Mozambique Native Helder Tsinine Wins Peacedriven Songwriting Award
NEW YORK, NY (December 2, 2011) – A bandleader and songwriter originally from Mozambique has been named the winner of the sixth Peacedriven Songwriting Award.
LISTEN TO THE WINNING SONG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE | READ LYRICS HERE.
Helder Tsinine’s song “Va Gumulelana” topped more than 300 entries to claim the annual music prize, selected by a panel of judges comprised of social activists and musicians. The Peacedriven Campaign, in partnership with Sonicbids.com, sponsors the award.
Tsinine’s composition – written in the Mozambican language Ronga and translated to mean “stop the war, grow in peace” – is performed by his band Kina Zoré and is the first non-English language song to win the Peacedriven Songwriting Award.
“While written in a language that might be foreign to most, the song’s Afro-pop melody and overall spirit translate effectively with universal appeal,” said Anthony Stokes, director of the Peacedriven Campaign. “Tsinine’s talent as a songwriter, mixed with his fellow band members’ outstanding musicianship, make for an award-winning mix.”
As the winner of the Peacedriven Songwriting Award, Tsinine receives a monetary award and his winning song can be heard on the Campaign’s website (www.peacedriven.org).
Along with one grand prize winner, judges also selected three finalists based on originality, melody and lyrics. The three finalists are: Jennings (“Cling to Me”), Malea McGuinness (“Always Something to Believe In”), and Todd Michaelsen (“Love Anthem” performed by the band My Pet Dragon). Reviews of the finalists are posted on the Campaign’s website.
Honorable Mentions include: Eric Colville (“End of War” performed by The Selkies), Lisa Jaeggi (“All the Good”), Levi McGrath (“Children of War”) and Michelle Owen (“Rise Up”).
This year’s winner Tsinine, who now resides in Boston, Massachusetts, grew up in the Mozambican capital of Maputo to a musical family and was raised during that country’s intense civil war lasting from 1977 to 1992. He now leads the Afro-pop band Kina Zoré and according to the band’s website (www.kinazore.com), Tsinine’s life in Mozambique inspired his strong sense of social justice.
His song “Va Gumulelana,” produced by Dillon Zahner, is just one of many he’s written to raise awareness about causes including war crimes prevention and AIDS prevention.
The following musicians played on “Va Gumulelana”: Helder Tsinine (guitar, lead vocals), Stephanie Wieseler (soprano saxophone), Conor Jones (trumpet), Jordan Townsend (tenor saxophone), Dillon Zahner (percussion, background vocals, producer, recording engineer), Galen Willett (bass, background vocals), and Noah Teshu (drums). New additions to the band Kina Zoré include: Sean Peters (trumpet, background vocals), Cory Boris (trombone), and Judith Soberanes (percussion).
The Peacedriven Campaign received song submissions from around the world, including Australia, Canada, France, Jamaica, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States, via the online music network Sonicbids.com.
The mission of Peacedriven, a nonprofit and nonpartisan service project, is to motivate social activists as well as empower a new generation to act. The project has received funding from YouthVenture, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and the UNC Center for Public Service. Contact Anthony Stokes at info@peacedriven.com.
For the PDF version of this press release, download HERE.
HEAR HELDER TSININE’S WINNING SONG “VA GUMULELANA”
Kina Zore – Va Gumulelana by peacedriven
For more on Kina Zoré, visit these links: