A catchy tune that heavily features the talents of Aranmore Catholic College students has taken one of the top music accolades judged by West Australian Music (WAM).
The WAM Song of the Year 2017-18 award ceremony was held on 16 May at Fly By Night Musicians Club, Fremantle.
The gleeful young team of Akolkol Dastan Gesa took home the “World” category with the song Same Drum, fending off stiff competition from professional musicians.
Akolkol Dastan Gesa is a community arts project with teenagers from Aranmore Catholic College’s Intensive English Centre in Leederville.
The group’s name means “story” in the three of the many languages spoken by the migrant young people involved: Dinka, Dari, and Arabic.
The awards night started with a surprise when Farraday Tween, Year 9 pupil at Aranmore, won the “School Song of the Year” with a fellow classmate from her previous school.
The school students involved with the Same Drum music video are: Frank Mucho (Y12), Kalungila Lutombo (Y11), Juk Yuang (Y11), Jack Rex (Y11), Ahmed Shihab (Y9), Rita Yousif (Y8), Sota Kikuyama (IEC), and Sara Hendi (IEC).
The Same Drum music video team includes Producer-Director Poppy van Oorde-Grainger, musician Scott Griffiths, writer David Vincent Smith, cinematographer Matsu, and filmmaker Gemma Parsons.
The end product was showcased at Fringe World Festival during Harmony Week 2018.
Claire Hodgson, WAM Song of the Year Coordinator, said the Aranmore students’ song stood out among the entries in that category.
“We are overjoyed that Akolkol Dastan Gesa have won the 2017-18 WAM Song of the Year World prize.
“The track not only showcases the incredible talents of young songwriters in WA, but also stands as a wonderful example of how music brings people from different backgrounds together, with an incredible five languages featured in the song – not to mention the track itself being an absolute hit that everyone who hears, loves!” she said.
Singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly claimed the coveted grand prize with her song Boys Will Be Boys in the WAM Song of the Year Awards 2017-18.
WAM Chief Executive Mike Harris said the judging panel was astounded by the quality and breadth of entries across all genres.
“WAM’s Song of the Year is an important opportunity for artists to showcase their song-writing skills and have their music considered by experienced industry professionals,” Mr Harris said.
“Grand prize winner Stella Donnelly is a WA artist on the move; one with an international profile already. Congratulations to Stella and all the other winners, finalists and all the entrants for talking the time to create the music that makes our local scene so vibrant.”
To view the behind the scenes video of Same Drum, go to: youtube.com/watch?v=NcsddDouo6Q