POPULAR musician Winky D, a musician with a long nom de guerre list which includes Gafa, Bigman and Dancehall president continues to loom large in the entertainment industry. The artiste, who occasionally kicks up controversy through his stinging jibes at societal injustices through his hard-hitting songs, is a darling to many people who adore his fashion taste and powerful music whose genesis is the ghetto.
NewsDay Weekender Life & Style took time to look at the artiste’s most recent project, an Extended Play titled Love Quartet, his exploits into fashion, the odds he has defied and the accolades he has bagged so far. Despite haters always on his case, his fan base has remained strong. On the internet some of his fans defiantly declare: “We will listen even when the Gafa snores.”
New projects
Winky D released an extended play [EP] on Thursday evening titled Love Quartet consisting of four songs Dai, Shift, Akayenda featuring Frya and Iyeye. The artiste once again broke the record by garnering the largest number of views on the digital platform YouTube after the songs attracted 400 000 views within an hour of release and were already trending on YouTube, while it takes other artistes months to attract those numbers. Winky D also made history after garnering the largest number of views on the same platform soon after releasing in 2019 his song MuGarden featuring songstress Gemma Griffiths.
Fashion icon
Winky D usually sets tongues wagging after most of his performances at various shows each time he shows up in uniquely designed outfits and costumes. The artiste made a stunning appearance in his musical video Happy Again in a steampunk: A design style and fashion combining historical elements with anachronistic technological features inspired by science fiction. In short, steampunk features modern technology with a retro look. The steampunk aesthetic is inspired by the fashions of Victorian Era in England, but also by the Belle Epoque in France and the Civil War era in the United States.
During the COVID-19 era the smug artiste appeared at a show in a red flight suit resembling costumes won by actors in the popular television series Money Heist.
Odds defied
- Religion: Overcoming doubt and unbelief
- Winky D dominates Trevor’s In Conversation
- Ricky Fire remains defiant…‘We won’t be threatened into silence’… ‘If Zanu PF invites me, I will perform’
- Jah Master, Lorraine Guyo in car crash
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The musician’s career continues to blossom despite him being accused of meddling in politics and some in government have described his music as dangerous to society because they feel it causes alarm and despondency. At some point, the artiste’s musical shows were labelled as political rallies after he, for instance, packed to the rafters the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) during his Ghettocracy Score show last year.
The Gafa has such a knack for saying his mind regarding societal injustices that some politically compromised singers like Rapper Holy 10 have cowed into dark corners after collaborating with him on some songs. After regretting having collaborated with the Dancehall president on Ibotso, Holy 10 later emerged at a Zanu PF rally, which revealed his true colours.
Accolades received
Winky D has received awards both locally and internationally. He has been nominated alongside such other big names in the international entertainment industry as Buju Banton and Patoranking. He won Best Male Artist (Southern Africa) in 2022 at All Africa Music Awards, won Best Dancehall Artist at the 2020 African Entertainment Awards USA, Best African Dancehall Entertainer Award at the Global Reggae and World Music Awards and two People's Choice Awards National Arts Merit Awards in 2020 and 2024, among others.
