ART |
||||
|
How was it working with Collo? Collo is an amazing person he took us under his wing and has ensured we’ ve shared the lime light. He doesn’ t go to shows without us. Plus he ensures that we are well compensated every time we perform.
He has also offered to fi nance our music in case we decide to record songs.
How have your lives changed, are you now millionaires?( They laugh) we are not yet there but we feel happy that we are now respected more money will soon come. We are now local celebs in our hood.
Celebrities like Nyashinski, Nameless and radio and TV star Amina are asking to take selfi es with us. We can take over 100 selfi es with strangers in a day. We feel very humbled.
Do you feel that through Bazokizo dance is now more appreciated? Absolutely our people now see what we mean when we say we are dancers. Our moves are everywhere in churches, schools, weddings and even clubs.
Which competitions have you participated in?
Omosh: Back in the days Bruz Newton and I were in a dancer crew called Titans dancer we participated in the dance competition Sakata season two where we reached the fi nals and fi nished as the 2nd runners up.
We were given an opportunity of becoming dancers to a program in KTN every Saturday called“ Vibe city”.
Since Bazokizo we’ ve participated in many competitions most notably the“ Burger King fest” in hosted at the Hub mall in Karen in
|
December which we won.
Did you ever think this day would come? Yes but only in our dreams. Now we believe that when God says it’ s your time it surely is. We’ ve waited for our breakthrough for a very long time and now it is time to make the best of it.
Bazokizo is a gospel song, are you gospel dancers? We don’ t want to put ourselves in a box. The move featured in a gospel song but it is danced everywhere including night clubs. So we are just dancers who are out to entertain people whether in weddings, schools, churches or clubs.
What challenges do you encounter as dancers? People still don’ t take dance as a serious career. Promoters invite us for shows but still want to pay us peanuts which is unacceptable. Some even delay our payments by taking us round which is very insulting.
How are you overcoming those challenges? Our management led by Edwin Odhiambo together with rapper Collo are working with a Member of Parliament in order to draft a law that will require all dancers not only to be paid but paid well once they appear in a music video. The law will also seek to protect dancers from rogue promoters who like swindling dancers’ cash.
We are also in the fi nal stages of registering our group as company. This will ensure our work is taken more professional we urge other dancers to do the same.
What would you be doing if you weren’ t dancers?
ProphyDela: This is a hard
|
one. I am a singer so I weren’ t busting some moves then I’ d be solely singing I just have to be around music.
Omosh: I would be in an offi ce working or doing sales I love being around people.
Benja: I love arts so most probably id be acting or doing comedy.
Corazon: It is hard to think of anything else. If not dance it would be still be somewhere around arts.
What is the biggest mistake that you’ ve done? That has to be undervaluing our worth. This allowed promoters and event organizers to take us for granted thankfully we’ ve learnt our mistake and that will not happen again.
What next after Bazokizo?
We are working on the last touches of our next move Ziguembe which will be in a new video soon. It will be much better so fans should be excited.
Where do you want to be in 5 years? We want to completely live off music. Plans are also underway to start a Sacco that can help young people save and attain fi nancial freedom via their talents so all this should be achieved the next couple of years.
|
Words of advice to the young people who are looking up to you? In this life everyone is running their own race. Take inspiration from people but don’ t just aim to compete with them. Some people achieve greatness at a very young age others in their 50’ s. So if you haven’ t achieved what you aim to achieve don’ t worry because you are not late it just that your time hasn’ t arrived yet. Keep doing what you are doing, everything will work out in God’ s time.
A glimpse at each of the dancers‘ Omosh’
Am Elias Omondialias‘ Omosh’ 26 and dance is my life. Dance is my wife and also my side chick. I get my inspiration from the Sarakasi dancers and my friend Newton Bruz who is also my Mentor. Internationally I look up Chris Brown who I consider to be one of the greatest dancers alive.
Previously I have worked a sales person and also manual jobs just to make ends meet. I want to further my studies in Marketing and Information Technology. I am currently dating so I ask all the girls that keep hitting on me to please stop.
|