Being a music judge is a tough job. It also comes with fame and honors just like Tusker Project Fame’s Ian Mbugua and Simon Cowell of American Idols.

And as the weeks go by and the artistes in Primus Guma Guma Superstar 5, (PGGSS5), prepare for the final day, the judges do the same. Each judge approaches the task with an open mind and heart, the latter playing a prominent role.

Aimable Twahirwa, Lion Manzi and Clementine Uwitonze, commonly known by her stage name Tonzi, are the three judges of PGGSS5. They are the faces that will be praised or criticized by the fans when the show is finally over.

Most times, the public never pays attention to judges yet they do a very demanding task. The New Times’ Hassan Mutuhe brings you the three faces that will finally determine the winner of PGGSS5 on August 15.

Aimable Twahirwa

Born in Bujumbura, Burundi, in 1973, Twahirwa is a pious Christian who is married with three children - one boy and two girls. In 2001, he graduated at the National University of Rwanda (currently University of Rwanda), with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.

He later went to École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq de Paris/ France, where he specialised in performing arts.

He previously worked as Director of the National University Center of Arts and Drama (UCAD), focusing on the promotion and revitalization of cultural life in Rwanda, and also as the Director of Kimisagara Youth Center, where music was part of his daily life.

Twahirwa is also an artiste of great stature. He directed and participated in several national, regional and international cultural events, such as Festival Interuniversitaire des Arts de Butare (FIAB), Panafrican Dance Festival (FESPAD) and the East African Festival of Arts and Culture (JAMAFEST).

His advice to participants: As the semi live shows end this weekend and we move to live shows, I advise the artistes to concentrate on performance. Their results are tightly close and this is the time to widen that gap.

Those using dancers should know that dancers are just a link to them, nothing else.

Lion Manzi

His career in music stretches over two decades. He started singing in 1991 with Galaxy band as a lead vocalist.

Later in 1993, he moved to Magic band. Both bands ceased to exist after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In 2004, Manzi started the Nubian Gypsies and is currently working with Sound of Hills, a musical group that provides backup singers to participants of Primus Guma Guma.

Clementine Uwitonze, aka Tonzi

Born in Goma, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1980, Tonzi was raised in an Adventist family in Nyamirambo. She holds a degree in Business Management which she obtained from Kigali Independent University, (ULK), in 2008.

She says she started singing as a child. Her career blossomed in her school days and according to her, her passion for music lies in training and grooming other talented artistes and choirs.

Tonzi has only three albums; Humura, WambereyeImana and IzinaRyiza. Two weeks ago, she released a song titled Njoo, in which she featured a Kenyan gospel vibrant, Papa Dennis.

Tonzi got married to Alfred Gatarayiha in 2009 and the couple has a baby girl.

Criteria

The three judges consider the following four elements to award marks:

Popularity and interaction/50 marks

This looks at the artiste’s confidence and how they woo the audience. It also considers complicity between the artiste and dancers, backing vocalists, fans, audience…et cetera

Performances and vocal abilities/20 marks

It mainly covers vocal skills and talent and specifics like beat, key, ad libs, and also how the artist moves on the stage.

Stage appearance and management/20 marks

The dress code of the artist in relation to the genre of his music matters. How he/she appears and exits the stage, flexibility and adaptation to surroundings, and how he/she manages dancers and backing vocalists.

Discipline/10 marks

The show and its rules must be respected.

And do the judges also vote? “No, we don’t,” says judge Twahirwa. “But indirectly, one can say that maybe we do by awarding marks.” He says that because judges give different marks depending on how a musician has performed, one can literally say that they have cast their vote.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw