THERE is an irresistible spiritual force that follows Jah Prayzah - it doesn't roar, it hums beneath the beat, it doesn't command, it guides.
And, no matter how modern his rhythms grow, no matter how global his reach extends, the spirit always follows him.
It pulls him back, not to the past, but to something deeper, older than memory, older than sound.
Long before he became a household name, before stadiums chanted his name in unison, Jah Prayzah stood in the middle of silence - just a boy with a voice and visions too big for his village.
And even then, something called to him in the quiet.
The song goes like ... 'Goto vasikana, huya uone (goto rine hwema muchariona) Goto changamire (horiye muchariona) Huya uone (goto rine hwema muchariona).'
Cloaked in mystery and dread, the song wasn't just a composition, it was a ceremony.
The drums spoke in tongues, the chants summoned more than applause.
In it, Jah Prayzah shed his pop skin and let the ancestral wind whip through his voice.
Some didn't understand. Others feared it. But he wasn't performing. He was obeying.
Years passed, albums grew polished, sounds refined. But this year, that spirit found its way back through tracks titled Mubvunzo and Ruzhowa on his latest album, Ndini Mukudzeyi, released in May this year.
The beat is hypnotic, the melody smooth but listen closer, and you hear the trance.
The lingering echoes of spirits refusing to fade.
The man who once cried in Goto now inquires in Mubvunzo, but both songs speak the same tongue.
It's not about answers; it's about acknowledging the unseen.
Jah Prayzah doesn't always go looking for the spiritual. But it finds him.
In the middle of the night. In the studio. In the silence between lyrics. And when it does, it demands more than music it demands surrender.
Again and again, he gives in, just like he did on Ruzhowa.
The lyrics goes like...Nzira mototungamira mega, Muvheneke, Ndikaneta, mondisesekedza ndiyambuke.
Aiwa muchengete, vana vangu nevana vavo, vabvumbamireiwo, vakafamba vega vanobatwa nemambure se hove...
Because some voices aren't yours alone. Some are borrowed from the ancestors.
And some, like Jah Prayzah's, are vessels for something that refuses to let go.
On 'Ruzhowa', the spiritual side of Jah Prayzah is once again evoked in the song that has become a cultural phenomenon, transcending entertainment to become a spiritual and cultural touchstone.
The song's instrumentation fuses traditional Zimbabwean percussion and mbira-inspired motifs with modern Afro-fusion beats, creating a meditative, uplifting atmosphere.
Indeed, Ruzhowa is more than music; it is a spiritual invocation carried on melody.
Lyrically, Ruzhowa draws from the Shona concept of a "hedge" or "spiritual covering," symbolising protection and blessing.
At its essence, the song speaks of alignment.
It is a cry for direction in moments of uncertainty and a reminder that though the path may be hidden, it is always present, inscribed by divine will.
The song affirms that while humans may chart their plans, it is spirit that decides, as it is on Mukudzei's musical journey.
Jah Prayzah's delivery carries a quiet urgency both a plea and a surrender as though he opens his spirit before powers beyond himself.
Several efforts to get in touch with Jah Prayzah and his management were fruitless.
However, in an interview with the late Zimpapers Arts Editor in his column Memory Lane, Jah Prayzah once confirmed he had heard such claims of spirituality.
He said people thinks he gets possessed because he tries to invoke emotions in his songs, depending on the themes.
"When I sing a love song, I want people to feel the love. It is the same with that song. I perform it in a way that it would be performed at a traditional ceremony.
"I act as the elders at a ritual ceremony do, and it appears so real to my fans. They conclude I get possessed," he said.
Jah Prayzah says everything he does is a result of the passion he nurtured since he was a boy and the talent that was appreciated by many when he was still young.
Music critic Albert Nyathi said for Jah Prayzah it is a combination of hard work and spirituality.
"Jah Prayzah is a hard worker. I have known him for a long time, from when he was still a boy, always carrying a mbira.
"I first noticed that he meant serious business when he did Gochi Gochi.
"I said to myself, there seems to be a spark there. In terms of spirituality, I believe some force does take over at some point, especially when he is on stage," he said.
Renowned music producer and arts critic Clive "Mono" Mukundu rubbishes the spirituality claims.
"It is purely talent and hard work. The only spiritual part is that the gift came from God. I don't believe in Stone Age beliefs like kusvikirwa," he said.
Another critic, Aaron Moyo, also shared his view.
"Some fans, because of their different backgrounds, relate art to either talent, genetics, spirituality (whether God or ancestral), or relevant education. And as I see it, all these claims are true to life.
"I don't know what Jah Prayzah himself believes, whether he is aware of the spirit he possesses or simply thinks it is just talent.
"But those fans who think he has a spirit, or rather a shavi, could be very right, since these things do exist, as I mentioned before," he said.
Moyo also said, of course, there are many people who don't believe in such things, depending on their personal beliefs or the type of information they have been exposed to.
Indeed, for Jah Prayzah, there is a spirit that won't let go - the spirit of excellence, as history has already attested.
In 2022, he released "Tichineke," a well-composed spiritual piece rich in cultural content.
It was a world-class production, infused with an authentic Afrocentric flavor that showcased both the growth and maturity of his musical career.