Thousands turn up for Primus Guma Guma Road Show in Rusizi

A great mix of children, youth and adults where the vibe was all about great music and partying is the description for the road show in Rusizi District. It was the perfect place to be for concertgoers.Saturday afternoon, the magical setting and perfect weather boded well for the Primus Guma Guma Superstar season 2’s first road show in the country. And so it was proved when the first artiste Bull Dog took to the stage and wowed the crowd with his sweet soulful ballads backed by some futuristic beats.There was a lull when the power went off. The massive crowd gathered at the Kamembe stadium was getting impatient. For over 30 minutes, the technicians were up and down, trying to solve the problem as enthusiastic fans waited.The show hosts Tino, Anita and DJ Bissosso saved the situation by entertaining the crowd with their playful sense of humour and performances. They invited a few boys and girls on stage in a dance competition and the winners walked away with Primus T-shirts and caps.But before it all got out of control the electricity returned, and Bull Dog emerged from the backstage with his backup singer to great applause. His charming persona fused well with his catchy hits and magnetism.Alongside singer Bull Dog, the jubilant fans sang his hits “Customer Care”, ‘‘Impfubyi’’ and ‘‘Jalousie.’’ “I was a bit disappointed by power because I had to leave the stage – but thank God it returned and I managed to rock,” said Bull Dog. Then Just Family kicked off with three of their tracks, ‘‘Bareke’’, ‘‘Arahebuje’’ and ‘‘Bindimo’’ featuring Bull Dogg – and the songs were appreciated by the large groups of late teens and twenty-somethings.“Our fans have been waiting for us and we have given them what they wanted. We sang and danced along with the fans,” Bahati of Just Family told The New Times in the backstage after the group’s performance.“We are quite optimistic to win this year’s Primus Guma Guma competition,” he added.Then it was the evening’s favourite Jay Polly, who got the whole audience on their feet with his latest hits, ‘‘Akanyarirajisho’’, and “You and I”.His fans were screaming and shouting Jay Polly’s name as a group of teenagers on the front row beckoned the singer, with shouts of ‘Super Star’.Jay Polly’s vocals sounded as sweet as ever, while Riderman and his backup singer charmed revellers into submission as he surfed his way around the arena. The singer was the star of the night. After the show, Jay Polly headed to Ten To Ten bar, where he partied with his Rusizi fans – and at one point some young people were spotted wiping the dirt off his shoes– to show their admiration for him.Contestants Danny and Emmy also upped the energy levels with some great performances that left many begging for more. The cheers became even louder as King James hit the stage. Though the singer had a cold, he thrilled the crowd with his renditions of, ‘‘Buhoro buhoro’’, and ‘‘Ndakwizera’’ – as they sang along and danced uncontrollably. “My strategy for this season is to use extra energy on stage and give the best performances to music lovers. I know my fans are still there and I am confident to win the competition,” King James said, before his performance.“I am very happy to see these artistes perform – and I wish them good luck in the competition; they are all great artistes. I really enjoyed their performances,” said Jeannette Mukamana, 47.Some revellers had trekked several miles for the much anticipated road show. 18-year-old Young Grace believes that people love her music and they would support her to win the Primus music competition.Dream Boyz put on a stunning show as they pounded out massive beats, reinforced with some lovely hits and great scratching. The group’s musicality shone through as they seemed to dip into every dance genre and still came out smiling.Another Primus Guma Guma contestant with massive potential that had the crowd gasping for breath was Knowles; she was the perfect finale for a perfect event. She performed her singles, ‘‘Nkoraho’’, ‘‘Byemere’’, featuring Uganda’s Vampos, and wrapped the show with her song, ‘‘Bazavuga’’, featuring RidermanNothing could have dampened the mood as drinks were also in plenty.Bralirwa had loaded dozens of crates, causing some people to imagine drinks would be served free. It wasn’t the case.Two bottles of Petit Primus were sold at a promotional price of Rwf500 instead of the usual Rwf350 each. Security, provided by police, was also tight. “I think it was a very fantastic show. To be honest the beginning was tough, everybody was sweating, with all the Bralirwa team and our partners the East African Promoters, as well as Creaxion there,” said Elvis Olivier Castanou, Bralirwa’s marketing manager“However, we had a little issue with power. Electricity went off and the generator couldn’t work. Bull Dog was kind of disturbed. Fortunately,we managed to fix it,” he added.Castanou said that the team had been preparing for the Primus Guma Guma show for long and they are preparing it professionally.“It was the first kick off and we want to ensure that such little issues don’t happen again. There will be more visibility and branding communicating about the Primus Guma Guma Superstar artistes.”“As a professional and as a leading company and Primus being a leading Brand, we are going to make sure that these issues don’t recur. We will keep delivering quality stuff to our consumers and artistes,” Castanou noted.

Leisure

Thousands turn up for Primus Guma Guma Road Show in Rusizi