Paul da Prince on Conquering the Entertainment Industry

Paul Munandjala, best known as Paul da Prince, is a force to be reckoned with. At 25 years old, this Zambian-born star already has an album to his name and is conquering radio, television and music (both on the mic and behind the decks).

With years of hard work under his belt and being surrounded by a family of music lovers, it was no surprise that Paul was bitten by the performing bug. In fact, he is already verified on Facebook and has garnered thousands of followers.

People might think with his popularity, Paul would be cocky or full of himself but he insists he’s just an ordinary guy…

chatted with the star about his life and his new self-titled album.

“Paul da Prince is an all-round entertainer, from MCing to acting. I pretty much do everything. I’m really someone who just loves music and everything to do with production,” he said.

Growing up in Lusaka, Zambia was a learning experience and before branching into music, his passion was actually information technology, leading him to do a diploma in IT, hardware and network engineering.

“At some point, I realised my love for media, so I decided to pursue my degree in 2012 and graduated this year from the University of Namibia.”

While studying, Paul would DJ at clubs and what many may not know is this entertainer even dabbles in dance choreography.

“That’s where I learnt to manage my time. I never got a bad grade. I used to prioritise what was important and those years were quite fun.”

Revealing that his support system is strong despite the major career change, it has been a fantastic journey so far. The roots of his career, however, did not necessarily grow in the Land of the Brave. In 2007, at the age of 16, he took part in the popular show ‘Teen Star’ in Zambia. Although he did not win, it encouraged him to nurture his skills and eventually start recording.

“In 2010, I started with music, but I put it on a break because of school. My parents, however, have always been supportive. They really did a lot for me.”

“Back home, radio and television are married to each other. When people saw me on television, my uncle said I could do a radio show with him. I started off with children’s broadcasting. On the music side, I used to make my own version of ‘Come Back To Me Shawty’ by Tyrese. I taught myself along with my cousin.”

Thanks to tirelessly practising, he eventually began to hone and master his talents.

Another skill he particularly takes pride in is his editing skills. “I learnt how to edit when I worked for a television station, but it wasn’t just presenting. It was editing and camera calls (which I have a certificate in). I pretty much used the experience there to help me in my course. When I did my degree, it was seamless.” In fact, Paul presents on the show ‘Kumwesu’, which airs on Wednesdays at 21h00 on Zambezi Magic (Channel 160) on DStv.

With nothing to hide, Paul believes he is an open book. “I am a really friendly person. People say I am arrogant or that I am some trust fund child, but I have worked for everything I have,” says the young man.

“Every single thing I have now, I fought for. People don’t really know about my fight. It may look simple, but it’s really not.”

He lists influential celebrities such as Usher, Michael Jackson, R Kelly, Boyz II Men, Omarion and Ne-Yo (among many others) as his biggest musical inspirations and thanks to them, his love for R&B has grown and grown. And taking a listen to his album, anyone could see that this is his favourite genre.

As a self-taught singer, Paul says he taught himself to hit the right musical notes by simply listening to music. With this love and passion for music in mind, the ‘Paul Da Prince’ self-titled album was born.

Filled with all things R&B, Paul channels his influences on the 17-track album, on which he is unafraid to croon in his home language. Well-known artists such as Adora, KP Illest, Floritha and Bertholdt make an appearance, while producers such as Ogopa’s DJ Preezy, Maj Beats and Nick for Trinity Studios and Reverb for 4th Profile Studios are listed on the album credits.

Starting off with an intro, titled ‘Blessed’, Paul demonstrates his vocal abilities and appreciates those who stood by him, including fans. “Everywhere I go, I always seek to elevate, thank you to the ones who believed in me from the start, and to all the fans, I appreciate the love…”

Moving on to a more African sound thanks to local instruments, Paul da Prince goes solo on the track ‘Nakupenda’. Prepared to give up his bachelorhood for the married life, he serenades his lady love and urges her to take him home. We have a feeling she said ‘yes’!

Unafraid to stretch his vocals, the song is catchy, dance worthy and deserves a music video, as do many tracks on the album. Referring to the track ‘Up To You’ featuring Floritha, Paul says, “when I record my music, it’s the instrumental that leads me to it. When my producer sends me a song, it speaks to me. It’s really not that deep.

I speak through other people’s experiences. A friend of mine got married and his story inspired that song.”

Aaah ladies, take note, he’s currently on the market!

“Music is like chemistry. When the chemistry is right, things will happen. That’s just how my album came about and it took three years.” But for now, you can tune into his sultry voice on National Radio every Friday at 09h00.

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