Jah Master dismisses ‘one-hit wonder’ label

Tendai Chara

WILL Jah Master ever release another track that will match or even surpass the level of success achieved by the hit song “Hello Mwari?”

This is the question many music followers are probably asking themselves some three years after the musician released the chart- topping track.

In 2020, the Zimdancehall sensation, whose real name is Rodney Mashandure, hit the right chords and released “Hello Mwari”, a song that went on to become phenomenally popular.

The song, which premiered on an online television channel, proved to be a wonder, garnering over a million YouTube views in less than two weeks.

It gained immense popularity on social media and sparked a viral trend known as the “Hello Mwari Challenge”.

During this challenge, individuals would share videos of themselves lip-syncing to the song.

The trend became so widespread that even popular Zimbabwean musician Jah Prayzah joined in, posting a video of himself singing along to the song.

Jah Master’s “Hello Mwari Remix” video, which featured the late Tanzanian songstress, Haitham Kim, also went viral and got 876 000 views within three weeks.

However, the songs that Jah Master released after “Hello Mwari” have failed to make lasting impressions.

Jah Master’s single “Sikhangezile”, which was released a month ago, only managed a paltry 136 000 views in a month.

The failure to produce another hit song within such a long period has resulted in some critics concluding that Jah Master might have joined the ever-growing local list of one-hit wonders.

However, the controversial singer, who is known for his unusual dressing and unique singing style, refused to have his name added on the list.

“For me, the sky, and not ‘Hello Mwari’, is the limit. The fact that we have reached that level means we have the ability to surpass it.

“We always give our all and we will keep working hard. The sky, like I have just said, is the only limit,” Jah Master said.

He said the song “Sikhangezile” has had a “tremendous” response.

On Thursday, the controversial artiste, who is infamous for kicking a fan on stage, released a new single titled “Barberman”.

He is also currently working on an Extended Play titled “Composition”, whose release date is yet to be confirmed.

Jah Master, who started singing in 2010, rose to prominence in 2019 after dropping the popular track “Takasangana Mutaundi”.

With the release of “Barberman”, critics are eager to see how the new release will fare in the coming weeks.

If the new release fails to make an impact, it will be more of a confirmation that “Hello Mwari” was probably a fluke.

But, as it stands, the chanter is already shoo-in for the one-hit wonders’ list.