Beachfest Crown Song Competition REGISTRATION OPEN

This summer, PRS For Music, the music rights organization, and The Chewstick Foundation will present the Beachfest Crown Song Competition, along with media partners Vibe103 and Channel82. The Beachfest Crown Song Competition will provide the opportunity for both amateur and professional Bermudian and Resident artists to compete to see who can make the number 1 hit of the summer! Artists who enter The Beachfest Crown Song Competition will have the chance to win an impressive $10,000 prize package ($5000 cash, $3000 music video by Burnt House Productions and more).

Song Submissions will be accepted from Friday, June 6th 2014 until Friday, June 27th 2014, by submitting your song information and hit tune below, after which there will be three stages of the Song Competition evaluation process. Stage 1 will see all entrants that meet the criteria posted on the Beachfest YouTube Channel where view counts will determine the top 10 songs in the competition. Stage 2 sees the top ten songs get rotation on Vibe103FM and be featured in a televised special on Channel82, all designed to boost text votes for your favorite song or artist. Stage 3 will see the top 5 most voted songs/artists make it to the stage at Beachfest to perform their hit song before a panel of music industry professionals and the Beachfest audience.

To enter the Beachfest Crown Song Competition applicants must be a Bermuda resident and submit a 100% original song, 3-4minutes long, radio friendly and above 90bpm (beats per minute). As this is a competition designed to support local artists and grow cultural appreciation, songs that cover themes such as Bermuda, Emancipation, and/or Summer will be more competitive. The entry fee for the competition is $25 with a maximum submission of two songs per artist, and all songs that meet the criteria will make it into Stage 1.

The Chewstick Foundation mission is to empower storytelling, creative expression and social justice, to enrich youth, arts, culture and community; it has become an epicentre of local musical and artistic talent and hopes this contest will not only promote togetherness and support of Bermudian artists, but will also continue to encourage the recognition of Bermuda’s history and authentic culture.

The Chewstick Foundation is pleased to partner with international sponsor PRS For Music, Europe’s music rights management organization, to enable this competition to take place and to help bring more awareness about artist rights and how recording artists can get compensation for their work. Chewstick is also excited to partner for the first time with Vibe103 who are just as excited about the potential this Song Competition has for developing the local music scene. Channel82 has been a longtime partner of The Chewstick Foundation and are committed to giving this event and competitors as much exposure as they can, including the Stage 2 showcase and broadcasting the finals.

Sign up for the Beachfest Crown Song Competition HERE

 

Bermuda Day Celebration Weekend | Drum Circle | Float Building | Fire & Ice | Block Party

We’ll be celebrating Heritage Day all weekend at The Chewstick Neo-Griot Lounge. Come through join in, inspire or be inspired. Festivities will kick off 7pm on Friday, May 23rd with a Pre-African Liberation Day Drum Circle featuring Bermuda Donquili African Drummers & Dancers and your Chewstick Friends. This will be an evening featuring acoustic instruments from across traditions of cultural expression. There’ll be drums, bells, tambourines and whatever else YOU bring.

The best part about the event is that everybody can do it; joining a drum circle is a good way of socializing, releasing pent up energy, meeting new people… and it is so enjoyable! Feel free to come through if dancing is your thing as we be moving to the beat well into the night!

Saturday, May 24th the celebrations continue as we’re at it again with an amazing float with musicians, singers, paint, powder fun and entertainment … for the One People Paint Powder Party Truck! Before we take the streets on Monday we need help to put the finishing touches on the float and gear up for epic party vibes!

Grab a hammer, glitter, a paint brush, nails and a good attitude to get ready to take to the streets to celebrate our culture, good vibes, and unity across culture, color and creed. Help build the float, have a drink, wild out to good music, paint, glue, staple and more. Stop by the lounge early Saturday evening (about 5pm), or join Haile (and crew) in the parking lot from about 10am, ready to turn up and make it happen! Bring gear that can get messy, nuff good vibes and let’s make the parade just a little better! Check out this link if you want to join the float vibes on the parade route.

Saturday night will also feature a concert with Fire & Ice, starting at 9pm. Following the Hardcore Float Construction for One People Paint Powder Party Truck they’ll kick off Saturday night with their mix of culture, soul, reggae are guaranteed to make you feel the music in your heart.

This is a night that should not be missed as their musicianship and vocals are sure to have you out of your seat swaying to the music. With opening act Kevina-Lorae’ this will definitely be a night to titillate the senses and leave you craving more!

Following the parade on Monday, May 26th from 6pm until 1am, Court Street will be a vibrant hub of music, enterprise and camaraderie as The Chewstick Foundation, The Economic Empowerment Zone Agency (EEZA) and the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation host the Bermuda Day Bakatown Block Party, with support from The Corporation of Hamilton.

This free event will highlight dj’s, vendors and area businesses. The Bermuda Bakatown Block Party will breathe new life into the tradition of residents, businesses and parade revelers settling in on Court Street to not only celebrate the cultural heritage of Bermuda but to enjoy and appreciate the value of the North Hamilton area, its people and its history.

Chewstick Foundation Executive Director Gavin Djata Smith says “back in the day, when the Parade ended at Bernard’s Park, this was the people’s tradition, and was built on DJ’s like Playbwoy, SouljahOne, Genesis and others. We aim to build on that heritage and develop this into a more comprehensive event in years to come because events like these bring people together and help to heal Bermuda.”

We’d like to see some of the floats from the Bermuda Day Parade come by to enhance the atmosphere. If any floats would like to be added please contact The Chewstick Foundation in advance to arrange security access and parking. The Bermuda Police Service will be on hand to ensure the safety and security of the event. For more information contact the Chewstick Foundation at 292 2439, info@chewstick.org or visit www.chewstick.org.

Come through to one or all of these events for an Extravaganza Celebration of Bermuda’s Heritage!

Break The Chains Poetry & Spokenword Competition

Friday, May 30th and Saturday, May 31st The Chewstick Foundation invites the community to experience its 1st Annual Break The Chains Poetry Spokenword Festival Weekend. Starting on Friday with an all-out poetry SLAM battle featuring Bermuda’s most seasoned and most talented poets and Saturday culminating with the finale event, the Break The Chains Teen Poetry Competition, which invites young people from across the island to earn the chance to represent Bermuda internationally on the 2014 Brave New Voices Poetry & Spoken Word Festival taking place in Philadelphia. This weekend of events will mark the 2014 finale of Break The Chains, a creative writing and performance program using spoken word and poetry to develop literacy, confidence, identity, creativity and collaborative skills.

The program is offered to local students ages 14-19 at the following schools; The Berkeley Institute, The Bermuda High School for Girls, Cedarbridge Academy, Warwick Academy, Saltus Grammar School, Somersfield Academy and Mount Saint Agnes Academy. Each school has developed its own Poetry & Spokenword Club that has been working on campus to develop individual competitors to represent their school at the first annual Break The Chains Youth Poetry & Spokenword Competition.The Break The Chains Finale will be just the beginning of a life-changing experience for successful competitors. The evening will start at 7pm with judges chosen from representative sectors of the literary community for a night that is sure to see thoughtful impassioned performance and delivery.

To complement the schools competition adult poets are also invited to compete during the Break The Chains Poetry & Spokenword Festival. Poets from the age of 18 and beyond are invited to test their skills against some of the top poets in Bermuda for bragging rights as Bermuda’s Best Poet. Friday, May 30th will see community poets from across the island and within the Break The Chains program engage in a metaphorical fight to the death in a battle of words straight from the heart. It is not to be missed as The Chewstick Foundation anticipates that poets from across the island will register to compete. It’ll kick off at 9pm with the premiere of the ChewSLAM 20 minute documentary.There will be the chance to meet and ask questions of young people who’ve attended the Brave New Voices Festival in the past and to get an understanding of the Break The Chains Program structure, ethos and ways you can get involved.

Registration for the Friday Adult  SLAM and Saturday Youth Competition will be open from now until May 23rd online or via collection of forms from The Chewstick Foundation Headquarters. All proceeds raised over the weekend will go to registration and travel expenses for Bermuda’s First National Poetry & Spoken Word Team to compete overseas this Summer. For more information visit www.chewstick.org, call 292 2439 or email info@chewstick.org.

Griot Sessions: Joanne Ball-Burgess | opening act Matthew Johnston | 8pm | $10

Poet, dancer, writer and philanthropist, Joanne Ball Burgess will be sharing her talents and her story at The Chewstick Lounge this Saturday, as the latest creative to present a Griot Session, a program whose focus is to showcase local talent showcases local talent celebrate the Bermuda story and invite audiences to take a deeper look into the the different forms and journeys of creative expression.

Mrs Burgess is the author of ‘The Lizard and the Rock’, as well as a talented dancer and poet. She has risen to celebrity status in Nairobi, Kenya and during her short time in Bermuda she will present her experiences, lessons learned and the multiple facets of her art. Joanne has expressed that dance can be used as a tool for social change and truly emulates the power of creativity, self-expression and openness to break down barriers and authentically connect with other cultures.

Her performance will be a testament to her adventures, creativity and skills as a storyteller she’ll seamlessly weave a tapestry that will include elements of her international travels, kind spirit, flair and rhythm. Matthew Johnston as opening act is a perfect pairing as he always takes listeners on a journey with his words, which will definitely make this a night to remember.

Date: Saturday, May 16th
Time: Doors open 7pm | Show starts 8pm (or when there are people in the place)
Feature: Joanne Ball-Burgess
Opening Act: Matthew Johnston
Price: $10 | $5 for members

The performance will be an unforgettable experience as Joanne effortlessly weaves a multitude of inspirations to achieve a style and rhythm of her own. Entry for the event is $10 ($5 for members), payable at the door. Seating is limited so get your there early, the show starts at 9pm or when there are people in the seats. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this combination of different art forms, dynamic talent and inspiring art. For more information call 292-2439 or email info@chewstick.org.