with what we have managed to achieve now because sometimes we have actually surpassed what we imagined as an entity. One of our biggest hopes is that maybe one day JP performs at a big stage like the Grammy Awards, but generally we are very happy with where we are because we are at a better place than we were before.
KN: As his manager, we have seen you engaged directly in projects, featuring in his videos sometimes. Do you have any influence on his music or artistic freedom?
KM: The arts and all its aspects is for the artiste, but actually as a compliment to JP, he tries to make sure we make contributions as the entire management team. We usually conduct meetings, for example, before an album is released and usually we get into groups where we discuss the product as a team. This is because he allows us to do so, otherwise as part of the contract, I am not entitled to contribute on the artistic side.
KN: What has been some of the hardest decisions you have made for and on behalf of the camp?
KM: Every day we face challenges and new tasks. I cannot really single out one instance, but as the brand has been growing there has been much more pressure than we ever imagined, so everyone has had to adjust. As a result of the tight international schedule, we have had to cut on local shows and when we are back from tours we need the artiste to rest and have time with his family, but local fans also want shows, so those are some of the tough decisions we end up making. On the other hand, when you are managing such a big brand you cannot just dismiss employees and you have to explain every move and it is always really tough to do anything. At one point, we missed the Mtv awards ceremony where we won the MTV MAMA Listener Choice award and this was because we had a client who had booked well in advance, so we could not let them down and we had to miss the awards ceremony, which was a tough decision to make.
KN: What do you cherish most about your achievements as a manager of such a big brand?
KM: I think when people look at a building like any work, they look at the top without really appreciating the work that really went into coming up with the structure. I do not really have one single event to point at, but everything we have achieved along the way is priceless and cherished. Last year I was also given an award for my contribution in the entertainment industry and it was the first time I received such appreciation so it was a really an exciting moment for me.
KN: You have had lots of criticism during your tenure with some going outright to say Jah Prayzah has lost relevance. Does it worry you and how do you deal with such critics?
KM: Knowing JP, he is one of the best artistes I have known personally and I am saying this out of honesty and without bias. I know some songs he has released and have gained traction among fans when he actually has better in store. So, when it comes to criticism, we take that which is genuinely intended to assist in building the brand, while our ears are closed and eyes blind to that which is aimed at pulling us down. Criticism is something which happens to all the artistes, so our policy is incorporating that which helps us grow like we did recently on the latest single Chitubu, which is the title track of the forthcoming album.
KN: Along the way in getting Jah Prayzah where he is, you have gained immense experience. Are there any prospects of you taking that knowledge to groom other talent in the country?
KM: I have been working as Jah Prayzah’s manager since 2015, but before that I was there in the background besides us knowing each other since childhood as cousins. All we have done in the music industry we have done together, but the brand went to a level where it is now arguably the biggest brand in the country yet we are still together. My work alone will come later, but for now my contributions come through Jah Prayzah and we have already started working with other artistes through Military Touch Movement [MTM], which we established because we understand that our achievements are nothing if we are not helping others. Although we face challenges, we will continue to do more and make sure that we help build a better industry.
KN: Finally, Jah Prayzah is set to launch the album titled Chitubu this Friday and in the build-up you have employed a number of strategies, which are different from the past years to create hype around the project, are you conceding that your old tricks have lost relevance?
KM: We have been doing things virtually the same way for the past few years and there is a theory that one should not change a winning formula and I concur, but if you repeat the same thing too much you remain at the same spot. This year Jah Prayzah took more time polishing up the songs on the album so we only got to finish some in August. We did not get time to acquaint the fans with some samples of the songs at live shows like we usually do so the only option we had was to release a song, which is something we have never done, but we are happy with the response. Everything we have done in this build-up is important in ensuring the success of the launch, which will be a very different set-up and memorable.
