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Press Releases
BBC names Next Big Thing 2007 finalists
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Thousands of musicians from 88 countries have entered BBC World
Service's competition, The Next Big Thing, a global search for the
world's best young band.
And, after sifting through a mountain of mp3s,
a shortlist of the top 20 acts has just been released.
The BBC scoured the globe, with roadshows in India, Jamaica, Tanzania
and Turkey attracting hundreds of budding artists to add to those
submitted through the website.
The five finalists are:
Hraun (Iceland)
Jeremie Johnson (United Arab Emirates)
Maya McCallum et La Toy Factory (France)
Vrelo (Serbia)
Yunasi (Kenya)
Listen to the bands at bbcworldservice.com/nextbigthing2007.
The five are expected to fly into the UK next week to perform at the
BBC's famous Maida Vale studios.
The final will be broadcast on the
World Service on 13 December and on BBC World TV on Saturday and Sunday
22 and 23 December.
A winner will be chosen by a panel of music industry experts including
Talvin Singh (singer/producer), Tahita Bulmer (New Young Pony Club),
Nile Rodgers (producer/Chic founder) and William Orbit (Madonna, Robbie
Williams, Sugababes producer).
The competition was open to groups and solo artists in any genre of
music as long as they performed their own songs and were not signed to a
major label.
Anoushka Shankar, one of the panelists, said of the entries: "I am
absolutely blown away by the songs you've sent! They have knocked my
socks off."
The winner gets massive international exposure and will be invited to
perform live to an audience of 2,000 people at London's indigO2 venue to
celebrate BBC World Service's 75th Anniversary in December, alongside
some of the most exciting names in music.
Simon Pitts, Next Big Thing Executive Producer, said: "It's a massive
opportunity for international exposure. Millions of people around the
world will hear the track and it could be the big break someone is
looking for."
BBC World Service Press Office
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