Multitalented musician and songwriter Bien‑Aimé Baraza has opened up about the tricky moments performers sometimes face on stage — including the time he had to ask a fan to leave during a show.
Speaking on the MicCheque podcast on Wednesday, November 3, 2025, Bien shared the story while discussing Nigerian superstar Burna Boy’s recent encounter with a fan at his concert.
The award-winning singer described the Nigerian star as “uncancelable” but revealed that he, too, has had to intervene with audience members during performances.
“When someone is sleeping during a performance, I usually check on them or just focus on the rest of the crowd enjoying the show,” Bien explained.
“Ebu, check on her — are you okay? Do you need some water? But if I see they’re just tired or unbothered, I move on because other people are watching, and I have to give them the experience.”
The singer emphasized that part of being a performer is reading the room and protecting the energy of the show.
According to Bien, subtle cues from the audience can have a major impact on the overall atmosphere.
“As a performer, sometimes you are on stage, and there is one person in the audience sapping your energy,” he said.
Bien then recounted a particular incident where intervention was necessary. During a past Sauti Sol performance, an audience member disrespected Chimano, the band’s bass guitarist.
Bien said he had no choice but to halt the show briefly and have the fan removed.
“Kuna day tulikuwa tunaperfom na kuna mtu hapo mbele alidhisrespect Chimano. Nilihave kusimamisha show, nikasema ‘toa huyu jamaa hapa sahii,’” he recalled.
He was quick to stress that asking someone to leave is never done lightly.
“There are moments when I have to remove someone because they were being disrespectful,” he added.
