CBC Radio is shining a beacon, searching for Canada's hottest undiscovered bands.
The citizen-owned broadcasting company knows there are music acts lighting up their home regions and they want to boost the wattage of those talented stars. The Searchlight campaign is now underway.
Based on CBC Radio 3 and promoted across the CBC family of stations, the best bands are now gathering votes. Fans can support their favourites by clicking on their online profiles. There are regional playoffs first, but the Prince George content is dotted throughout that array, so fans are encouraged to look through all the regions for signs of people you know, and to find music you like even if it's performed by an act you've never heard of.
The voting period is on now until Monday. You can vote for 10 artists per region, per day.
Local acts of note (please contact [email protected] with information on others not mentioned):
- Vanderhoof folk group Rosewood's Diary submitted their song Sweet Melody under the Kelowna-Radio West heading (the nearest regional category for Prince George).
- Prince George singer-songwriter William Kuklis submitted the song Save Me under the Kelowna-Radio West regional heading.
- Kym Gouchie of Prince George, a Lheidli Tenneh First Nation member recently moved back to her home territory, submitted her song Sister Rain under the Vancouver-On The Coast heading.
- Former Prince George resident, who returns frequently to perform, Evan Symons submitted his song Cancelled Twice under the Vancouver-On The Coast heading.
- The former Prince George jazz band BOP included Daniel Cook who moved to Victoria but still has PG roots. His song Little Bird is in the running under the Victoria-All Points West heading.
- Under the Vancouver-On The Coast heading, a Prince George singer and music teacher, Dawn Boudreau, submitted her pop-jazzy tune Inhibition Free.
"I believe it is a great tune and the more it gets played, the happier it makes my musician's heart," she said.
Boudreau plays all the instruments on the song herself except for sax by Ardeshir Pourkeramati.
"He's only 20, but his saxophone says otherwise," she said. The production word was done for her by Xander Miller.
"I thought it only my duty to enter at least one music competition in my life, since I am nervy enough to run my own competition," said Boudreau, who hosts the annual Limelight Search in Prince George. This year it is being held July 5-17.
The grand prize for the CBC Radio Searchlight contest includes $20,000 worth of music equipment from Yamaha Canada Music, and a spot on a high-profile music showcase.
Other acts who aren't from Prince George but have an association include local fan favourites Sandy Scofield, Harpdog Brown, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murder, Windborn, Fish & Bird, Stanley Jason Zappa and others, as well as Vancouver band We Are The City produced by Prince George's Mike Callewaert.
