LAST SATURDAY, all roads led to Amahoro Stadium for the first Primus Guma Guma live show and it was anything but incredible. Dream Boys, a group consisting of two guys, TMC and Platini are giving another shot at this year’s PGGSS competition for the fourth time.

They are among this year’s strong contenders for the coveted title. In a review of the Kigali live show, they talk about how they performed, plans for future performances and their biggest strengths. 

TMC

What influenced the choice of songs you performed at the live show?

The timing was the most important element. The first song we performed Uzahahe Uronke is a hit at the moment and is very popular. Then we performed Urare Aharyana (translated as Good night) as our second song because the show was at night and it was a perfect way to leave the stage. 

Looking at the criteria considered during the live performances, do you think you impressed the judges? 

I believe we gave our best during the performances. As artistes it is usually difficult to assess ourselves because we have to impress the crowd and the judges, of which, many times they might be looking at different elements of the performances. 

Do you think that was the best performance you’ve given so far? 

I can’t say that it is our best or worst performance to date. Although I will say that I’m comfortable with how we performed. However, there’s a lot of room for improvement. 

Are there any specific areas you want to improve on?

That would be all areas. As the competition nears to the end, we need to work harder and improve on our performances. I believe we shall put on a different show in Muhanga as well as other live performances. 

Do you feel threatened by other artiste’s performances?

At the Kigali live show, tables were turned. All artistes performed wonderfully and that changed everything about this competition. It is a tight race amongst all of us. 

Any changes we should expect to see at the Muhanga live show?

Of course, there are many things that we are currently working on. For example, we shall perform different songs from the one’s we performed in Kigali and since we have many fans in Muhanga, we have to put on a good performance not to disappoint them.

Would you prefer live shows or you would rather do playbacks?

I will go with live shows anytime. Playbacks don’t allow for dynamism but live singing takes the skill of singing to a whole new level. In front of an audience, any slight mistake will not work right. First of all, the singer must have a determined mentality to stand in front of the audience and it requires a lot of confidence and courage.

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Platini

How did you prepare for the live show?

We prepared pretty well. We had more than a month to do rehearsals and we capitalised on that period to make sure that we put on a good performance and I believe we did.

What was your biggest strength?

We have a lot of experience in doing live performances. We know how to balance our stage performances and vocals. When you have strong vocal abilities and know how to perform on stage, you really prove to be a big contender. 

How did you keep the audience focused?

First of all we always try to engage our fans into singing with us while we are on stage. Secondly, we try to interact with them while we are on stage by cracking jokes, trying to talk to them and generally getting them to enjoy the performances. Lastly, we relax and enjoy what we are doing which I think enables our fans to also feel the music in them. 

If you were to rewind back, is there anything you would change about the performance?

I would increase the number of songs from two to maybe three or four. Fans really deserve more but otherwise, everything else is fine. 

What did you think of the stage set-up?

It was good, not any different from the other stages in previous PGGSS competitions. 

Which artiste do you think poses the biggest threat in the live shows?

I don’t think there’s any artiste we are scared of. Our biggest competition is ourselves as Dream Boys. We have to challenge ourselves to perform harder and better.

How are you preparing for the remaining live shows?

We are training hard and thinking of ideas on how to improve on all the remaining performances. In Muhanga, our performance will be different from the one in Kigali and the same applies to the other remaining areas that we will be performing.