Winky D

Winky D liked music at an early stage and he started listening to reggae music at the age of 8. He would spend time searching for and collecting audio tapes and records so that he could listen to reggae music. Winky D has a brother named Trevor Chirumiko who is famously known as Layan. Layan is also a music producer, singer and a presenter.

Wallace Chirumiko attended primary and secondary school in Harare. He learnt at Rukudzo Primary School and later on at Kambuzuma High School.

When he was a teenager, Winky D started performing on small functions and concerts. When he was 16, he performed at Getto Lane Clashes, which was DJ Battles for identifying the best talented one and Winky was identified. By doing so Winky D started to get known. After some time he was nicknamed 'Wicked DeeJay' which was shortened as Winky D. He was given that nickname because his music message which was powerful. His lyrics were explicit, rave about violent and immoralities. However from 2013, he started singing Gospel and also encouraging youths to stop drugs

With the help of Bartholomew Vera of Blacklab studios, Winky D went into the recording studio. His first songs, like "Rasta" and "Dead Inna War", coupled with his ingenious stage performances, set the dance floors very busy. He has since released eleven albums with many chart hits which have gained him fans across the world, evidenced by successful tours in United Kingdom, USA, Asia and South Africa. Winky D has become the new icon for Zimbabwean and African urban/reggae music with nicknames like "King of Dancehall","Gombwe" "Gafa(Gaffer", Extraterrestrial "The BigMan", "Messi wereggae", and "Truthsayer" being attached to him in the ghettos.[5]

In a bid to persuade the Zimbabwean male population to get circumcised,[6] Population Services International and the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare initiated a Winky D and Albert Nyoni (Vanyoni Beats) entitled "If you know you are a champion get circumcised". The song was launched in Harare on 19 January 2012.[7]

In December 2010, Winky D, alongside Guspy Warrior and Terry Fabulous from Chimurenga drive in Zengeza, were scheduled to perform with Capleton on New Year's Eve . However, after failure to reach common ground, the "Musarova bigman" star withdrew and cancelled all his scheduled performance from Capleton's Zimbabwean tour.[8]

Winky D failed to perform at President Robert Mugabe's inauguration gala held in August 2013 at the National Sports Stadium, following contrasting statements about the musician's whereabouts during the event.[9]

In 2011, Winky D made his debut at the Monash Beer fest Carnival in Johannesburg, South Africa performing alongside Black Coffee, Cabo Snoop, Dj Betto, Dj Leks, TshepNOZ and Sipho, Dj Luo, and Kay Mack.[10]

Winky D had 'beefs' with then popular dancehall artists such as Madcom and Dadza D. They battled back and forth lyrically, from which he emerged as a victor en route to become the most popular zim-dancehall act.

Winky D, alongside The General and Sniper Storm, were scheduled to perform as opening acts for Mavado.[11] Winky D performed first and kept Mavado and Sniper Storm waiting backstage. Efforts were made by the organizing people of the show to get the "Bigman" off stage and make way for a ten-minute Sniper Storm performance, but to no avail. Sniper Storm then took matters into his own hands and snatched the mic from Winky D. Sniper's actions caused a rage as the crowd threw things onto the stage. This also caused heated debates all over the internet and street corners across Zimbabwe, as various musicians and entertainers reacted.[12]

Winky D has seen more artist throw shots at him to gain popularity from him, which he has since ignored. The most popular of these is Seh Calaz, who has had considerable and noteworthy attention for his disses towards the ninja president, to which he has also not replied but only called for peace among the zim-dancehall artists through his songs (Mafeelings, tiki taka, sungura like and PaGhetto which he mentions Seh Calaz) and interviews. [13]

Having been over the years launching his album through low key events. The line up on the day included Buffalo Souljah, Killer T, Jah Signal, Vabati VaJehova and others. However, it was Winky D who took limelight and dished his extraterrestrial-gombwe magic on the fans who sang along and danced throughout the early hours of the morning. Another highlight, was Socialite and Businessman Genius Kadungure bid the first copy of the Album for $20,000 but he was forced to revise the initial amount after flamboyant Albert Ndabambi ‘outshined’ him by bidding the CD for $30,000. Ginimbi, as he is affectionately known in the world of socialites, dug deeper into his pockets forking another $20,000 to make it $40,000. In total Team Winky D walked away with $70,000 for his initial copy of "Gombwe: Chiextra. Oskid produced 13 out of the 14 tracks on the album with the exception of My Woman (feat. Beenie Man) which was produced by Nicky. All in all the Launch made history as the most attended Launch and most expensive Album in the country. The album itself, the performance on the night and launch proved Winky D is the best artist in Zimbabwe.[14][15][16]

• Afropop
• Chimurenga
• Mbira
• Music of Zimbabwe
• Shona music

• Official website
• Artist's page at BlackLab Records
• Biographical interview with Winky D by Jonathan Banda, Winky's producer
• Winky D video – Winky D's first video
• Winky D on Audiozim
• Interview with Winky D, Sunday News (Zimbabwe)
• "Winky D is indeed here to stay", nehandaradio.com
• Winky D tames the beast
• Winky D the best artist in Zimbabwe