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Winky D

Problem Masau Arts Correspondent
WINKY D, whose real name is Wallace Chirimuko, shot to fame with his boisterous lyrics where he would describe his mischievous exploits in an appealing way to ghetto youths. During his formative years, Winky D’s songs were littered with self-praise, violence and sexual exploits.
Who can afford to forget these lyrics?
“Ndazovaona vane godo, Vabva kurova chidodo, Ndiri muninja ndati bodo, Chitoita easy naMwari ndinokusvapura.”
Songs such as “Location”, “Musarove Bigman,” “Controvesy”, “Nhinhi”, “Suit Yezvibhakera” and “Shaya” had serious connotations on violence.

This made him a household name within the ghetto streets in urban areas.
At last the ghetto youths had found someone whom they could relate to, they assumed.

Winky D’s music, though bubblegum, was very popular with the youths that many of his songs became sing-along tunes.
“The Bigman” as Winky D called himself went on to show his lyrical prowess by composing songs every month but the youths could not have enough of him.

They wanted him to release songs every day.
Winky D’s beef with several dancehall chanters in the mould of Badman partly contributed to his lyrical prowess, an opportunity he would use to pen hard-hitting lyrics, especially during dancehall clashes that had become popular with ghetto youths.

That was Winky D of yesteryear, a man who rose to fame because of his talent and the support he got from the ghetto youths.
It is now more than five years since Winky D made his grand entrance on the dancehall scene but

the Kambuzuma-born chanter has completely transformed.
Though he remains very popular with the youths, he has somehow toned down his lyrics and has evolved from being a violence instigator to a chief advisor to the ghetto youths.

His decision to pen conciliatory and didactic lyrics has earned him the ire of his legions of fans, who still want him to write controversial songs like he used to do. His latest offerings “Mumba Mababa” and “Mafirakureva” show that the man has matured with age.
In the song “Mumba Mababa”, Winky D advises church-goers to worship God without ulterior motives.

But probably, the greatest song that Winky D has done to this date is “Mafirakureva”.
In the song, the dancehall chanter treads on an unfamiliar territory, castigating youths for abusing substances such as bronco, mbanje and illicit brews.

During his last three shows in Chinhoyi, Gweru and Mutare, Winky D continued with his gospel of drug abstinence.
“Don’t abuse it. I will continue to say it whether you like it or not. It’s not Rastafarism to smoke ganja. Stay clean,” Winky D said at a show in Chinhoyi recently.

While some youths have embraced the message on the song, some have decided to take a dig at the dancehall chanter.
“This track has had our interactive lines busy. It is good and has a positive anti-drug abuse message, but there have been replies to Winky D’s song.

“The one entitled ‘Mafirakureva’ by Tawanda ‘Seh Colours’ Mumanyi is one of the four examples that condones using ‘herbs’,” said Templeman

The Star FM DJ, however, pointed out that there were no personal issues between the two artistes, but the song had been received with mixed feelings.

“Seh-Colours” responded to “Mafirakureva” in order to express disappointment on behalf of the youths that made Winky D who he is. His first album was ‘Ghetto Defender’.

“Now that he is into advertising, he has made his money he starts to disrespect the ghetto youths that made him.
“We are not even sure if that is a song meant to advise us or it is his way of getting another endorsement deal. The only time he performs in the ghetto is when big companies are involved.

“On the song ‘Mafirakureva’, we have no idea if the message springs from love or he is just out to get another ambassadorial deal with the NGOs funding anti-drug abuse campaigns,” he said

“Winky D sang about weed in his earlier songs such as “Ndiri Rasta”, “Godo”, “Mzii” and other songs talking about weed, now he switches and says its wrong. What has made him change his mind,” queried one of his fans, Erasmus Tambo from Mabvuku.

So what brought about Winky D’s Damascus moment? Is it that he has matured musically or it is because he has gone commercial?