We are busy targeting specific regions to get them to enter Afri music song contest. This is one example. Look at the beautiful design for each country, with the map of Africa being used as logo for each country with their FLAG inside – here you see Egypt, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.
We have pre-registrations from 13 Countries:
01 – Nigeria
02 – Egypt
03 – Ghana
04 – Republic of the Congo
05 – Gabon
06 – Senegal
07 – South Africa
08 – Benin
09 – Morocco
10 – Cameroon
11 – Lesotho
12 – Rwanda
13 – Namibia
Today Afri music song contest is just a week old and we have overtaken all the pre milestones we have set ourselves. Thank you to everybody who is helping us.
We think this is news many Eurovision fans have been waiting for. Just this morning, Afri music song contest got its first artist registration from MOROCCO – yes this country officially becomes the first to have taken part in the Eurovision song contest in 1980 with Samira Said and now has entered the Afri music song contest for African countries. Many fans love the song by Samira, so lets hope they will also like the song from Morocco for 2017.
Afric music song contest reached its first important milestone – to better the 7 countries who entered in the first Eurovision song contest in 1956 – as of this morning, we stand at entries from EIGHT countries. They are in order of entering:
1 – Rwanda
2 – Ghana
3 – South Africa
4 – Nigeria
5 – Senegal
6 – Gabon
7 – Benin
8 – Morocco
This is absolutely wonderful that we have especially received entries from the smaller countries.
Our next goal is to pass the 10 country mark.
Finally we can reveal who was the first South African artist to pre register. It is PRISCILLA (SMITH) BLIGNAUT. Priscilla took part some years ago in the Patricia Lewis show SUPERSTERRE and did very well. She made a CD with 2 Eurovision covers – Finland 2000 and Hungary 2008. Priscilla is playing her cards close to her chest but we expect probably one euro cover and one original song.
And now we get to the SA artist who registered 2nd for Afri music song contest. It is DESMOND WELLS who has recently released a new CD with original songs, so we probably can expect him to enter 1 to 3 songs from this CD. Desmond lives in Cape Town. He has not done a euro cover.
Cole van Dais became the 3rd South African artist to register. She has indicated that since she is busy with a DUET CD, her songs will all be duets, Euro covers and even with foreign singers. The first one she registered is with Sergey Sysuev from the Ukraine. And they will do the 2017 Eurovision song from San Marino, SPIRIT OF THE NIGHT, originally sung by Valentina Monetta and Jimmie Wilson. It is of course a song composed by German composer Ralph Siegel who has over 100 of his songs covered in South Africa. Afri music song contest is only open to singers outside of AFRICA if they are in duet with someone from Africa and then the song is entered for the country of origin of the African duet partner. But this is another way to involve especially Eurovision singers to be part of this contest and help it grow.
The 4th artist from South Africa to pre-register for the Afri music song contest is also the only artist of the first 5 that is not singing in Afrikaans. Eurovision South Africa met her on Saturday at the Panorama flea market where she sang two songs and we were impressed with her voice and asked her to enter. Her name is PHELOKAZI MAQOKO and she is 27 years old. She sings in Xhosa, one of the official languages in South Africa and so we can assume she will enter original songs in Xhosa, but maybe someone can write Xhosa lyrics to a Eurovision song?
Pre-registration to the Afri music song contest opened on Friday 4 August and will close on 3 October – so artists have a full two months to register. Pre registration is very easy, takes about 1 minute and is FREE. It is, however, important to register as soon as possible so planning can be done. It is also important for sponsors, as they are looking to see what the interest is among the various countries. We also will give promotion in the 2 months and it is obvious we can only give promotion to artists once they have registered as we will do today over about 5 hours by focusing on the first 5 SOUTH AFRICAN artists who have registered. Starting with TOBI JOOSTE who was the artist to be the 5th one to register. Tobi is a singer from Johannesburg and has been singing professionally for over 10 years. Tobi’s first CD contained at least euro cover in Afrikaans – Netherlands 1981 (Het is een wonder of Linda Williams) as well as a Dutch selection song – Een beetje van dit of Vulcano. Over the years Tobi has covered several other Euro songs. He has also done original songs successfully. We wait to see what songs Tobi will enter when song entries open in November.
“It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world.” – Nelson Mandela
As Africans, we are proud of our African identity, proud to be part of this continent that embraces diversity. Music is part of celebrating and reclaiming our African identity. Our assorted musical tastes and influences are unique to our beautiful continent. Music brings us together and celebrates our diversity.
The opportunity for African song writers and composers to receive the accolades they deserve has finally arrived. The AfriMusic Song Contest will provide established and aspiring song writers the platform to showcase their best work. This song contest will be a wonderful integration of musical styles, cultures and ethnicities that reflect the diversity and varying styles within the African continent.
Similar in format to the Eurovision Song Contest, it is an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the best songwriters in Africa.
The AfriMusic Song Contest is going to make waves in the music industry, providing exposure and opportunity for talented African songwriters. The organizers of the competition have advised that the contest will roll out on digital platforms in its first and possibly second year; however, the aim is to create festival events in each participating country for the national selections and have the final show in the form of a concert hosted in the winning country from the previous year.
Ubunye ngengoma – Unity in Song (Zulu)
PRE-REGISTRATION:
The AfriMusic Song Contest will be launched with a pre-registration phase
Pre-registration will allow contestants to submit entries to register ahead of time
Pre-registration will also indicate the number of countries and artists participating in the contest
Pre-registration opened on the 3rd of August 2017 and will close on the 3rd of October 2017 with the competition entries opening on the 1st of November 2017 and closing on the 5th of January 2018
After the entries phase The AfriMusic Song Contest’s independent judges (for a list of judges will be made available soon) will review and assess all the entries to ensure they comply with the published rules. National Selections will take place in each participating country on AfriMusic’s digital platforms. During the entry phase entrants will be required to submit a video of their song performance. Their submitted video will be made available for a public to vote for the best song. The winning song from each country will then represent their country in the finals.
THE FINALS:
For the finals, The AfriMusic Song Contest will professionally produce a music video of each participating country’s winner. Those music videos will then be broadcast on AfriMusic’s digital platforms as well as on an African TV music channel (further details will be released shortly). Winners from each country will compete for the winning title of the BEST SONG IN AFRICA.
The National Selections voting in each country will take place from the 13th January 2018 to the 11th February 2018 with the Finals voting taking place from the 15th to the 29th March 2018.
THE PRIZE:
The winner of The AfriMusic Song Contest will receive show tickets, flights and accommodation to attend the Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Lisbon Portugal in Europe on the 12th May 2018.
For further information please email info@afrimusicsongcontest.com
The pre-registration form is available on www.afrimusicsongcontest.com
You can also find AfriMusic on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afrimusicSC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/afrimusicSC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrimusicsc/
As well as on Snapchat
For any queries please contact:
Michelle Fernandes on +27 83 506 6698; info@afrimusicsongcontest.com
Samuel Moses Opoku-Agyemang on +233 50 448 0300; sam@afrimusicsongcontest.com
Roy van der Merwe – Head of South African Selection on roelofv0@absamail.co.za or telephone +27 11 673 5868