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Press Releases
William Orbit, Geoff Travis, Angelique Kidjo and Peter Gabriel judge the
world's best young band
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Thousands of musicians from 35 countries - from Azerbaijan to Armenia, from the
Ukraine to Uruguay - have entered the 91Èȱ¬ World Service competition The Next Big
Thing, a global search for the world's best young band.
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And, after sifting
through a mountain of MP3s, a shortlist of the top 20 acts has just been
released.
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William Orbit (Madonna, Robbie Williams, Sugababes) will be joined by world
music legend Angelique Kidjo, Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis (Antony & The
Johnsons, The Strokes, The Smiths) and special guest Peter Gabriel at a
recording to select the winner from six finalists in a live show being
broadcast on radio and interactive web stream on 9 December 2006.
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The competition is showcasing musicians who are 18 or under, compose original
tracks and are unsigned.
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Producer Simon Pitts said: "This is the first time there
has ever been a talent competition open to all musicians under 18 from any
country in the world, playing any genre and performing in any language."
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Everyone can vote for the world's best young band. Log on, listen to the 20
short-listed entries to have your say.
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The tracks have also been sent to a
panel of global judges who will nominate their favourites.
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Geoff Travis said: "There are too few routes for a young
musician to get their music heard - the gatekeepers who are interested are too
few in number.
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"The project is great as it throws the challenge open to the
whole world and it encourages the very young to step up to the plate."
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Godfather of Soul James Brown also gave his support to the project and had advice for young musicians.
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James said: "Learn how to play your instrument. I play drums,
guitar, bass, piano, cornet, tambourine, everything. So learn to play and
become independent in your own thoughts."
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You can hear the tracks at The Next Best Thing website and they
will also be played throughout the next month on 91Èȱ¬ World Service.
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The competition is part of a week of programmes from 91Èȱ¬ World Service,
Generation Next, which explores the real issues in the world according to under-18s.
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Notes to Editors
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Listen to 91Èȱ¬ World Service on bbc.co.uk/worldservice, on the 91Èȱ¬'s
national DAB digital radio multiplex, Freeview channel 80 and Sky channel 865.
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91Èȱ¬ World Service Press Office
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