Winky D: Life of an Alien Gaffer

Probably one aspect that Wicked Deejay, later shortened to Winky D has managed to keep secret and longer – just like his dreadlocks is his f...

Probably one aspect that Wicked Deejay, later shortened to Winky D has managed to keep secret and longer – just like his dreadlocks is his family life. 

The self-anointed Gafa (gaffer) of Dancehall music has virtually lived a solitary life, far away from the paparazzi’s prying eyes.

Celebrities, both local and outside, have a persistent tendency to allow the controversy to dominate their personalities, sometimes broadcasting their misfortunes in public to earn reviews or sympathy. 

Elsewhere, some have adopted this trend to help boost their sales, though it has boomeranged to haunt some.

The feat to maintain his private life cloaked has earned him rare appraisals from both the media and his musical peers, some of who are in persistent limelight for the wrong reasons. The Extraterrestrial singer has matched this title, existing like an alien, hiding his daily errands from the nosy public.

 Winky D: Life of an Alien Gaffer

Rarely, maybe in public did he ever shed a tear. But when Scara, his band member passed on, he defied his principles, and tears gushed out, literally. The emotive duet with the late Oliver Mtukudzi yielded the song ‘Panorwadza Moyo’, a dual tribute to both artistes, still smarting from similar losses, and seeking closure. Mtukudzi also lost his only son in a horrific car accident.

Born Wallace Chirumiko in the sprawling Kambuzuma suburb, he witnessed the daily ghetto struggles, which have become central to his robust lyrics. At 16 he engaged in a DJ battle which nurtured his talents, earning him the title Winky D. His upbringing has influenced his lyrics, becoming a whip that turns youths against violence, promiscuity, and drug abuse vices.

His lifestyle has been in tandem with his music, choosing to shun personal beef deeply associated with his musical genre. With a clean slate, he earned an ambassadorial post to encourage male circumcision. With a tagline, “If you know you are a champion get circumcised.” Because of his character, many men got circumcised.

Political commentary, like any independent composer, has become Wink D’s favorite podium. On this note, he has rarely shied away from voicing his concerns, which were heavily linked to a section of the political establishment. This association has attracted rebuke and threats to his life. He vehemently defended his political commentary during an interview with Trevor Ncube.

 Winky D

“We have to change our mindset and we have to understand that the way music moves, in a way it is politics, everybody is there to safeguard his or her territory,” Wink D said then.

“People always ask me what a Gafa is, and I tell them a Gafa is someone who is always controlling the situation, someone who is always in control,” he mentioned whilst on stage.

Two decades after his debut stage appearance, Winky D is still on course to maintain his reign. Further, his video ‘Mugarden’ video, a collaboration with Gemma Griffiths ranks as one of the most viewed videos by a Zimbabwean, having amassed more than 3 million views. 

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