Winky D’s anti-poverty crusade continues

Moffat Mungazi

SPURRED by the necessity to assume responsibility as one of the genre’s pioneers, Zim dancehall exponent Winky D has over the years evolved into a loyal disciple of the ghetto upliftment crusade. Since first bursting onto the scene as an advocate of the poor and vulnerable masses in urban cities’ high-density suburbs, the evolution has, according to a section of Zim dancehall followers, seen him shed off the belligerent nature

reflected in his earlier releases and mellow into maturely music that prudently connects more with the audience for positive impact.

At the outset of his career, the Takaipa-Takaipa hitmaker unequivocally presented himself as “the poor people’s advocate”, as buttressed by his debut recorded project of 2006 aptly titled The Devotee and has since then played a starring role to that effect with so much enthuse in Zim dancehall circles.

Speaking through his long-serving manager Jonathan “Mwalimu” Banda on the sidelines of a sold-out show that also featured Soul Jah Love, Templeman and Garry B at The Platinum last Saturday, Winky D told The Weekender that the ever-changing social landscape had necessitated the evolution as they adapted to the shifting epochs.

“When we set out on this particular mission — which obliged us to champion and advance the cause of the poor people and deprived youths in the ghetto — we had a clear mandate of being their mouthpiece. Put simply, we deliberately sought to be the ambassadors that told the story of these places and were eager to provide alternative lenses of looking at and understanding these people’s way of life and aspirations.

“Over the years, we have tenaciously upheld this undertaking and are happy with the progress that we have made thus far. It has not been easy, but from a very few pioneering mates, among which we were the first and sharing the same vision, Zim dancehall has outgrown individuals and developed to become a fully-fledged movement touching, influencing and changing many lives in a really positive way.

“We are extremely happy that several other artistes have joined the Zim dancehall bandwagon since we gathered the momentum and because there is force in numbers, the mission is becoming easier with the passage of time. The progress has, thus, been encouraging and we are excited about the huge impact it has had on society.

“The genre is a movement whose time has come and is earning recognition through acceptance in many sections of society like the homestead and the media,” enunciated Banda eloquently.

And it’s hard to argue that the Musarova Bigiman singer has come to distinguish himself as the standard-bearer of the genre. From such confrontationally militant yesteryear tracks like Ndiri Nhinhi, Vane Godo, Rokesheni and Chatsva, the Vigilance Band front man has taken a more accountable approach in recent releases like Sando Dzangu, Pazvicorner and Mafirakureva. At the height of the latter hit’s popularity, which reproached youth delinquency, Winky D defiantly declared himself a musical martyr as he sought to influence positive social transformation through song.

“Our music is a mirror of society which only reflects and reproduces the realities of everyday life. For our part, we cannot continue watching youths self-inflicting destructive mistakes on themselves and our desire is to caution and point out to them the pitfalls they must avoid in order to lead successful lives.

“In other words, we are an outlet or voice expressing our contemporary fears and hopes; therefore, we now carry a huge responsibility since the younger generation now looks up to us for inspiration and we cannot afford to be wayward, but remain disciplined and focused on achieving the ultimate objective of ameliorating some social facets in the ghetto. We have answered to that God-given call and are responding in this way we have come to be known for,” added Banda.

Perhaps Winky D’s hit-dense late 2015 discharge Gafa Life: Kicks Tape is arguably the best testament of how the Ninjas camp has remained true to the values their musical mission represents. The title track, Mirror, Survivor, Copycat, Not Nice, Woshora, Idya Mari and the wildly popular sing-along Disappear is a singles compilation that delicately encourages people to juggle around, remain resolute and focused as as well exhort people to celebrate the gift of life with fine finesse.

With more than a decade of musical experience up his sleeve and over a dozen albums under his belt, the Messi WeReggae composer remains well on course in championing the anti-poverty cause of the Ghetto masses, the majority of whom constitute his large following.