[Pirates Week Seeks Song Competition Entrants]

[George Town, Grand Cayman, – The 2019 National Song Competition is returning to the Pirates Week calendar after a strong comeback last year with over a dozen entrants.

This is the second year the top prizes will amount to CI$10,000 with the Ministry of Culture, the Tourism Attraction Board (TAB) and the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association (CMEA) sponsoring the $5,000 first, $3,000 second and $2,000 third prizes, respectively.

“This exciting cultural event aims to showcase the best talent in the Cayman Islands,” said Melanie McField, Pirates Week Festival General Manager.

Dating back to the inception of Pirates Week, the National Song Competition was a highlight of the Festival, but it had been suspended from the calendar for several years. The CMEA pushed for the return of the event to build upon local talents and to create a balance between popular North American music genres and regional genres.

“The National Song Competition pushes for contributions of original songs from locals in the genres of reggae, dancehall, calypso, soca, salsa and reggaeton,” commented Jeàn-eric Smith, CMEA President.

“In the early years, it was an integral component to Pirates Week. Everyone who was creative would enter; it was highly competitive district to district. It was what got the people involved,” he said.

“As Minister of Culture, it is within my remit to support the creation of Caymanian music. The number of people entering last year’s event was a great indicator of the interest our people have in this historic event. We encourage all local artists and newcomers to enter the competition. I also encourage the public to come out in support of those who will be showcasing their talent,” said Minister of Culture, Hon. Dwayne Seymour.

The deadline to enter the Pirates Week National Competition is Friday 18th October. A registration fee of $50 per entry must be submitted directly to Pirates Week Office (10 Shedden Road, upstairs behind the National Museum) with a completed application form which can be found online at www.piratesweekfestival.com/pirates-week-national-song-competition-1

For more information, email [email protected] or log on to www.piratesweekfestival.com

The National Song Competition is proudly supported by AI Rentals, Ace Hardware, the Ministry of Culture, the Tourism Attraction Board and the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association. 
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Photo Caption: 2018 National Song Competition Winners, Matt Brown, Ben Hudson, Jah Mitch Ebanks and Erica Assai with Minister Seymour, Melanie McField and Jean-eric Smith.

The Pirates Week Festival is the largest event in the Cayman Islands calendar, annually drawing over 35,000 spectators for the duration of the 11-day festival. During this time, the islands are transformed into a mass of colour and revelry, with over three dozen different events being hosted over three weekends, across all three islands!

The Pirates Week Festival is administered by the Tourism Attraction Board of the Cayman Islands.

Those looking to participate in the festival or become a sponsor in any way, can email [email protected].

If you would like more information about this topic, please email [email protected] .