BBC names global talent finalists

A Liberian refugee and a six-piece Brazilian rock
group are among the finalists in the BBC World
Service’s search for the world’s best young band.

More than 1,000 artists, all aged 18 or under, entered
the Next Big Thing competition in September.

The seven finalists are expected to fly into the UK
next week to perform at the BBC’s famous Maida Vale
studios.

A winner will be chosen by a panel of music industry
experts, including Cathy Dennis and William Orbit.

The competition was open to groups and solo artists in
any genre of music, as long as they were under 18 and
performed their own songs.

High standards

Producer Simon Pitts said the entries came from 36
countries, "from Armenia to Azerbaijan and from
Uruguay to Ukraine".

"People have been very surprised at the quality of the
entries," he said, "but we weren’t, because we had
faith in the idea from the beginning".

THE FINALISTS
Silva (Armenia)
Sweet Cherry Fury (Brazil)
MLK and The Dreamers (USA)
The Skagz (UK)
NiC (Malawi)
Mishkini (Ghana)
Stefan Abingdon (UK)

The standard of the submitted tracks was so high that
the panel who drew up the shortlist could not decide
on the required six finalists – and chose seven
instead.

They include 17-year-old Armenian pop singer Silva
Hakobyan, and Malawian rapper NiC, who performs in
Greek and English.

Londoner Stefan Abingdon, whose hip-hop track My Dunks
has also made the shortlist, said he was "really
excited" to have been chosen.

"I’ve been trying to set up my music for the past four
years and it’s starting to get somewhere now," he
said.

The 17-year-old will be travelling to Maida Vale for
the final of the competition, but producers say some
of his competitors may not be able to complete the
journey.

"We have an act in Ghana, Mishkini, who is a Liberian
refugee," said Pitts.

"He didn’t have a birth certificate or a passport this
time last week. He’s now trying to get hold of them,
as well as a visa."

The BBC is working with British embassies to help
artists arrange travel to the UK in time for next
week’s recording.

Celebrity judges

The Maida Vale session takes place on 6 December, and
the judges will announce the winner when the programme
is broadcast on 9 December.

The panel includes William Orbit, who has produced hit
singles for Madonna and All Saints, and Cathy Dennis,
who wrote Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out of My
Head.

Other members of the jury are Geoff Travis, who set up
the influential Rough Trade record label, and
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo,
from Benin.

Peter Gabriel will also appear as a special guest,
giving his verdict on the final seven acts.

The winner receives a trophy proclaiming them the
world’s best young band.

"It’s a massive opportunity for international
exposure," said Pitts. "The chances are great that 163
million people will hear the track and know the
artist’s name."

The Next Big Thing is part of the BBC World Service’s
Generation Next season, which focuses on young people
and how they approach relationships, education and
work.

It is hoped that the competition will become a regular
event.
Story from BBC NEWS:
ainment/6191276.stm

Published: 2006/11/29 10:02:05 GMT

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