The International Songwriting Competition announced the winners of the 2021 edition. The winners in the world music category are:
1st Place
Allah Léno by Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita
Camagúey, Cuba / Ziguinchor, Senegal
2nd Place
Mama Hé by Kelly Bado
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
3rd Place
Nashu – Richard Gannaway, Jay Oliver, Miriam Stockley (AO Music)
Asheville, NC, USA
“All of these World Music winners are so accomplished, and we are proud to honor them and celebrate the traditions of the genre,” said ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery. “These artists will no doubt inspire up-and-coming artists and are destined to become a part of the legacy of World Music today and in the future.”
The Grand Prize winner is Alt Pop artist Notelle.
Omar Sosa
One of Cuba’s most prolific and acclaimed artists, pianist Omar Sosa, and Senegalese kora maestro Seckou Keita first met in 2012. They quickly realized they shared undeniable musical chemistry. Their critically acclaimed debut album as a duo, Transparent Water, was released in 2017. Their second album SUBA (sunrise in Mandinka) was released in October 2021 and contains the ISC-winning song “Allah Léno.” The album is a hymn to hope, to a new dawn of compassion and real change in a post-pandemic world, a visceral reiteration of humanity’s perennial prayer for peace and unity.
Sosa has released over 30 albums throughout a remarkable career that has included nominations for multiple GRAMMY awards; Keita is a multi-award winner, including the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Folk Musician of the Year. Both artists are considered to be some of the most influential and inspiring players of their generation, as well as role models for the newest generation of players.
Kelly Bado
Weaving in influences from her African heritage, la chanson française, and American gospel, Kelly Bado’s music crosses cultural barriers to bring people together in joy and hope. She discovered her musical and artistic passions at a young age while performing in local choirs in her native Ivory Coast (Bado moved to Canada in 2007).
Bado’s songwriting reflects the beauty of the languages and rhythms encountered in her personal journey. With lyrics inspired by love, celebration, and social equality, Kelly is committed to the vision of an inclusive world where we come together as citizens of this vast planetary village. Her striking vocals and uplifting melodies were recognized with a 2020 WCMA Francophone Artist of the Year Award and SOCAN’s Chanson Primée Award. She was a favorite in La Voix (Canada’s show The Voice), winning the Peoples Choice Award.
Richard Gannaway, Jay Oliver, Miriam Stockley (AO Music)
Richard Gannaway is a thirty-year music veteran and the founder/vision behind the world music group AO MUSIC. Richard travels the planet, expanding the vision of AO and its extraordinary cast of artists. He also founded AO Foundation International, which sees to the needs of orphaned children throughout the world.
Miriam Stockley is a well-known British vocalist, born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She lends her powerful vocals and co-composing skills to AO Music, and she attributes the incredible youthful spirit of her tracks to her South African upbringing. Miriam joined Richard Gannaway as co-composer/producer on AO Music projects in 2004, and she mentors young, aspiring singers from her home studio.
As a teenager, Jay Oliver was the youngest member of Mynard Ferguson’s band, and he has worked with icons Chick Corea, David Weckl, and many more. In 1996, Oliver began co-producing the pan-cultural project AO Music with Richard Gannaway, resulting in journeys to Indonesia, Ireland, the Peoples Republic of Georgia, South Africa, India, Nepal, and a special invitation to China, where they were asked by the Beijing Olympic Committee to compose theme music for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Honorable Mention
“Alavrostishiótis” – Antonis Antoniou (Monsieur Doumani) – Nicosia, Cyprus
“Amassa” – Armand Noel Ntoungchi Kamtchoua (Nda Chi) – Bafoussam, Cameroon
“Behind Windows” – Mohamed Gomaa (Tamer Hosny And Elissa) – Alexandria, Egypt
“Flight Of Joy” – Charu Hariharan, Panos Vassilopoulos (Charu Hariharan) – Trivandrum, India
“Guagua Taptap” – Perla Marola, James Vergneau Aka Rebel Layonn, Amin Dominguez (Azuei Movement) – Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
“Hey” – Claudia Acuna, Ray Angry (Claudia Acuna) – Santiago, Chile
“Mi Santuario” – Juan Carlos Medrano, Wilman Jose Cogollo Cantillo, Chris Mckhool, Kevin Laliberté, Drew Birston (Sultans Of String) – Toronto, ON, Canada
“Mother Nature” – Kingsley Tingwei Ngu (Dr Sley) – Buea, Cameroon
“Nagran” – Marzouk Mejri, Charles Douglas Ferris, Marco Dalmasso (Fanfara Station) – Tunis, Tunisia
“Pauna 6” – Maham Suhail (Maham Suhail) – Lahore, Pakistan
“Pokea Sifa” – Jean Pierre Nimbona (Kidum Kibido) – Kinama-Bujumbura, Burundi
“Selfish” – Borislav Milanov, Ayodeji Olowu (Boris Lav & Cracker Mallo) – Vienna, Austria
More about the competition and winners: songwritingcompetition.com
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central