Artists are always on the search for their big break, so much so that entire TV shows such as Britain’s Got Talent have been built around this premise. Viewers from all over the world tune it to these kinds of shows to watch artists of all kinds duke it out for a chance at stardom.
However, there’s more than one road you can take to achieve your dreams of becoming a world-renowned musician. If you’re interested in learning more about this, read on to see how you can win the prestigious Radio France International Discovery Music Award 2020!
For those of you who don’t know about the Radio France International Discovery Music Award, let us give you a few key facts. The contest started a little less than four decades ago back in 1981. It was established by the French public radio station, Radio France International, in hopes of promoting up and coming musical acts from the African continent. Radio France International is one of the world’s most respected media institutions. In fact, they may be one of the earliest adopters of the digital medium, as their site has been active for over two decades.
Given the nature of the contest, it’s limited to musicians from Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean. There is no stipulation regarding genre, meaning artists of all kinds can join and stand to chance to win FCFA 6,574,274 ($11,200). The winner will also get to share their music with a broad audience, as they’ll be performing in various venues in Africa, and even star in a concert in Paris, France. The concert tour is a particularly enticing prize, as many artists that have won the contests have built a career via the exposure and acclaim they garnered thanks to the contest.
Past winners include artists such as Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), Maurice Kirya (Uganda), Yvan Buravan (Rwanda), Didier Awadi (Senegal), Soul Bang’s (Guinea), M’Bouillé Koité (Mali), Céline Banza (DR Congo), Tcheka (Cape Verde), and Rokia Traore (Mali).
Considering how much the award means, Radio France International has enlisted the help of the world’s best and brightest musicians from all genres and styles to serve as judges. Undoubtedly, their years of expertise in the field of music will help determine the winner of this year’s iteration of the contest.
One notable judge is Cameroon-born bass player Richard Bona. Bona has worked with the best jazz musicians from all over the world. But apart from being one of the best bassists in world music and jazz, Bona’s use of the BOSS RC-30 Phrase Looper to create complex acapella melodies complete with beatbox-like instrumentation has also earned him recognition as a great vocal improviser. All of these things have contributed to Bona’s stellar music career. In fact, Bona’s latest album ‘Heritage’ was released under legendary producer Quincy Jones‘ label, Qwest. You may also remember him from our previous piece about the artist who threw away his Canal D’Or Award.
Another notable judge for this year’s contest is the Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour. N’Dour has won a multitude of awards from all over the world including the Grammy Award for the best contemporary world music album for his album, ‘Egypt’ back in 2005. N’Dour’s work is often described as genre-bending due to the prominent use of instruments native to West Africa, such as the Kora.
The other jury members are also quite accomplished in their respective fields such as Angélique Kidjo, Fally Ipupa, Singuila, Charlotte Dipanda, A’Salfo, Kery James, and Jacob Desvarieux.
The deadline for submissions is July 31. You can check out the other requirements via Radio France International’s website!
