Not many people had heard of the name Jay C, real name Jean Claude Muhire, before March, when finalists for this year’s Primus Guma Guma Super Star competition were unveiled.

The exercise, held in mid March, is organised by Bralirwa’s premier brand Primus, in partnership with the Price Water House Coopers and East African Promoters, a local Events company.

Two of the finalists, rappers Jay C and Khalfan, born Odo Nizeyimana, are participating in the competition for the first time.

Being a newbie in the competition, however, did not stop Jay C from making headlines at the selections, when he emerged with the highest individual score of 35 points. Only the boy group Active raised a higher score of 36 points.

He even beat Bruce Melodie, considered by many as an early favourite. Melodie tied with rapper Young Grace in third position with 34 points each.

Jay C may be new on the Primus Guma Guma stage, but is not a musical novice, having started singing around 2005. At the time, he was part of the rap group, Magic Boys. One of his more prominent songs is titled, ‘I’m Back’, featuring, incidentally, Bruce Melodie. Being a competition, the two will of course not be able to perform the song on the PGGSS stage.

It is highly unlikely that the rapper will walk into the competition with his eyes firmly fixed on the Rwf24 million cash prize. More realistically, Jay C will want to simply exploit the limelight that comes with participating in the biggest musical competition on local soil.

The same with Khalfan, the only other contestant that is making a PGGSS debut this year. What sets him slightly apart from Jay C is that Khalfan is already familiar with the workings of PGGSS, having tested the stage earlier as a backup vocalist for former contestant Bull Dogg in 2013. But he will need time to grow his solo craft, crowd engagement and, above all, his fan base before he can think of real national musical recognition.

Away from the new kids on the block, the other eight finalists really need no introductions, having been there and done that before: Bruce Melodie, Young Grace, Christopher, Active, Just Family, Queen Cha, Uncle Austin, and Mico The Best.

Like Khalfan, Melodie is one of the "children” of PGGSS, having started off as a backup vocalist at the second edition of the competition in 2012, before eventually evolving into a contestant in his own right.

And if there is any contestant that need not worry about their chances at this year’s competition, it is him.

The R&B crooner has been on a roll since early last year, with the success of his runaway hit, ‘Ikinya’. To prove further that he is a class act, he went down in history as the first Rwandan musician to take part in the coveted Coke Studio Africa musical camp (in Nairobi) last year.

This is the 4th time that he is contesting in the competition, and all pointers are that this will be his year.

Young Grace may have got the same number of points (34) as Bruce Melodie at the nominations, but this is not to say that she stands as high a chance of winning.

If she (or any of the other female contestants) emerged winner, it would only be the second time that a female contestant is winning the annual competition. Songbird Knowless Butera is so far the only female musician to have won Primus Guma Guma Super star, which she did in 2015.

That there is just two female contestants out of ten finalists this year still points to the gender imbalance in the competition in particular, and the local music industry in general.

This can only mean that the chances of victory are even slimmer for Queen Cha, the only other contestant at PGGSS8.

The best chance at a female win this year went to waste when the duo of Charly na Nina announced they would not be taking part, opting instead to take care of their other musical projects.

Had they contested, the race would have been between them and Bruce Melodie.

For his part, Uncle Austin has been involved with Guma Guma for many years, both as a contestant and as a showbiz leaning radio personality.

Can Austin win? No. Well, at least not this year…

Christopher garnered the lowest points (26) among the contestants at the nominations, although it is the fourth time he is entering the competition.

He was the second runner up in 2016, losing to boy group, Urban Boys.

Of the remaining three Active, Just Family and Mico The Best, Active enjoy better ranking, although references to their sleek dance moves as opposed to their singing won’t help their cause.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw