JAH Prayzah has once again been accused of plagiarism, barely a month after he released a string of videos from his latest album.
This time around he stands accused of copying a video concept from Tanzanian artiste Diamond Platnumz’s Mdogo Mdogo music video for his Jerusarema video. Both videos are available online and possess striking similarities, which have left fans and critiques pondering on both artistes work ethics.
In Diamond Platnumz’s video, which is reported to have been released before Jah Prayzah’s video, a black man dressed in traditional attire falls in love with a white king’s daughter. He is held captive, as the king is not amused by the relationship but is later released after the king grants the two his blessings. Platnumz’s video is said to have been shot in a jungle and features medieval castles.
Jah Prayzah’s Jerusarema video also follows the same concept, where he assumes the role of a struggling musician. In the video he too falls in love with a white princess, which the royal family does not take likely. Just like in Diamond Platnumz’s video, their relationship is blessed eventually. Jah Prayzah’s video too was shot in somewhat of a jungle and also has medieval castles.
Nonetheless, Jah Prayzah’s manager Keen Mushapaidze dismissed the claims of plagiarism, stating that the video was original.
“Everything is original, all the scripts and concepts were written by him (Jah Prayzah). People need to understand the video as one that sends a message. Jerusarema video is a production that seeks to promote inter-cultures,” he said.
Mushapaidze added that if at all there was a way of telling who released the video first on any timeline that would put the issue to rest.
“We got to know about Diamond Platnumz’s video when people started commenting. The video was shot in Vumba in the Eastern Highlands,” he said.
In 2014 the award-winning Jah Prayzah was accused of copying the beat of the song “Mwanasikana,” off his “Tsviriyo” album from Ghanaian musician Emmanuel Samini’s 2007 hit track titled Samini.
Jah Prayzah was under fire from critics on social media networks for that, after an online publication accused him of “stealing” the song.
The publication revealed the striking similarity between “Mwanasikana” and “Samini” and uploaded the two songs on their website, triggering a barrage of criticism and queries about Jah Prayzah’s creativity.
The “Tsviriyo” hit-maker said the song is a soundtrack for an African movie that he watched when he was making his album in 2013 and fell in love with the beat.
“I was watching an African movie and I enjoyed the soundtrack. I did not know it was a released song (on the market). I just thought it was a track made for the movie. The beat was good and I was tempted to use it on one of my songs,” he said.
He claimed he did not know the composer of the song until he was alerted of the matter.
“I did not know about Samini and I did not know it was his song until a friend sent me a link of the track recently.
He just told me to check the similarities between the songs and I realised it was the same track used it the African movie,” he was quoted as saying in relation to the 2013 song.-Sunday news
