Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Richmore Tera and Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
28 February 2009
Harare — MAN OF THE MOMENT Wallace "Winky D" Chirimuko believes his unprecedented rise to stardom has resulted in jealousy colleagues in the dancehall music industry plotting his downfall.
However, Winky D says he is not a worried man and this week he declared that he will take whatever they throw at him as he's confident all his rivals will sink into oblivion.
It might be deemed arrogance but Winky D believes he is the undisputed king of dancehall music in Zimbabwe and he will be unmoved even if all his rivals team up and form a choir.
Interestingly, in one of his songs, Winky D says ". . . Ndiri gamba vamwe vese zvigamba. . ." and his rivals believe the line is directed at them.
Topping the list of those who believe they are a target of Winky D's lyrics are MC-turned-rapper Newton "Badman" Gwanangure, who has released an album whose songs hit out at Winky D, and Stereo One's Daddy Distress who is also a DJ for King Labash.
During the Urban Grooves night at Sports Diner on Thursday, Daddy Distress, a DJ with Stereo One, went on stage as a curtain raiser for King Labash and dissed Winky D.
After playing a few tunes, Daddy Distress -- who says he has been in the business for 15 years and believes he is also a target of Winky D's lyrics on his latest album- announced that he had a new tune targeted at Winky D. Daddy Distress' lyrics on the "new" song -- which cannot be printed -- were derogatory and even aimed at Winky D's mother.
But Winky D actually thinks his rivals, led by Badman, have realised how popular he is and are now desperately trying to create a "war" that would also bring them into the limelight.
"When you talk about Winky D you don't have to talk about some other artiste but you CAN'T talk about Badman without mentioning Winky D.
"Every upcoming musician wants to be on top and the best way to do it is to take cheap shots at the one who is already at the top.
"Badman is desperately seeking attention by using beef as his launch pad. I remember when I had a show in Mutare last year he approached the promoter of the show claiming that he was better than me.
"He wanted to gatecrash into the event with the idea of stealing the show from me but unfortunately nobody listened," explained Winky D.
Badman says when Winky D sang in some of his songs that "Ndavaona vane godo," "ini ndiri nhinhi" and vanhu vakuru" he was actually alluding to him.
"It all started with Winky D dissing me and Daddy Distress on the song Daddy in a War, and I kept quiet. He kept on singing about me during my period of silence.
"The whole idea was to portray himself as the best in dancehall music," he explained.
As a result, says Badman, he decided to release the album -- Who Said I am Done? -- whose lyrics are a direct attack at Winky D.
"This is to prove that much of the bad things said about me by Winky D are not true. He (Winky D) just came from nowhere and started singing about me, but now I have a point to prove to my fans as well as to other dancehall artistes.
"This album is to prove who the greatest of them all is, the real vanhu vakuru," he said.
On the 16-track album, Badman dedicates much of his time to "responding to attacks" made to him by Winky D through some of his popular songs.
In the song Gweja, Badman dismisses Winky D as a mere gweja -- lingo for a diamond panner.
"Winky Dee hausi munhu mukuru, uri gweja," he claims in the song.
Some of the lyrics on songs such as 2000 & Waa, Vanondiziva, Ichi Chipo, Kusatonyara, Dead F Now and Need to Know even go to the lengths of making physical threats against Winky D.
There are however, instances when Badman repeats some of Winky D's lines and passes them as his own.
Meanwhile, Winky D added that he was concentrating on bigger issues afflicting the ghetto masses.
"I can't be drawn into competition with other musicians because that era is gone. I'm focused on real life issues affecting the ghetto people," Winky D said.
He said he was happy dancehall/ragga had finally gained recognition it deserves not only in the ghettos but also in the mainstream music scene.
"At no point did the ghetto people feel proud of their roots than now. Through music I've created a ghetto heaven and people feel it through and through.
"I've no time to beef with anyone and those that are trying to do so are only fooling themselves because I'm miles away from them.
"There is a whole lot of things that go on in the ghettos that need to be explored and beef is not one of them.
"My focus at the moment is to continue speaking about and on behalf of the ghetto people whom I relate to," Winky D said.
Without mentioning any names, he said since he hit the spotlight a good number of ragga musicians wanted to ride on his wave of popularity by engaging in war of words.
"You can only challenge someone who is in your class and for me I find it a bit baffling because I'm my own man. In dancehall everyone is a king and they have their own space as well as territory.
"Sometimes its good not to respond to people who claim they are better than you because at the end of it, people know what's real and what's not," he said.
So far the self-confessed ghetto devotee said he was doing what he enjoys most and that's reaching out to ghetto masses.
"Everywhere I go for shows fans sing along to my music including my first CD and for me that's a success," he said.
Winky D took time to explain some controversial parts in his music.
However, he said, good music like abstract visuals is open to interpretation in different ways.
"The lyrics are not controversial and so is everything about me," he said.
Asked what he meant by saying "chidodo" and "high-grade" words that are often used in ghetto lingua in reference to marijuana.
"What do you think chidodo means?" he asked, adding that, "Chidodo is any sedative, it's something that sedates the mind."
This, he said, was part of the ghetto life where people use anything to "free their minds".
Asked if he was taking any sedatives since he makes reference to them in his music, Winky D said there were things he sang about but did not practice.
"I don't sing about myself but what I see happening or practiced in the ghettos. It might not be necessarily about me but to true to others this is why I consider myself poor people's devotee," he said.
He said it was true that every ghetto had its own rulers and heroes just like in politics.
"In the ghettos we still have people who sit near the road bridges, tuck shops and roadside. We have people who are known to be untouchables as well as gangs.
"The society is closely knitted and one can actually know what's cooking from the next door without going into the house. Our houses are close to each other and nothing happens without catching the eye of an onlooker," he said.
The names, he said, that include Chidumo, Masendeke and Chen Chimutengwende are in reference to ghetto people who earned them in one way or the other.
Winky D who is powerful on lyrics, style and pattern enjoys it when fans listen rather than dance to his music.
"Vakatamba music yangu vanopotsa. Whenever I perform I want people to listen to the songs this is why I don't worry much about the redeem (rhythm). The response is good and the impact of my lyrics is massive," he said.
Already, he has a video medley of the songs -- Da Money, Make Up Yo Mind and Education that is receiving heavy rotation on ZBC-TV.
A new album is due for release this winter and like he said, it's a collector's item.
His 2005 debut -- The Devotee was lukewarm and he decided to drop his second album the following year titled -- Singles Collection that features the hits Jacket and Head in War which topped the charts.
His third release Vanhu Vakuru is a gem of album as it features the anthems -- Vanotaura, Rokesheni, Hapwa and Butsu among others.
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