adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
LOVE him or hate him but Zimbabwe’s king of dancehall Winky D (real name Wallace Chirumiko) is acquainted with what he is doing in the music industry and has what it takes to be an international star. After having had the opportunity to perform at the country’s leading music festivals, the Harare International Festival of the Arts, Zimbabwe International Carnival, Monash Beer Festival (SA), Big Brother Africa (SA) and the Southern Africa Music Airwaves Festival (SA) among many other international shows, Winky D has certainly created a huge fan base for himself across the world.
He was the first dancehall artiste in the country to come up with a live band — Di Vigilance band, something which earned him a lot of marks in the industry as it showed how much he had grown musically.
He has become the new icon for Zimbabwean urban/reggae music and now, he will become the first Zimbabwean to share the stage with some of Africa and America’s leading artistes as he is on the enticing lineup for this year’s TribeOne Dinokeng Music Festival. The festival will run from September 26 to 28 in Tshwane, South Africa.
The Ninja president will join global stars from America including Nicki Minaj, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, J Cole, Kid Ink and African stars including Liquideep, Kwesta, Daara J, Alikiba, Redsan and Keko.
Other African artistes include Karen Zoid, Tailor, Desmond & the Tutus, Shortstraw, Kwesta, The Dollfins, David & Goliath, Beatenberg, Gang of Instrumentals, MXO & The Peppercorns, Royal K, Beat Army, Ricardo da Costa, Mark Stent, and Kyle Watson all from South Africa. Keko and Naava Grey (Uganda), Slap Dee, Zone Fam (Zambia), Daara J (Senegal), Stanley (Gabon), Redsan, Nameless, Xtatic and Jaguar (Kenya), Alikiba (Tanzania) and Namibian Music Award winning stars Gazza, Erna Chimu, Elvis se Seun (Namibia), Ba’ponga (Gabon) and Hope (Burundi) have also been named as some of the artistes who will perform at the festival.
The TribeOne Dinokeng Festival will be the first of its kind not just for South Africa, but Africa as it will have a line-up featuring over 150 artistes performing on three main stages. The event is already being billed Africa’s biggest festival.
Minaj was included on the line up this week as one of the headlining acts. This will be her first time to perform on African soil.
Speaking on Minaj’s inclusion, Jandre Louw, founder and chief executive officer of TribeOne festivals said: “To say we are thrilled to have such an amazing talent and global megastar such as Minaj take centre stage at TribeOne Dinokeng this year in the amazing City of Tshwane is a complete understatement.
“Fans have so much in store for them with Nicki’s first ever performance on African shores.”
“This is a historic moment in time for the African continent and for the world as we embark on a journey to Africa’s first mega music festival.”
Winky D has become the new icon for Zimbabwean urban/reggae music with the title King of Dancehall being conferred on him after an indisputable show of class, ability, quality and prominence at a contest held at the Harare Gardens in 2009. Since then, he has become the inimitable and charismatic leader of the Zimdancehall genre.
Thrift Shop hitmakers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis from the USA will headline the Diamond Fields main stage on September 27 while hip hop recording artiste, songwriter and record producer J Cole will be the headline act for the Diamond Fields main stage on September 26.
American rapper, Kid Ink of the Show Me fame is the third US international artiste set to perform at the Diamond Fields main stage on September 27.
Early bird tickets to the show can be purchased on the festival’s website. Two types of tickets will be made available, a Weekend Pass and a Day Pass.
Online Reporter