Wallace Chirumiko famously known as Winky D and also known by several other.names including "The Big Man," "Di Bigman," "Gafa," "Dancehall Igwe," "Ninja President," "Professor," "Extraterrestrial," and "Wicked DeeJay." proved that he doesn’t have to use the expensive HICC for a concert in order to pull together his loyal fans.
Winky D once again proved that his artistry stretches far beyond music when he turned the Tête-à-Tête Season 2 stage at Alex Sports Club in Harare into a visual spectacle on Saturday 29 August
But the black-and-gold ensemble was not the only look that captured attention.
Earlier in the performance, Winky D appeared in another futuristic outfit that resembled an astronaut or space suit, immediately reminding fans of the extraterrestrial themes that have featured prominently in his artistic world.
The look sparked references to his songs Extraterrestria and Area 51, with fans connecting the futuristic styling to the artiste’s long-established fascination with space, UFOs and otherworldly imagery.
In visuals projected over the screens in between acts, Winky D walked through a creepy, flooded house, looking at another version of himself hooked up to a memory-clearing machine.
As the show progressed, the Gaffa came to see this not as a gift but its own curse.
Paralleling this whiplash, the tightly sequenced show featured a mid-section with some of Winky D’s more introspective numbers, including a scintillating .
- Religion: Overcoming doubt and unbelief
- Winky D dominates Trevor’s In Conversation
- Religion: Overcoming doubt and unbelief
- Winky D dominates Trevor’s In Conversation
Keep Reading
However, there has been no confirmation from Winky D or his team that the outfit was designed to represent Baphomet or any occult figure.
As a result, the symbolism remains open to interpretation, with the outfit equally capable of being viewed through the lens of fashion, theatre and Winky D’s penchant for creating visually arresting performances.
In particular, Area 51, from his Njema project, explores themes of UFOs, teleportation and extraterrestrial encounters, making the astronaut-inspired costume appear less like a random wardrobe choice and more like a visual extension of an existing chapter of Winky D’s artistic identity.
Last Saturday, August 29, the Alex Sports Club was on fire. Suffice to say, then, that Winky D arrives in Harare at a charged moment.
It makes for an intriguing juncture in the wider social justice campaign, which has had a notably darker, disillusioned and more confrontational feel across its lyrics and imagery compared to the singer’s previous output — particularly given that, earlier he was forbidden from using the HICC as his concert venue.
Winky D's venue dispute at HICC involved a significant cancellation of his New Year's Eve concert due to a dispute over the venue booking.
The dispute stems from the HICC management's decision to prioritise another event on the same date, despite an agreement secured in May 2024.
This decision led to public outcry and accusations of political interference, as the venue was previously associated with Winky D's annual New Year's Eve concert. The dispute has also been linked to controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei's foundation, which paid US$245 000 to secure the venue for a Seventh Day Adventist Church event, overriding Winky D's prior reservation.
The situation created uncertainty. However, an alternative and cheaper venue, the Alex Sports Club which has a capacity of double the number of people the HICC takes, came to the rescue.
The costume changes also fitted neatly into the broader visual language of Tête-à-Tête Season 2, a production that has placed considerable emphasis on symbolism and storytelling.
Even the concert’s promotional campaign drew on historical figures such as Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi, signalling from the outset that the event would be about more than music alone.
The Gafa’s Harare concert in several months brought the house down with emotive ballads and clubby bangers delivered with saucy wit. Winky D joins a long lineage of musicians, who have created music in the wake of this stultifying cosmic event, and the conceptually dazzling-song setlist leaned heavily on cuts from his new album, Spirit of Kunta. Tete-a-Tete
The Gafa’s performance was punctuated by a series of striking costume changes, with his elaborate black-and-gold ensemble emerging as one of the night’s biggest talking points.
Complete with a dramatic horned headpiece, intricate detailing and a prominent goat-like motif (goat = greatest of all times) across the chest, the outfit immediately sparked debate on social me (Some social-media users drew comparisons between the imagery and Baphomet (Baphomet is a symbolic figure representing the union of opposites, esoteric knowledge, and spiritual balance, rather than a literal demon or Satan.), (while others questioned the religious symbolism behind the striking design.
The debate quickly became part of the wider conversation surrounding the performance, with fans offering different interpretations of what the outfit represented.
The show felt especially momentous given that the Gafa had found an alternative venue which housed close to ten thousand fans instead of the limited 4 500 capacity at the HICC.
Winky D, the extra-ordinary costumes the spirit of Kunta , the music and the whole atmosphere at Alex Park Sports Club certainly left the crowd emotional. The show proved that it was worth every single moment.
Feedback: [email protected]
