The teenage category of the My African Dream talent show commenced with much funfair, as the predominantly teenaged audience screamed obligingly to urge the performers on at hosts’ Marang and Prince requests. However, only six performers could make it into the public vote line stage and they were Rose Marie Hamoir, Simon Nsaka, Exhort, Candy, Buckville Donkeez and Bonandosita.
The only contestant to make it through the sing/rap category, Rose Marie, performed Celine Dion’s Cause I’m Your Lady, she displayed good showmanship by embodying the lyrics and occasionally singing at one person in the crowd and moving to the next.
Simon Nsaka, a mime act, was counted as the very first since My African Dream beginnings 16 years ago. His act was commendable, as he played a zombie that rises twice after being shot. Simon successfully merged the break-dancing style of pop locking and mime acting.
Bonandosita provided one of the highlights of the evening. The all-girl kwaito dancing crew, dressed in Dickies trousers, tee shirts layered with sleeveless sweaters, defied the conventional dress code of ‘skimpy does it’ that female kwaito dancers have adopted. Dressing like the guys but also dancing like them, the group of four emulated last year’s teen category winners Amanandos.
Two other kwaito dance groups, Palapye’s Exhort and Francistown’s Candy, who made it into the top six represented the two schools of kwaito dancing. While Exhort indicated the fedora hat wearing pantsulas, performed a high-energy dance. It appears that this style of kwaito dancing is getting faster and faster with each My African Dream show. Candy, represented the tee shirt, and slack variety of dancer, displaying charisma as they danced at the crowd.
After one of their dancers suffered a wardrobe malfunction when lowering the zip and throwing of the hood of his sweater later than the rest of his mates in a dance move but recovering with grace, Buckville Donkeez, the only hip hop dance act, displayed the currently popular style of crunking and popping as seen performed by Chris Brown.
Winners, Rose Marie Hamoir, Simon Nsaka, Exhort, Candy, Buckville Donkeez and Bonandosita, who made it into the public vote line stage, will join winners of the senior category at the Finale event on Friday 24th October 2008. The Junior Category show will be held on Friday, 29th August 2008
(Watch Btv for voting instructions)
