Winky D (born Wallace Chirumiko,1 February 1983) is a

Zimbabwean Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Moza ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

artist, known popularly as "The Big Man" (stylized as "Di Bigman"), and also known as Dancehall Igwe, Gaffa, Ninja President, Proffessor, Extraterrestrial (stylized as ChiExtra) etc. He is often considered the Zimdancehall pioneer and one of the most accomplished modern

Zimbabwean music Zimbabwean music is heavily reliant on the use of instruments such as the mbira, Ngoma drums and hosho. Their music symbolizes much more than a simple rhythm, as the folk and pop style styled music was used as a symbol of hope for Zimbabweans ...

artists. Not much is known about his wife but he in a few songs has mentioned his child's name Tayenda. The gaffas have continued to defend him about this issue claiming that it could be because of the respect he has for his family that he keeps them far from drama. He was born in Kambuzuma, a high density suburb in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. He was also a presenter for the Rockers Vibes programme that was an all reggae programme, together with

Trevor Hall Trevor Hall may refer to: * Trevor Hall (musician), American singer, lyricist and guitarist * ''Trevor Hall'' (album), an album by Trevor Hall * Trevor Hall (rugby league), New Zealand landlord, salesman, and professional rugby league footballer ...

and Belemnite Zimunya. Winky D was among the artists featured in the Southern Africa Music Airwaves (SAMA) Festival 2009.

Early life

Winky D was born in Kambuzuma,

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

, Zimbabwe. He liked music at an early stage and started listening to reggae at the age of eight. Winky D has a brother named Trevor Chirumiko, also known as Layan, who is a music producer and singer. 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 at small functions and concerts. When he was 16, he performed at Getto Lane Clashes, DJ battles for identifying the talented, in which Winky was noticed as musician. After some time he was nicknamed 'Wicked DeeJay', which was shortened to Winky D. However, from 2013, he started singing gospel and also was fought against drug addiction in society

Music career

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 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, US, 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. In a bid to persuade the Zimbabwean male population to get

circumcised Circumcision is a surgical procedure, procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin ...

Population Services International Population Services International (PSI) is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit global health organization with programs targeting malaria, child survival, HIV, and reproductive health. PSI provides products, clinical services and behavior chan ...

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

on 19 January 2012. In December 2010, Winky D, alongside Guspy Warrior and Terry Fabulous from Chimurenga Drive in Zengeza, were scheduled to perform with

Capleton Clifton George Bailey III (born 13 April 1967),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , pp. 67–69 better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as Kin ...

on New Year's Eve. However, after failing to reach common ground, the "Musarova bigman" star withdrew and cancelled all his scheduled performances from Capleton's Zimbabwean tour. 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. 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.

Feuds

Winky D had 'beefs' with then popular dancehall artists such as Badman and Daddy 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. 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. 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.

Gombwe album launch and birthday bash

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 for 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 was 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 Anthony Moses Davis (born 22 August 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Jamaican Dancehall deejay. Biography Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Mus ...

) which was produced by Nicky. 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.

Partial discography

''War''

# "War" # "Head Ina War" # "Nuh Talk" # "Take a Run" # "Where you come from" # Igo Figo

''The Devotee''

# "Babylon" # "Battle for the future" # "Dem No Wrong" # "The Ghetto" # "The Night" # "Down Ina The Ghetto" # "For the benjamins" # "Girl dem plenty" # "Ghetto sufferation" # "Ina the dark" # "Make up your mind" # "No life in bed" # "Nuh like it" # "The way you feel" # "Thiefing pastor" # "Will you" # "Green Lyk Mi Garden" # "Messi wereggae"

''Igofigo – The Unthinkable''

# Controversy # Baby Mama (feat Shayma) # Isu (feat King Shaddy) # Musarova BigMan # She Woulda Go (feat Layaan & Ngonizee) # Snepi # Tinokutsuura # Vaudze (feat Stunner) # Buss di Shot (feat Guspy Warrior) # Born Champion

''PaKitchen''

# Pakitchen # Taitirana (feat. Ninja Lipsy) # Mabhazuka # Type Yezvimoko # Mukadzi Anogeza # Bongozozo # Refuri Parudo # First Sight # Ndini Ndakatanga # Facebook # Gezera # Gerai Ndebvu # Ninja Saturday # Musandisunge officer

''Life Yangu''

# Life Yangu # Mamukasei # Ninja Summer # Tatovhaya # Mumba maBaba # View Mirror # Munhu weNyama (ft Freeman) # Compass yemaNgoma # Vashakabvu # WhatsApp # Made in China # Ndinewe # Big Spender # Bhuru Dzvuku # Hubenzi

''Gafa Life Kickstape''

# Disappear # Not Nice produced in association with V.Mberengwa # Mirror # Survivor (feat. Shinsoman) # Holiday (feat. Guspy Warrior) # Ngoma Futi # Idya Mari # Woshora # Copyrights # Gafa Life

''Gafa Futi''

# Happiest Man # 25 'Twenty Five' produced in association with V.Mberengwa # Bhebi RaMwari # Bob Marley Funeral # Daddy # Extraterrestrial # Gafa Party (Toi-Toi) # Hooray # Karma # Mwendamberi # Photo Life # Panorwadza Moyo (feat.

Oliver Mtukudzi Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi (22 September 1952 – 23 January 2019) was a Zimbabwean musician, businessman, philanthropist, human rights activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Southern Africa Region. Career Mtukudzi grew up in Highfield, a ...

)

''Gombwe: Chiextra''

# Gombwe # City Life # Finhu Finhu produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Highway Code # Simba # Number One (feat. Haig Park Primary) # Ngirozi (feat. Vabati VaJehova) # Onaiwo # MaRobots # Bho Yangu # I'm Hot # Dona # Hatiperekedzane produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # My Woman (feat.

)

''Njema''

# Amai # Chandelier produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Sekai # Chitekete produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Siya So # Ijipita # Njema njema # Ndidye Mari ft Buffalo Soljah # Naye produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Bhatiri produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Murombo # Area 51 produced in association with Vincent Mberengwa # Mangerengere

''Eureka''

# Tears ft Anita Jackson # Peter Friend ft Nutty O # Shaker ft Enzo Ishall # Vafarisi ft Poptain ft Bazooker # Gonyera ft EXQ # Nherera ft Mwenje Mathole # Chauruka ft Tocky Vibes # XYZ ft Qounfuzed # Dreams ft Saintfloew # High Grades ft Herman # Dzimba Dzemambwe ft Shingai Shoniwa # MuSpirit ft Dr Chaii # Urere ft Killer T # Ibotso ft Holy Ten

Awards

*Best album Igofigo and People’s Choice Award - National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) 2010 *Best Live Performer Award - Zimdancehall Awards 2015 *People's Choice Award -

National Arts Merit Awards The National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA Awards) is a set of annual awards granted by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) in recognition of outstanding achievements in the arts and culture. The categories have differed over the years. In 202 ...

(NAMA) 2020 *Winky D won "Best Dancehall Artist" at the 2020 African Entertainment Awards USA. *Best African Dancehall Entertainer at the International Reggae and World Music Awards. *Best Album 2020 'Njema' - Zimdancehall Awards