Last week I took part in the annual Yamaha Band Competition. The bands are made up from all the different classes at the school and we were charged with composing an original song. Despite studying keyboard and both electric and acoustic guitar at the school I was asked to join a group as a rapper. When I came in to meet the guys they played me a really funky number that immediately got the creative juices flowing. I have been thinking for a while now how I can write songs that appeal to non-English speakers, how I can write simple songs that are catchy and easy to understand without compromising the message. This was a great opportunity to put that into practice and I wrote a couple of short verses with a hook and some line-for-line interaction with the singer (who we only got a hold of the afternoon before the show).
We called our group COSMOS (because when trying to think of a name I said out loud “como somos?” and then “cosmos!”) and the song was called Rise n Shine. The idea was that we are all stars and this was our opportunity to showcase our talent.
The show was held in a University theatre in town and it was packed with students and parents. There was so much talent on display and as we stepped out onto the stage the crowd were screaming for us. Up for grabs was the chance to win sessions in a professional recording studio and the finished product would get regular airplay on the radio this summer. Not only that but the winners would be going to the regional finals with a chance to compete for the international competition in Thailand.
Well, we didn’t win but we gave a damn good performance and a lot of people told us how much they liked the song so that was really great. Hats ff to all the competitors y muchas gracias to all the organisors and everyone who took part. Respect.
Here are some pics:
- t.wise
- Efrain
COSMOS
*thanks to Nora for the great pictures
Check out a great video of the event here
BONUS: Hopes were high for all involved but you can’t win everything, and some things are more important, Puffy is good but….
I want you all to know that this is The Wize, and I love you all….
PEACE
