Winky D is a wanted man who stopped running. It is now almost immemorial that his early years as an artist were purely dancehall exploits. The nauseating dreadful threats on his consciousness are a large measure of disingenuous barely-comprehended realization of the nation’s fundamental freedoms – sovereignty, patriotism, comradeship etc. The arts as an outlet for expression are on track record dwindled by tragedies of polarization and not practical politics. Winky D’s career peaked alongside the broadcast of his crucifixion as a troublemaker to national security. Instead of running, he shields in mass solidarity as the voice of the voiceless.
The 31st of December 2022 crossing over into 2023 witnessed yet another class act of music as the nation’s healing. Winky D’s album Eureka Eureka landed. The immediate and sober conclusion was that the HICC is a fortress for the Vigilance band. Crowds jostled their way into the venue despite the rains. And soon, the giant arena packed revellers like sardine fish. Eureka Eureka album earns the 3rd badge of honour after Gombwe and Njema as albums that are stamped in the history of contemporary popular culture. The recent launch was aided by the fast-growing and revolutionary digital streaming platform, Gateway Media Stream. The two brands share in common high regard for the provision of quality and value in their service.
The show commenced in high spirits with Dj Fitzroy rocking the dance floor with the biggest hits of 2022 and old classics. His playlist was indeed well-arranged despite some here-and-there bias towards international music which is not directly his fault. Dj Flavor continues his romance with Winky D and he too delivered a set which effectively reminded us that reggae dancehall is the reason we are there! But in all honesty, are we going to do this without Etherton Beenie? Merciless and KVG held it down as MCs throughout the night.
Saint Floew – Hip Hop Meets Dancehall
Born 25 years ago and raised in Chitungwiza, Tawanda Mambo is an outrageous talent. He has been rapping for years but in the underground trenches of hip-hop. To date, he has recorded two albums Hip Hop Broke My Heart 1 & 2 which dropped in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The hit record Gundamwenda shone a light on his rap skills before Under Pressure and Silas Mavende seized the nation. Much collaboration with the likes of Jnr Brown, Holy Ten, Shinsoman and Tocky Vibes is a testimony of what he is possessing. Silas Mavende is on course to contest song of the year 2022 but it swayed the people’s appreciation of him as a rapper, traditionally. If Winky D's mathematic formulae aimed at breaking the dancehall and hip-hop equation then Saint Floew is a genius discovery.
Saint Floew was the opening act whose short performance was pure bliss. His act was composed mainly of the few popular songs before Merciless called him back to freestyle rap – oh boy, what do you know about Gunda Trap?
Holy Ten – The Father’s Son
Holy Ten deserved this chance that hip hop was denied when Rick Ross came last year. The HICC confirmed his grip on the realm of Zimbabwean hip hop since 2020. The set heightened the atmosphere’s hunger for a memorable night. Songs like Kumba Kune Vanhu together with top-performing collaborations like Loss with Nicky Genius set the HICC ablaze. The fire raised flame when he invited Leo Magozz on stage to get his shine. Fire Emoji goes down as one of the irresistible anthems of the hip-hop era in Zimbabwe.
Holy Ten pays his respects to Winky D as his musical father. He endeavours to reach Winky D’s songwriting skills and truly, his discography is coherent with such aspirations.
Tocky Vibes – Dr. Oliver Mutukudzi’s Blessing
This performance was a lesson to Zimbabwean music fans. Are we not too quick to write off talent? Tocky Vibes is one of the few artists who had the privilege to be publicly ordained by the late musical icon Dr. Tuku. His performance at the HICC almost disrupted the show’s fluidity. From one hit to another, executing stage presence mastery, Chamakuvangu proved to be the night's biggest surprise. The flawless beat switches by his compatriot and producer T Man who held the deck caught this writer's attention.
He did not miss celebrating Soul Jah Love and Dr. Tuku’s legacies. Thereafter, fans did not tolerate him leaving the stage. You would feel pity for the MCs who tried to tone it down but the crowd demanded a second round of Tocky. DJ Flavor who had already occupied the stage took the honours of engineering the second appearance.
Nutty O – Prowling in the Foothills of Greatness
They have resorted to calling him Mbappe. Indeed, the Mustard Seed album gave the Mbare youth contention for influence in the music industry. The boy is shining with confidence as he unleashed a scintillating performance with a live band. Nutty O’s ability to engage the emotions of the crowd is a special attribute that separates him from many. He interjected his own set with tones of speech on his ambition and gratitude for the players who assisted his long-coming victory. Nutty O boasts of putting the Zimbabwean flag on Grammys and BET. The dream of international stardom is the drive motivating the dancehall artist.
The sweetest part of his performance is definitely bringing M Killer and Bling4 on stage to assist him with Fire Emoji. He buoyantly maintains – I did it for the new generation!
Enzo Ishall – Serial Hit Maker
The fact that Enzo Ishall has topped the charts since 2018 remains surreal. He is yet to miss. Again, the spirit of Soul Jah Love is restless with everyday manifestations of his phenomenal contributions to the dancehall culture in Zimbabwe. He is the first artist to nurture Enzo’s talent.
Enzo Ishall brought on stage dancers who complimented the catchy theatrics of his music. The set was well choreographed as fans sang along to every song. His appreciation for the grand opportunity given on the day felt real.
Winky D – Eureka Moment
People from various walks of life have a thing or two to say about the Bigman. But what seemed to be apparent was that Winky D needs a bigger venue – thanks to the Gateway Media streaming application, those from different parts of the world were accorded cheap access to get a glimpse of greatness. Winky D mastered the craft of delivering world-class performances.
The Eureka moment was a different act altogether. He introduced new songs with the young artists who collaborated on the album. Herman was a major surprise who sent the crowd into a frenzy as they performed the song High Grades. Saint Floew got an endorsement of a lifetime as he rapped along to the legendary Gaffa on a song called Deams. Holy Ten seemed ready for the nation’s address until it was time – Winky D changed into an assertive-gear-suit and both stood before their respective podiums to deliver a nation’s address to a crowd that couldn’t afford a bit of attentiveness! The much-awaited collaboration with Tocky Vibes took so long and was received with much ululation, Mhururu is finally a reality!
Enzo Ishall is truly a man to always watch – Winky D stroke the right code with their collaboration which scoffs at the routine demise of ‘mbinga’ (the purveyors of capitalist hegemony, corruptors masquerading as socialites or even prophets whilst preying on illegal deals and so forth). The Nutty O collaboration is something the dancehall fraternity has been expecting – Winky D dazzled in patois alongside his biggest upcoming competitor in that trade. Moments thereafter, Killer T’s trademark hoarse voice roared from backstage and the crowd lost it, yet again, as Winky D dished another collaboration.
The Eureka moment could have ended there and then as Winky D hinted. This moment completed a perfect delivery of art to the consumer. Fans hurriedly returned to a surprise act that revealed Shingai, a member of the British popular rock band Noisettes. Admittedly, this information was later researched. She is an amazing vocalist, but how she gave it to the people was more to it. The energy, passion and aura that exuded from her performance are truly unforgettable. The song moved many because of how it captures the tattered state of the nation’s social fabric!
Killer T – A game of loyalty!
It is not a Winky D album launch without Killer T on the poster! He calmly embraced the fact that his set would wind down the night despite people leaving the HICC. It was a perfect capping off altogether!
To a larger extent, this show was a success. It effectively achieved portraying various dynamics of art as an influential tool in driving change. The nation needs healing through tolerance. Guided by a love for the nation we will reap massive returns from the innovations of empowered youth. The future generations are helpless without confidence. A house divided can’t stand hence we embrace this altruistic measure toward co-existence.
The album is currently dropping on a daily basis and we hope to review it once it is finished.
Great piece of writing...well done!
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