adminFred Zindi Music
Ali G, a British comedian, sporting dreadlocks and smoking ganja approaches the Police Commissioner and asks, “Yeh man, Mr Officer, is it really a crime to smoke herb on the streets?”The Commissioner politely replies, “Yes it is a crime unless you have permission to use it for medicinal purposes, in which case you have to produce a doctor’s prescription to that effect.”
“Ah, come on officer! I and I is a rastaman and rasta is a religion which allows us to smoke ganja so that we get high and wiser and get closer to Jah, seen! Are you suggesting that I and I haf’fe go against my religion?
“Besides, I and I am wearing dreadlocks and I and I even have a massive collection of Bob Marley’s CDs. Isn’t that reason enough to smoke weed and feel irie?” Ali G retorted.
The commissioner, who took this comedian seriously insisted that the smoking of marijuana was a serious offence and that Ali G risked being arrested for smoking it in public.
Unfortunately there are some youths in Zimbabwe who share the same views as Ali G and believe that smoking ganja makes them wiser.
These are the youths whom Winky D, aka Bigman, is singing about in his dancehall tune, “Mafira Kureva”. The song, which takes a swipe at ghetto youths who rely heavily on drug abuse, has been received with mixed feelings by ghetto youths who believe in the use of ganja.
As one ghetto youth said disdainfully, “ Winky D’s first album was ‘Ghetto Defender’.
“So he should continue to defend us the poor youths of the ghetto instead of dissing us. We should be allowed to smoke weed freely and Winky D should support that campaign.
“Now that he is into advertising and he has made his money , he starts to disrespect the ghetto youths that made him. We are not even sure if that song is meant to advise us or it is his way of getting another endorsement deal?”
The truth is that Winky D, like Oliver Mtukudzi, neither drinks nor smokes.
He has seen the light and as a role model, he is giving the correct advice to all who care to listen.
However, the same youth continued, “The only time Winky D performs in the ghetto is when big companies are involved.
“Regarding his ‘Mafira Kureva’ message, we have no idea if it is rooted from love or out to get another ambassadorial deal with the NGOs funding anti-drug abuse campaigns,” he said.
Another youth from Mbare, a dancehall chanter known as Seh Calaz who, from his tunes, obviously supports the idea of drug-taking, did a song that directly hits back at Winky D’s song “Mafira Kureva”.
Seh Calaz accuses Winky D of being a hypocrite and demands to meet him so that he can expose his hypocrisy.
The Bigman is not moved by such threats as he stands his ground of giving the right advice to the youth.
If you go on YouTube, you will see another Mbare dancehall chanter, Killer T, giving an interview about his UK tour in a drunken stupor. What kind of influence does he think this kind of behaviour will bring to the ghetto youth who follow him?
Is this how a role model should behave?
The big question is whether musicians should support the use of drugs among the youth or not.
There are members of society who will agree with this thinking while others will not.
I went on the streets of Mbare asking youths about their views regarding the taking of drugs by musicians before going on stage and here are some of their thoughts:
Irene Mashavire, a vendor at Mupedzanhamo Market, had this to say: “I don’t mind attending a concert by a musician who is high on drugs as long as his smoking or drinking does not interfere with his performance.
“I have no qualms with their drunkenness. From experience, I find some musicians more entertaining when drunk.”
Joseph Mari, another vendor did not agree. “I find that some musicians who go on stage drunk do not have the ability to keep their composure on stage.
“They even forget the lyrics to their own songs. When that happens, I get angry because that is short changing me on my hard-earned dollar.”
Vongai Mapanzure, a dressmaker, answered irritably, “ What a silly question.
“Do you go to work drunk? If not, why should musicians be an exception? Work is work, no matter what kind of work you do.
“If I was to start stitching people’s clothes the wrong way because I am under the influence of alcohol or drugs, would these customers come back to me tomorrow?”
After a survey of 15 people, I concluded that the majority of those surveyed were not keen on the idea of musicians who drink or smoke. So why do musicians do it?
I then went to ask band members I knew why they did that stuff.
I shall not drop any names here .
I will allow them to keep their anonymity, but here are some of the statements I recorded
“Yes I admit to smoking marijuana before going on stage because it helps me calm my nerves,” said one. “ I only smoke because I don’t want to be looked at as a misfit the other band members,” said another.
The third one simply stated that he smoked because he thought “it is cool to do so.”
Let’s face it, various drugs such as alcohol, tranquilisers, cocaine, marijuana and beta blockers have effects which are undesirable for musicians. Musicians are not exempt from alcoholism, anxiety, cancer and all the other related illnesses which are induced by these drugs.
Besides, going on stage under the influence of drugs is cheating the audiences as the musicians are operating at half their cognitive capacity.
The list of Zimbabwean musicians who have died as a result of alcohol and drug abuse is endless.
I shall not mention them here since I am not their doctor and have no wish to offend their families.
Many promising careers were cut short by the excessive use drugs and alcoho.
However, well known international musicians who have died due to drug abuse include the guitar maestro, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley whom the world perceived as the “King Of Rock’, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse.
Now how can we assist Winky D and his ilk to convince the ghetto youths that drug taking has no added advantage to their livelihood?
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