Winky D - Eureka Eureka Album Review

Winky D is a legend, that is a fact. He has kept Zimbos dancing for years and is among the best live performers we have in the nation. For someone who has delivered hit after hit he has a loyal legion of fans that follow him and make noise about every move he makes.

His last album Njema grew on me, however it did not get as much airplay as we are used to from a Winky D album, despite many loving its mature subject matter, the music was largely absent from the streets. On Njema you could feel Winky was up to something, a new sound and vibe, it was not there yet but he was moving in an interesting direction, personally was curious to see how he was going to develop that sound going forward. The reception from the masses however was not as explosive as compared to his previous projects and towards end of that year Winky released an EP on which he reverted back to his old style, a sign of failure or he just wanted to cater for fans of his past sound??!! 

The announcement of this project got me very interested. Winky is not one for collaborations so the announcement was intriguing as he hinted on collaborations. Over the years many artists have complained about the unavailability of Winky D so such a move got me curious and hyped for the project; Was it a Freeman & Friends Mixtape kind of scenario, where the icon teamed up with various artists he was close with or maybe the Gaffa has found the game tough and has decided to team up with the hottest young artists to capitalise on their vibe or its his way of passing the baton stick to the younger generations or its another reason altogether?? The answer may be clear after the review. 

Got my copy of the album and today will be sharing with you my thoughts and views on the album down below. As usual will be doing a track by track review and share my overall thoughts as I close up the review.

1. Nherera (ft Mwenje Mathole) 

This was another surprise collaboration, am a huge fan of the sound Mwenje is pushing and it seems Winky also appreciates. On this track they are talking about the plight of orphans, they are urging those who are privileged to assist the orphans around them. The track is produced well, the arrangement is spot on. The track reminds me of Panorwadza Moyo, it has a similar vibe. The artists did well. Mwenje's vocals are just something else, he added that magic to the track. 

2. Vafarisi (ft Bazooka & Poptain) 

The party track on the project sees the Gaffa team up with Bazooker and Poptain. They are saying we are the party, we make the party rock. The production is done well, the track has that Toi Toi energy (although it does not reach that level) , it can definitely get a party rocking. The only problem I have with this song is its hard to differentiate between Winky and Bazooka & Poptain, you will have to listen carefully, they delivered similar vocal performances. 

3. Dzimba Dzemabwe (ft Shingai) 

This collaboration surprised me the most, never expected it. Am a huge of Shingai and I had to start with this one. On the track the duo is saying is this the land we died for. The two artists are taking the form of Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi who have resurfaced in today's world and are crying after seeing the state of the country now, asking is this what we fought for. The country is divided, societal values are no more, hate is rife and national healing is needed. We have to create a country which our grandkids can enjoy. The production is done well, the track is well arranged. Winky delivered a solid vocal performance and Shingai was beautiful (am happy more people will get to know her now) she is such an amazing artist. 

4. Ibotso (ft Holy Ten)

This track is aimed at those in power who take advantage of the less powerful knowing nothing will happen to them. They live lavish lives whilst ruining the lives of many contributing to the poverty cycle. The track is well produced. Winky and Ten delivered solid performances. The track is produced well, the arrangement is typical of Holy Ten. 

5. High Grades (ft Herman) 

On this track Winky and Herman are urging the youths to prioritize school and move away from drugs. The production is good, the track has energy, the arrangement is good. Winky and Herman both delivered good performances. 

6. Shaker (ft Enzo Ishall) 

This track made noise during the album launch and many coined it as a Diss to Passion Java. The track is dissing those who used to be the big people in the streets but now the fake life has been uncovered and the mbinga is just ordinary. The track however does not match the hype, the production is done well, its the usual Enzo sound we are used to.

7. Dreams (ft Saint Floew)

They switched to full hip hop on this one. Winky once dabbled in hip hop on Paper Bag and given the current popularity of Hip Hop Winky decided to try again. Winky D has always been superb on the bars and he killed it on this track, dropping bar after bar. Saint Floew was also on point. He is saying I got dreams in life, dreams of a better life. The track is produced well. The two artists complimented each other very well.  

8. Chauruka (ft Tocky Vibes) 

Kutonhodzwa KwaChauruka means the mighty humbling. On this track they are saying those that used to be too proud and believed were untouchable will get humbled by life. The production is more to the Tocky Vibes sound, the mbira imitation was a good addition. Production is done well, the arrangement is okay but as I have said its more what I would expect on a Tocky project than a Winky D one. 

9. Tears (ft Anita Jaxson) 

On this track they are saying some of the pain we experience in life will never go away, you will have to learn to live with it. The tears one shed leave a lasting memory. The track is well produced. Winky and Anita blended okay. 

10. XYZ (ft Qounfuzed) 

This track got the fans screaming at the Gateway Stream winter concert. The full song is now out and it's okay. Winky is a master of live shows and he can make a boring song bounce live, like on Shaker, this track also does not live up to the hype. He teamed up with Qonfuzed on this track where he is saying do not spend unnecessary effort and time of your exes, its the past. Winky delivered his usual performance, Qonfuzed was good, loved his performance more. Production is good, the track is arranged in a sound we have come to know from Winky, remove the bass this sound like the many Oskid instrumentals despite this being made by Jusa Dementor. 

11. Urere (ft Killer T)

This is the definition of Sungura Dancehall fused with Rhumba. The structure as is the norm on this album leans to the sound of the featured artist, in this case Killer T's sound. The track is a party track. Expected better though from these two giants. 

12. Mu Spirit (ft Dr Chaii) 

On this track Winky is saying am satisfied spiritually, despite the challenges and hardships am in a good space of mind. The production is good, the track fuses some Amapiano elements fusing it with afro Dancehall. 

13. Peter Friend (ft Nutty O) 

On this track Nutty & Winky are saying I dont want fake friends, they spread around bad energy. One loyal friend is more valuable than silver and gold. The track is produced well. The two artists did well on their parts. 

14. Gonyera (ft ExQ)

The Gaffa teams up with Mr Putiti on this track about being content with the one you are dating. There are many women of different shapes, sizes and complexion and you won't be able to have them all so chose one that satisfy your desires and stick to them. The production is done well, the arrangement is okay and leans more to the ExQ side. The two artists delivered good performances. 

Stream the album: Eureka Eureka

So ya that's it for the much anticipated Eureka Eureka and its a big experiment by Winky D. Its a big show of versatility by the Gaffa. 

The production is done well, Winky is a legend and in terms of sound he will not compromise. He teamed up with many top producers for this project, a refreshing shift as the Oskid sound was becoming too monotonous on his past projects. The arrangements vary with each song, Winky switched up the arrangement and his singing style to fit various arrangements throughout the project so there are no two tracks that sound the sane on this album. Most of the arrangements are just okay, few really capture your attention abd that is because if we then compare those arrangements to other tracks of that sound, they fall apart. For example Peter Friend sounds good but comparing it to other Nutty O tracks is falls, same applies to Shaker, Gonyera, Tears, High Grade, Urere and XYZ. The few that may hold up if compared to top arrangements from the collaborators sound are Dreams & Chauruka. Then the few ones like Dzimba Dzemabwe & Nherera shine the most as they do not follow one's arrangements but provide a balance for both artists. So arrangement wise this album is average, most tracks are not bad but they aren't good either. 

On the themes Winky exceled, he is a master wordsmith and has proven that again with this project. He tackles social political issues in a very satisfying way. This is where many refer to the Gaffa as an elder, he knows how to get the message accross. 

Vocally I have to say the way he switched up his performances deserves Respect. However the constant switching of styles meant we did not get peak Winky performance and because of this the artist whom he collaborated with shine more as they are the ones performing on their usual arrangements. The choice of collaborations are well selected. The few that exceled above all others are the big surprises Shingai, Mwenje Mathole they brought  different feel and their performances have that deep emotional feel that reaches deep down. 

To end this review as I have said this is an interesting experiment by Winky D, he has proven throughout the project that he is quite versatile, he can excel at various sounds and structures but as the popular saying goes "Jack of all trades but master of none"!! applies on this one. The listening experience is not as smooth, the project feels like a collection of singles. One good thing is because he touched on nearly all the popular genres except Sungura & Gospel you are bound to find a song that is in a genre you like, whether that song will impress you is another issue. Was very much expecting Winky to develop his sound from where he left on Njema but that is not the case. So my recommendation is listen to Dzimba Dzemabwe & Nherera and then after pick an artist of a genre you like and see if you like it and take it from there. Now as to why the Legend decided to collaborate now I believe its a mixture of silencing the statements that he does not groom or mentor the younger artists, showcasing his versatility and also capitalising on the sound of the younger artists. 

My overall rating is : 6.5/10

Feel free to share your thoughts on the album in the comments section below.

Proud_Zimbo