HIS signature leaps that sometimes see him hang on the
trusses of a stage or the roof of a performance venue are not just an act to excite
fans.
Jah Signal actually wishes he had wings to fly beyond the
vast blue skies. He has an insatiable appetite for success – he feels the 24
hours in a day are not adequate for all the things he wants to do.
A look at his
schedule shows that Jah Signal is currently the most sought-after Zim dancehall
entertainer, with up to three performances a day.
Having performed at two well-attended shows in Leicester
and Coventry, United Kingdom last weekend, Jah Signal returned home to an even
more hectic schedule.
It was no surprise that drained as he looked on arrival at
the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Thursday last week, he still
had to spend the rest of the day shuttling from the studio to meetings before
ending the night with a welcome back show at a local club in the capital.
This was Jah Signal’s first long haul flight, his first
time outside Zimbabwe or South Africa, but he was not about to let his
weariness disturb his schedule.
The Sunday Mail
Society caught up with the high-flying Zim dancehall star shortly after his
return from his United Kingdom tour. Straight from the airport, Jah Signal was
whisked away to the studio where he intended to “add a few lines” to a song set
to feature on his 12-track debut offering.
From there, he had meetings about merchandise branding and
another about an advert awaiting finalisation.
One would expect the soon-to-be 23-year-old to be excited
about being back home, about a re-union, no matter how short the separation
with friends and family – but alas – Jah Signal needed to work.
“Home can wait, I do not want to get distracted,” said the
Mubako singer as his manager, Hillary “Punchline” Mutake gave him the day’s
programme.
“Don’t get me wrong I’m relieved to be back home, it was a
long flight, but I missed so much when I was away, that needs to be done as
soon as yesterday,” he said in a soft tone that belies the thunderous
multi-layered voice stored in the singer’s small frame.
The following day, a Friday, Jah Signal was the headline
act together with Jah Prayzah at the Harare Agricultural Show – a huge
endorsement by any standard in local showbiz.
Soon after the show, he was set to fly to South Africa for
four shows in Cosmo City, Polokwane, Benoni and Pretoria. He returns Tuesday
before flying out on Friday headed to Durban where more shows have been lined
up.
40485028_301287467326451_8403735793939513344_n
But Jah Signal’s life was not always this busy and
financially rewarding. To put things into perspective, a little over a year
ago, Jah Signal, buoyed by meagre earnings of around US$80 per show, stopped
his mother from selling recycled paper towels that she passed off as tissue
paper. The family business involved “humiliating acts”, Jah Signal volunteered
to this publication.
“Things were tough growing up … Life is still tough but
music brings in a couple of extra dollars, which has improved our lifestyle. I
remember when my mother and I, to ensure that we had a meal on the table, would
get used paper towels from hotels, straighten them out, remake paper rolls and
sell them to people in our community.
“Though substandard, they were a big sell because people
preferred those to using newspapers as substitute for proper toilet paper.
However, I have since stopped my mother from doing that, the money I generate
from my music is good now,” he said.
Competition from the likes of Silent Killer, Blot and Boom
Beto, to name just a few, is now non-existent. The “Sweetie” hit-singer is now
throwing serious punches, maybe even above his weight and is knocking down
adversaries for fun.
Shocking though, is that Jah Signal does not even have an
album. He has over 50 singles among them “Tirarira”, “Mkwasha Imboko”, “Ganda
Idema”, “Kunzungu Nekunyimo”, “Rure Rure”, “Rudo”, “Tisvike”, “Ndezvepasi”, “Ku
Gombwe”, “Dai Mandiudza” and “Yatanga Hondo”, to name a few.
He intends to release his debut album, a 12-track effort,
in the first week of October. It features a few collaborations that include
Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zacharia, Mbeu and a top South African DJ on the remix of
“Mubako”.
Speaking on his UK tour, which almost turned disastrous
when only two out of four artistes turned up for the shows, Jah Signal said God
could not have planned it any better. Initially intended for Jah Signal, ExQ,
Boom Beto and Silent Killer – only ExQ and Jah Signal made the trip.
“In the end it didn’t matter, we delivered. I went on stage
just three hours after disembarking from a plane. I almost cried on stage, I
felt tears in my eyes when I saw those fans screaming my name and singing along
to my songs. I remembered where I came from, what I come from and the dreams I
have had and still have – and emotions almost overcame me.
“I give praise to God. These are things I never imagined
happening in my life. I have to keep my feet on the ground. What I saw can make
someone panic and sing funny things or lose their way – I cannot afford that, I
have to stay the course, I have to stay grounded,” he said.
Under the guidance of his manager, Punchline, a veteran Zim
dancehall supporter, promoter and artiste manager, Jah Signal’s prayers are
definitely being answered. Punchline has since 2006 marketed and distributed
exclusively Zim dancehall music.
He has managed only a few talents in Zimbabwe among them
Freeman, Lady Squanda, music producer Oskid and now Jah Signal. He took all his
artistes to the pinnacle, which saw them win several awards.
Punchline says it was Jah Signal’s message, his social
commentary, the fact that he sings instead of chanting; that made him see a
different kind of future for the young man who cut his musical teeth at
Dzivaresekwa I High and Rock Mountain Christian College.
In mid-October, Jah Signal takes his “Stonyeni” (love)
gospel to Australia with several stops in Canada, Dubai and China. Sunday Mail
0 comments:
Post a Comment