National theme song contest set for big success |13 May 2009
No contest of its kind has generated such interest with so many people taking part, said Mr
He said 43 entries have been submitted so far – much higher than expected – and more, including those from Praslin and La Digue, are expected by the deadline of Friday May 15.
The working group will not accept any entries after 4pm on Friday, by which time the total should be above 50.
The contestants include popular solo singers and those who have written songs for others to perform. There are singers who have not been heard for a long time, as well as a remarkable number of young people taking part in various musical genres.
Entries are from professional and amateur singers as the contest was open to all who wished to express themselves on the chosen national theme for this year ¬– Koste Seselwa (Come Together Seychellois).
Asked whether there is any reason for the high number of entries, Mr Rose said he believes the chosen theme is easy for Seychellois to relate to.
“By nature our people want to see the country progress and we can strongly feel the bond of unity in spite of our differences,” he said.
He believes the singers have been deeply moved by the theme and the contest has provided the right platform for them to express themselves and show their feelings.
Also, the contestants want to leave their mark and be remembered by history as having contributed to bringing unity to the country, he added.
All songs submitted so far are being compiled and numbered in the order received, after which they will be sent to the seven judges identified for the contest – professional people, including music teachers and critics, with in-depth knowledge of the subject.
Mr Rose said going by the number of entries received, the judges have a big task awaiting them, one that is expected to last a week. The criteria being used are the theme itself and how it has been explored, the richness of the lyrics, and musical arrangements.
Mr Rose said the individual judges have not been told who their fellow panel members are. They will be working independently before sending their verdicts to the working group.
The whole of next week will be dedicated to analysing the songs, and the following week the working group will compile the results and submit them to the National Day organising committee.
The winners are expected to be announced at the end of May or the beginning of June, but the prizes will not be awarded until after June 18.
This is because one of the conditions of the contest was that the winner takes part in a cultural activity that the National Day organising committee is staging after the parade.
Mr Rose said he cannot, for the moment, say how many of the 10 winners will take part in the cultural show, as the programme has not yet been finalised.