THERE are quite a number of reasons behind a musician’s longevity – the sheer ability to stay at the top for a very long time, for the duration of a career even.
JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA
For me, two things stand out: relevance and consistency.
No matter how good an artist you are, your place in the consciousness of your followers is not guaranteed to be a permanent feature without possessing these qualities.
In light of this benchmark, it’s safe to say now that Winky D – the Zimbabwean reggae-dancehall wizard – has mastered both!
Whenever this creative genius releases something new, it is sure to get people talking, whether you’re a fan of his or not.
I’m privileged to have witnessed and covered Winky D’s journey since the formative years of his career and given how he always made the impression of a focused young man in those early days, it’s hardly surprising that a more mature Winky has indeed become a forward-looking person.
His greatest strength is that he has been able to swiftly move with the ever changing musical demographics. It is thereby little wonder his sound has changed, or continuously changing, so that it fits in the younger outgoing age-group.
Not to forget his heavy social media presence.
To prove that music is indeed changing, Winky D has long moved from Zim-dancehall to Zim-pop, simply because that is where the market is.
His latest offering, EP Love Quartet, seems to be a deliberate effort to move away from the spotlight of the powers-that-be on Zimbabwe’s political landscape, a clique that has often critiqued Winky for being anti-establishment in his mass-popular culture type of content.
But Winky accepts that this kind of uncomplimentary feedback is an everyday battle he has to live with. From his huge and loyal fanbase, which resonates with his message, he finds comfort.
So Love Quartet is supposed to paint that Cinderella story, while avoiding politics and the backlash that comes with it from his ever-ready hecklers.
Not to say this is the first time Winky has serenaded his fans with the love bug. He has done that countless times before.
Here, he has simply done it again, in Love Quartet, showing his tender side insofar as love and affection is concerned.
Shift, Akayenda, Iyeye and Dai – which range from hot to lukewarm – are the tracks in EP.
But perhaps it is Akayenda which has captured the imagination in more ways than one.
The reason being that the visuals are quite familiar, especially to those who have watched the epic movie The Titanic.
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romantic disaster film that was directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. Incorporating both historical and fictionalised aspects, it is based on accounts of the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star as members of different social classes who fall in love during the ship’s maiden voyage.
The video by Winky, featuring Frya, bears some resemblance from the movie especially when DiCaprio and Winslet share moments that include riding the Titanic at the tipping point right in the front of the cruise ship.
Then we see the actual sinking of the ship, where Winky abandons his lover, played by Frya, as she drowns.
That said, of particular interest is the captain of the ship, a drunk. He is constantly taking shots of whiskey as the ship approaches a stormy tide.
But this is art, Winky is telling a story that passengers are pinning their hopes on the captain who does not care about their safety and welfare.
Simply put, there is no way this ship would sail smoothly if the captain is drunk and unable to stand on his feet.
In other words a ship without a sober captain is doomed!
To the uninformed this comes across as a political message, but to the informed music lovers this is purely a work of art.
What then this means is that Winky D has given people something to talk about. Come to think of it, the timing of the release! It’s not a holiday, summer or even a festive season. We are at the beginning of the winter season, of all times. That is the genius of staying at the top and remaining relevant.
