BBC global music talent search competition comes to Jamaica
Crazypickney said
03:18 11/02 2007
Unsigned Jamaican musicians and singers with their own material will get a shot at stardom tomorrow when the BBC World Service and BBC World Television bring their global talent search to Jamaica.
Titled 'The Next Big Thing 2007', the talent search requires all bands and artistes to meet the Next Big Thing team and to hand over a CD or DVD of their music at the Ashanti Oasis Restaurant at Hope Gardens in Kingston between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm.
"This is not an audition, and there will be no performances, but there is a chance to be interviewed for the BBC," a news release from the BBC said. "We are scouring the world looking for exciting new music, bands and performers who will shape the future."
In addition to tomorrow's event, musicians can also enter online at www.bbcworldservice.com/nextbigthing2007, the BBC said, adding that The Next Big Thing 2007 in Jamaica, being held in association with Radio Jamaica and Television Jamaica, "is completely free and unmediated".
Said the BBC: "Forget the big labels and mainstream music business, we're looking for boldness and brilliance - musical pioneers who really deserve attention."
The BBC said that last year the talent search received entries from thousands of musicians from over 40 countries. The winner, Silva, went on to have a number one hit in her home country, Armenia, and played the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The BBC World Service is easily the biggest international broadcaster in the world with an audience of 183 million listeners in 33 languages.
For this year's talent search, the BBC World Service will be joined by BBC World Television "to expose the new and establish a platform for musicians to create and perform original music," the news release said.
"We are very glad to have been asked by the BBC to be a part of this," the release quoted Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade who signed The Smiths, Travis, The Strokes and many more. "We are astonished at the standard of the entries, we are very very pleasantly surprised."
The BBC have selected a panel of international music experts, including Caspar Llewellyn-Smith, editor of the Observer Music Monthly; Will Hodgkinson, music journalist for Mojo and the Guardian; and Paul Stokes, features editor, NME to help choose five finalists.
Entries close on November 18, 2007, and finalists will perform for an all-star jury in London in December. One act will be crowned The Next Big Thing 2007 and perform to a live audience of 3,000 people at London's O2 stadium to celebrate the BBC World Service's 75th Anniversary in December, alongside some of the most exciting names in music, the news release said.
Unsigned Jamaican musicians and singers with their own material will get a shot at stardom tomorrow when the BBC World Service and BBC World Television bring their global talent search to Jamaica.
Titled 'The Next Big Thing 2007', the talent search requires all bands and artistes to meet the Next Big Thing team and to hand over a CD or DVD of their music at the Ashanti Oasis Restaurant at Hope Gardens in Kingston between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm.
"This is not an audition, and there will be no performances, but there is a chance to be interviewed for the BBC," a news release from the BBC said. "We are scouring the world looking for exciting new music, bands and performers who will shape the future."
In addition to tomorrow's event, musicians can also enter online at www.bbcworldservice.com/nextbigthing2007, the BBC said, adding that The Next Big Thing 2007 in Jamaica, being held in association with Radio Jamaica and Television Jamaica, "is completely free and unmediated".
Said the BBC: "Forget the big labels and mainstream music business, we're looking for boldness and brilliance - musical pioneers who really deserve attention."
The BBC said that last year the talent search received entries from thousands of musicians from over 40 countries. The winner, Silva, went on to have a number one hit in her home country, Armenia, and played the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The BBC World Service is easily the biggest international broadcaster in the world with an audience of 183 million listeners in 33 languages.
For this year's talent search, the BBC World Service will be joined by BBC World Television "to expose the new and establish a platform for musicians to create and perform original music," the news release said.
"We are very glad to have been asked by the BBC to be a part of this," the release quoted Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade who signed The Smiths, Travis, The Strokes and many more. "We are astonished at the standard of the entries, we are very very pleasantly surprised."
The BBC have selected a panel of international music experts, including Caspar Llewellyn-Smith, editor of the Observer Music Monthly; Will Hodgkinson, music journalist for Mojo and the Guardian; and Paul Stokes, features editor, NME to help choose five finalists.
Entries close on November 18, 2007, and finalists will perform for an all-star jury in London in December. One act will be crowned The Next Big Thing 2007 and perform to a live audience of 3,000 people at London's O2 stadium to celebrate the BBC World Service's 75th Anniversary in December, alongside some of the most exciting names in music, the news release said.