BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
THE year 2020 will go down as a memorable one for multi-award-winning dancehall star Winky D (pictured) after he scooped the prestigious African Entertainment Awards, USA (AEAUSA) gong which he has dedicated to his legion of fans and musical family.
The Gafa hitmaker bagged the esteemed Best Dance Hall gong at the sixth edition of the USA (AEAUSA) awards whose ceremony was held in New Jersey, United States on Sunday.
Winky D was the only winning artiste from the country’s representative list which include fellow award-winning South Africa-based Zimbabwean Amapiano star Sha Sha and Jah Prayzah.
In his category, Winky D battled for honours with Ghanaian singers, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Samini and Prince Bright, Ugandan artistes Jose Chameleone, Bebe Cool and Sheebah Karungi and Navy Kenzo from Tanzania. Winky D yesterday took to social media’s Facebook as he saluted his followers for their unwavering support.
“Allow me to express hearty appreciation to my musical family, The Gafas, to whom I dedicate this award,” he said. “I am forever humbled by the Gafa family’s uncompromising confidence and unwavering commitment to the Vigilance musical journey. Surely, we are stronger together. This is a befitting festive bonus for the trilogy. #babaabhurahama.”
In a follow-up interview, Winky D’s manager Jonathan Banda told NewsDay Life & Style that they valued their support of the fans as without them nothing could have happened.
“We recognise the appreciation the fans for the love and support. We bow in front of them for the love they have shown us from the beginning. We always give respect and thanks to those who support the movement more than ourselves, not that we are clever, but it’s because people continue to repose confidence in our works, mission and journey,” he said.
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“Whatever comes our way we dedicate it to the fans, who have made it possible, those who have sacrificed their money. We can’t go out and claim the glory as it is not our nature to go round in pomposity about our achievements,” he said.
Banda said if an award came their way it showed that their musical family was growing.
“Our musical family keeps growing and this is an indication that there are more people who now repose their confidence in whatever we will be doing. This means our works will be resonating with the lives and the views of a lot of people,” he said.
“The fans have not been compromised in their commitment as they give us time to explain whatever it is that we will be doing. Like in this case you can even see in the trilogy we did an English track, a retro dancehall track and an Afro vibe sort of track to try and balance for the whole listenership as we know that everyone deserves something from us.”
According to the organisers’ the awards seek to honour African’s excellence across all crafts and industry sectors, including entertainment. They said their mission was to unite Africans globally while addressing the big five agenda — health, education, economy, security and infrastructure.
“The African Entertainment Awards, USA (AEAUSA) believes that tomorrow we will celebrate a New Africa. Because we choose today to create one Africa. Our mission is to use entertainment as a vehicle to support, celebrate, promote, and uplift the achievements and advancements of all Africans and Africans in the diaspora through all entertainment forms.” “We use entertainment as a platform, to showcase an Africa that is united, self-sufficient, and willing and able to evoke social change that matters most in the communities of Africans and Africans in the diaspora world-wide. Our vision is to create a New Africa; One Africa.”
Winky D is riding high with his latest releases David and Goliath, Reply that has an accompanying video and Ragga Msambo trilogy.
lFollow Winstone on Twitter @widzoanto
