Moses Opobo
9 May 2009
opinion
Kampala — Mickie is no longer just following in his elder brother Bobi Wine's footsteps. He is ready to make it on his own, Moses Opobo writes
I CAN'T give you fish, but I can teach you how to fish." That is the one line of Mikie Wine's that I recall vividly from my very first chat with him at Dream Studios in Kamwokya. That was in mid-2007. He was only 16. Mikie was alluding to the fact that his brother, Bobi Wine, had chosen to teach him how to write his own songs, instead of writing for him.
He was seated quietly in the lounge of Dream Studios, the studio owned by his other brother Eddie Yawe. He was not in the Firebase Crew camp, which is at the end of a dark alley at the back of the studios.
At the time, Firebase was a no-go area for him. Crew president Bobi Wine could only allow him into the place minutes before they set off for a performance. Bobi was not just trying to shield Mikie from the temptation of the "Uganja" republic, if you catch my drift. He had simply subjected his kid brother to his new policy which required that all crew members have at least an A'Level education.
That time, Mikie would hand-twist his hair into nutty dreadlocks whenever there was a concert, only to comb them back into shape the next day in preparation for school. He had two songs to his name. Kabadi had just dropped, but nobody knew it yet. Nyingiddewo, which he had recorded two years earlier, seemed to have created some modest waves, though. The attention seemed to come more from the fact that it introduced yet another brother of Bobi Wine to music fans. Nyingiddewo brought him to our attention and dumped him there, leaving him to his devices.
Together with Banjoman and Yawe, Mickie was inevitably branded a Bobi Wine wannabe. "Just how many Bobi Wines could there be?" we wondered. Of all Bobi's brothers, Mikie is his closest "photocopy". Both have defined jaw bones, a toothy smile and slanting shoulders. But that is nothing compared to their sandpaper voices. It was more evident two years ago, when Mikie's voice was just breaking. Actually, there are times that I thought this was part of the reason Bobi kept him at bay!
Did we talk about the character yet? How the young Wine took after the elder one's aggressiveness? This, rather than earn him more labels of 'wannabe', I believe, is going to define his image as a musician in his own right.
Glimpses of this started to show late last year when he abandoned the comforts of Bobi's Magere home to try it on his own, situating himself on Mawanda Road in Kamwokya. This, of course, meant no more free food, free accommodation, free ride, free everything from big brother. As a result, Mikie ceased to be among the notorious clique that moves with the crew president wherever he goes for showbiz's sake.
It works for Bobi, because it lends him the image of a patriarch at the top, a crew president with his attendant entourage. But it is as well that Mikie moved on from here.
Of late, he has acquired his own ride. Battered though it is, it means he no longer travels with Bobi. He drives himself to Firebase Crew concerts, usually complete with his own small "crew" that comprises underground musicians and hangers-on from the 'ghetto'. Backstage at a Firebase Crew concert, he is the third-most sought after artiste after Bobi and Bucha by fans. He neither drinks, nor smokes any substance.
We have learnt to care a little less that he is Bobi Wine's brother. Have you heard (or seen the video of) Yanimba, his latest song? Does it seem to remind you of this fact? Honestly, it does not, for me. All I see is a Mikie Wine that has taken a huge stride from the wannabe-ish hardcore ragga that he used to do, and has become a musician, calling out not for our dancing shoes, but rather our ears.
"I used to do hard-core ragga because that is what shaped my musical tastes. Now I believe it is time to change style. I am trying to do food for the soul, not for the dance. I wanted to show that I am also a singer, not just rapper."
This song happens to be Mikie's second major collaborative effort, after the first, Number one, with Cindy last year. Perhaps, what is most commendable about Yanimba is that on it, Mikie features vocals from Eddie Kenzo, an underground artiste who displays disarming vocal abilities.
"Kenzo came up to me one day and told me: 'Mikie, you sing good. I want to do a song with you.' I had not known him before, but could not refuse, because he also sings good."
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
