The Tribune

THE Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced the top ten songs in its song competition to mark the Bahamas’ key role in hosting the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) next June.

The song competition was launched on September 5. Ten songs were selected by the judges from 20 submissions and finalists will perform their song on a television show which was taped last Friday.

The top ten songs are: “Push” by Bodine Johnson”; “Education is for Everyone” by Jonathan Farrington; “Teacher’s Appreciation” by Alvin Simms (aka Papa Smurf); “Fly High and Free” by Angelique Sabrina White and Gregg White; “I Need a Quality Education” by Cambrell Poitier; “Eyes on the Prize” by Georgina Ward-Rigby; “Quality Education” by the Albury Sayle students, Sonovia Pierre and F Cartwright; “COB” by Matthew Rolle II; “Education” by Andre Hall and “We Can Change the World” by Sammie Starr Poitier, featuring the St. Anne’s Choir.

Songwriters were tasked with writing a song that embodied the theme of 19CCEM: “Quality Education for Equitable Development: Performance, Paths and Productivity”.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Jerome Fitzgerald said the song entries “celebrate the power of education”.

“The Song Competition is another project which will enable the Bahamas to brand the 19th CCEM. The competition and the song entries are expected to celebrate the power of education to enhance the lives of individuals and nations.”

More than 1,000 foreign delegates, including education ministers from the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth, will attend the conference; they will come from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific.

The 19CCEM Song Competition has a special role to play in this prestigious convocation. Because of the prestige of CCEM and the fact that its sessions will be streamed on the internet, the winning song will be heard across the globe. Related publicity is expected to bring the song and songwriter significant exposure and possibly further career-enhancing opportunities.

The ten finalists were announced on November 10. These persons are continuing on in the competition.

The judges submitted their votes at the taping of the TV show event which will account for 70 per cent of the total score. After this performance airs on national television, it will be open to the Bahamian public to submit votes on Facebook, worth 30 per cent of the total score.

Voting will open immediately following the airing of the TV show on Cable Bahamas tomorrow at 6.30pm, on Friday at 8pm, on Saturday at 8pm and on Sunday at 6pm. Voting will continue throughout Monday, December 1, until 12 noon. The votes will then be tallied and combined with judges score. Official results will be tabulated by LENO Corporate Services. The winner, first and second place winner will then be invited to appear live on Bahamas@Sunrise at the TCL Studios on Friday, December 5 at 6.30 am.

Minister Fitzgerald will reveal the winner live on the air and present the prizes. The first place winner of the song competition will receive a cash prize of $5,000. The second place and third place winners will receive $1,500 and $1,000 respectively.