Fair Play is a youth-driven anti-corruption music initiative calling on young musicians from around the globe to submit songs speaking out against corruption in their communities, raising global awareness around the most important issues of our time, building a network of solidarity and sounding a new generation of artivism.
Fair Play is organised by JM International, the world’s largest youth-music nonprofit together with Transparency International, the world's leading body in the fight against corruption.
Winners of this year’s Fair Play edition were expected to travel to perform in Busan (South Korea), but due to the pandemic, will perform at the digital International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) that will take place online from December 1st to 4th.
In anticipation of the event we present today the 10 Fair Play finalists. Together with the Fair Play Ambassadors we will be selecting the top 3 bands from them to perform at the Digital Edition of the IACC. Each winner will also receive 1000€ to support their local anti corruption efforts.
Meet our 10 Fair Play 2020 Finalists
Introducing the 10 shortlisted finalists in Fair Play entries for the 2020 Competition, selected from over 60 applications for 21 different countries:
SHANTI POWA
Song: Rolling On
Genre: Reggae
Country: Italy
Shanti Powa are a 10 piece big band from Northern Italy producing a powerful mix of reggae, hiphop, dub, ska, funk, dancehall, rock & world music. Because of their different cultural backgrounds they sing in english, italian, german and southtyrolean dialect. Shanti powa have performed hundreds of concerts all over the european continent with their energetic live show: their goal is to create a unique sound & vibe, and to bring joy to the crowd, while sharing forward thinking messages.
ALESH (Lumumbaz Band)
Song: Biloko Ya Boye
Genre: AfroBeats
Country: DR Congo
His real name Alain Chirwisa, Alesh is a committed rapper, slammer, producer and businessman who lives and works between Kinshasa and the rest of the world. In 2011 he was awarded the “Revelation of Congolese music” within the OKAPI AWARDS; in 2018 he was named the “Most influential young person” by the magazine Kivuzik. He played in the USA, Belgium, Congo, Uganda, DRC, England...
CILL
Song: Sound the Alarm
Genre: Singer - Songwriter
Country: Nigeria
Cill (born Chioma Ogbonna) is a Singer/Songwriter, guitarist based in Lagos State, Nigeria. Her music is a unique blend of alternative rock, folk, soul, country music and “African-ness”. Cill also uses her music for promoting social causes and is a member of the Music for Democracy Network collaborating with other artists from different parts of the world to push issues of democracy using music. She is the winner of the 2019 Accountability Music Award by Accountability Lab and One Campaign.
WANNY S-KING
Song: Probleme
Genre: Reggae
Country: Italy / DR Congo
Politically engaged musician, originally from the DR Congo, Wanny S-King lives between Goma and Italy. Wanny started his career as a musician in 2005. His songs “Wale Wale” and “Son excellence” (2015) criticize the democratic illusion of Congo and political cronyism. In 2016, he created the song “Liberté”, to support the Human Rights activists jailed in DRC. His political stance through music is felt through his concerts and workshops: Concert in the Children’s Prison of Goma (December 25th 2017) or in a center for asylum seekers in Italy (July 2018).
LAZYWALL
Song: Never Again
Genre: Rock
Country: Morocco
Lazywall is an Oriental Rock band from Morocco who blends traditional arabic instruments with modern guitar riffs. In 2010, they became the first Rock band to perform live on national TV. The name of the band was coined from a particular wall that overlooks the Mediterranean where Kids and young people smoke and dream of a better life across the sea.
FELIPE EL
Song: Sistema
Genre: Alternative
Country: Brazil
Felipe Renato El Kraidli (São Paulo, 1993) published his first album of self-written songs, “Felipe El”, in 2013, exploring the brazilian musicality with a world music and pop accent. From there to 2016, his artistic metamorphosis was very intense, resulting in his single “Re-lógica”, which won the composition festival “Marolo de Ouro”. Most of his songs talk about affection, love and humanism as antidotes for some of the evils of our society such as intolerance and social injustice. Felipe believes affection is revolutionary and necessary for the fight, which is but one: against all kinds of oppression.
RASH BAND
Song: Grave Robbers
Genre: Rock
Country: Kenya
Award winning Swahili rock band founded in late 2013. In 2018, RASH was nominated for the Urban Music Awards for Best African Artist as well as the African Music Awards (AFRIMA) in the category of Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Rock with their song “Nitachange”. In 2019 the band took home the AFRIMA award for Best Artiste, Duo or Group in African Rock with their single “Grave Robbers”. RASH has been featured in several documentaries and performed in various events and festivals in Kenya, Uganda and Ghana.
SKEME
Song: Mr Polisi
Genre: Afrobeats / Rap
Country: Kenya
Skeme Music is a two member multi-genre collective made up of TV/Radio Host /Rapper Chale Slim and Producer/Singer/Rapper Jan Christian. The duo are some of the best performers in the current wave of fast rising Kenyan rappers evident from the impromptu freestyles, punchlines, clever lyricism and infectious energy exhibited in their tracks and on stage performances. Skeme’s music weaves Hip Hop, Dancehall, Afro Music, Urban Progressive Sounds and widely addresses social issues.
REVOLUTIONARY MAKERS
Song: We have hope
Genre: Rap / Pop
Country: Palestine/Turkey
The Revolution Makers Band is a music and art group created 11 years ago in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The band is known for its distinctive musical identity, a mixture of rap and Arabic singing, using oriental and electronic music together. The band’s orientation is to address the Palestinian reality and the suffering of the Palestinian people, as well as wider social issues of interest to the Arab community. Two of the band’s members had to leave Gaza to keep producing their artistic work.
LORD BLAZE
Song: Shadows
Genre: Hip-hop/Rap
Country: Nigeria
Lord Blaze is an independent Nigerian music artist and songwriter. He has been in the music scene since 2012. He believes music is a strong tool in reaching people and sharing social messages.
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