DIAL PLUS 267 FOR AMAPIANO
A duo started as a dancing outfit, now singing
In 2019, unknown to each other, two dancers happened to be at the same wedding. Their passion for dancing is what would later bring them together. The duo is Tefo Azonto Boey Bome and Thobo Bonwhite Matlhabaphiri. They would go on to form Plus 267 Golden Boys and later brought in a third member, namely Vanessa Nessa Nkele to complete this amazing combination.
In the two years that the group has been in existence, they have achieved some major milestones for a dancer in Botswana, including dancing and sharing the stage with some of the top local artists, including Vee.
They have also had the privilege to dance for Nomcebo Zikode when she was performing in the country.
The opportunity opened another door for them, and they secured a slot in Master KG of Jerusalema fame. They went on to relocate to South Africa where they continued to dance for Master KG, returning home when Covid- 19 hit the world. Recently, the group nailed a spot on the inaugural Kelloggs Dance Africa Dance. The competition airs on Zee World ( Channel 166) on the DStv channel. The first episode of the competition that features groups from ten African countries premiered on September 18.
The groups come with different dancing styles, however the only twist with the competition is that they are expected to dance to Bollywood hits. And so last year in the middle of the lockdowns and the curfews, they decided to diversify their product offering. Speaking in an interview with this publication, Bome explains that they decided to venture into singing. He says that this decision was influenced by the fact that they perform a certain type of dance, which is Amapiano. The decision was also inspired by the fact that in most cases, artists just produce music and the dancers work on the dance afterwards. “We are dancers, but we wanted to compose music that we could also set the stage alight with, hence we ventured into this path,” he says. He further says that they wanted to do more than just dancing as they believe that they had reached the pinnacle of their career. To date, they have composed close to 15 songs, and have released one single titled ‘ Ka mo shapa’. The video has since been released. “With the type of Amapiano that we produce, you have to see us perform and dance to it, for you to get the story behind it,” he notes. Talking about the Dance competition opportunity, he explains that while they auditioned and won a spot in the competition, they decided to give the slot to their colleagues in South Africa, whom they work and share opportunities. His reasons being that finances are tight, and competitions like these need one to have funds to purchase things such as props to tell a story in the competition. He also shares that just this week, they had to pass an opportunity to the same group mentioned earlier. An artist wanted dancers, and they were unable to take it up as they do not have funds. “It’s not easy to get sponsors when you are in our line of industry,” he laments. .