THERE have been calls for artistes to unite and desist from beefs and “dissing” each other, but local rising female dancehall artiste Lindsay, however, sees nothing wrong with “dissing”.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
The 22-year-old singer, whose real name is Mildred Munyikwa, has openly declared war on fellow musicians with her first victim being gospel musician Fungisai Zvakavapano Mashavave, whom she “disses” in five of her recently released singles.
NewsDay Weekender Arts Reporter Winstone Antonio (ND) caught up with Mildred Munyikwa (MM), who spoke at length about her career. Below are the excerpts from the interview.
ND: When did you start your music journey?
MM: Lindsay started singing at the tender age of six as a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission church choir. I recorded my first song Ukamuzembera on the Chillslam riddim which was produced by PTK and Levels. The song received fair airplay on local radio stations and music outlets across the country. From there, I have released a number of singles and I have done collaborations with Kinnah, Bonto Man, Legion and Jah Signal. My singles include Ngoma Hauimbe (Fungisai’s diss song), Fake Person, Chipoko, Mira Ndikuyambire and Tsamwa.
ND: You have recorded a diss track targeting Fungisai. What is your relationship with her?
MM: This is just a lyrical confrontation. The rift with Fungisai is simple: Dancehall music is a war zone and Fungisai came to dancehall and what I am doing is showing her what dancehall is all about as we play with lyrics and if she cannot stand the heat, then let her retrace to gospel.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
ND: There are other female dancehall artistes like Lady Squanda, Lady B and Lipsy, so why target Fungisai?
MM: It was too obvious for me to do that. I had to think outside the box and Fungisai is treading in dancehall territory and she became an obvious target for me. I never said I am stopping at Fungisai. It is only that I cannot reveal my strategies at the moment. I am into dancehall and I believe in disses since it is dancehall music culture and style.
ND: How are you managing it as a female in this male-dominated genre?
MM: I am working very hard doing what they (male artistes) do and I believe if I maintain my work ethic, I will surpass most of them soon. I am going for gold and I can now consider myself royalty, the queen of Zimdancehall.
ND: Where do you draw your inspiration?
MM: I draw my inspiration from the late South African Afro-pop singer Brenda Fassie and Jamaican artiste Lady Saw, as they have managed to stay afloat in a world dominated by male musicians and promoters and they excelled.
ND: What is your take on the belief that dancehall music is all about drug abuse and sex?
MM: Yes, drugs are found in the ghetto (high-density suburbs). They are part of our everyday life, so we cannot run away from them. But, as someone who does not take drugs, I also advise ghetto youths, especially girls, to refrain from taking drugs.
ND: Besides music, what else do you do for a living?
MM: I am a beauty therapist, but I dedicate most of my time to music.
ND: Thank you for your time, Lindsay.
