Lifestyle magazine, Gentlemen Quarterly (GQ)-South Africa had an interview with Zimdancehall maestro, Winky D in which the chanter spoke of his music, success and his latest album Njema which he launched on new year’s eve in the capital.
Below are some excerpts from the interview…
GQ: You undeniably one of Zimbabwe’s greatest acts, what are your musical influences?
WD: My inspiration and influence are derived from the living conditions in the poorest community, the hardships I experienced from childhood, the trying experiences people continue to encounter, the things I sense and perceive, what I see and the things I am still going through as a person living this life.
GQ: How would you describe your sound?
WD: I would not want to limit my sound to a mere description/limited genre characterization, rather all I can say is I am on a musical expedition in which I continue to explore, discover and inventing new sounds as my music evolves.
GQ: You recently dropped your latest album NJEMA, what are you hoping people will take away from the album?
WD: NJEMA is a project that is meant to give people both the necessary hope and courage to free themselves from situations that derail our progress. For example, I have the song Ijipita where I am metaphorically encouraging people to free themselves from retrogressive scenarios and environment of whatever form and nature, through mobilizing the essential energy to move towards progress. Also on the track, Sekai, I encourage people to work for a better tomorrow regardless of how they are going to be ridiculed or labelled by society. I tackle various themes in this project, key among which are socio-cultural activism as shown in songs that cry out to the unabated erosion of African traditional values by modernity and the associated vices of things like misogyny, the purity of love, the need to be unfettered by any human efforts when pursuing goals, the unparalleled value of virtues in life.
GQ: You take time to release an album or project and are very calculative, how important is it for one to take their time and not act off pressure from fans or society?
WD: All great products are never rushed, it’s always important to take your time as a creative because perfection is a tried and tested recipe for success. Acting out of pressure will only lead to reactions which undoubtedly, are an old way of trying to prove a point and massage an ego.
GQ: Your music seems to carry a lot of thought-provoking messages. How do you write a song? Like is there a specific process?
WD: As for me, there are no fixed criteria as far as making music is concerned, anything can spark a musical idea in me, and immediately I start the process of putting words and a melody to the idea or vice versa. If there is a need for research, I set out to explore the concept to enable me to sing from an informed position.
GQ: We have seen you sell out venues, what is your secret?
WD: There is no secret really, I give all the credit to the people who love and appreciate my craft, and also my team which always has sleepless nights organizing these shows.
NJEMA shot straight to Number 1 on Amazons Best Reggae Album sellers and Number 4 Amazon Top 100 Best Sellers for music, soon after release.
Credits: https://www.gq.co.za/
