Calling all artists for the creation of the 2009 CMA theme song!
By Carol Doucet
The 2009 Congrès mondial acadien (World Acadian Congress) has launched a contest to find its theme song. Those interested are invited to write a song (music and lyrics) inspired by the theme Acadie Gathers. This theme highlights the Acadian peoples’ capacity to bring together Acadians, Cajuns and other French speaking people from different horizons. A prize of $2,000 will be given to the winning singer/songwriter and the submission deadline is October 31, 2008.
The selection criteria are the following: the song must be inspired by the theme L’Acadie rassemble (Acadie gathers), be unpublished and in French, be sent in CD demo format and must be no longer than 4 minutes. The winning song could be sung by its songwriter or by another singer to be determined by the 2009 Congrès mondial acadien.
The song must be registered at Socan (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) and it could be rearranged and re-recorded with the help of a professional (producer, sound engineer, etc.). The CMA will be responsible for all production and duplication costs. From its launch to the end of the Congrès mondial acadien, commercial use of the song is restricted to and for the CMA. After this date, royalties generated by the song will be sent to the songwriter.
In 1994, Prince-Edouard Island native Lennie Gallant and Acadian music icon Roland Gauvin created the theme song for the first Congrès mondial acadien that was held in the Kent and South-East regions of New Brunswick. Their song, Acadie de nos coeurs, was performed and recorded by the group Méchants Maquereaux.
Five years later, in 1999, the song Si longtemps séparés was named Louisiana’s CMA’s theme song. Written by Louisiana’s own Waylon Thibodeaux, with the help of Sheril Collins and Roland Gauvin, this song is still a signature song for Louisiana Cajuns.
For the most recent Congrès held in Nova Scotia in 2004, Je reviens au berceau de l’Acadie was written by Michel Thibault, performed by fellow Nova Scotians Grand Dérangement and New Brunswick singer Carol Daigle.
CMA theme songs have always been popular radio hits and the CMA promotion team promotes them throughout all their target markets. Radio-Canada Atlantic is a partner of the 2009 CMA theme song contest.
Interested artistes must send their demo (accompanied by the lyrics and complete contact information) by 4 p.m. on October 18, 2008 to Concours de la chanson-thème, Congrès mondial acadien 2009, 218, boul. J.-D. Gauthier, bureau 128, Shippagan (N.-B.) E8S 1P6, Canada.
The upcoming Congrès mondial acadien (World Acadian Congress) will be held in northeastern New Brunswick’s Acadian Peninsula from August 7 to 23, 2009.