CNMI musicians invited to Battle of the Bands song contest

The 2023 CNMI Liberation Day festivities will kick off on July 1, 2023, with the opening ceremony to be held at the Garapan Fishing Base and Saipan can expect to see the return of this year’s Fourth of July parade and carnival grounds.

The Liberation Day Committee will be jumpstarting this year’s celebration with a Battle of the Bands Song Competition, which promises to deliver some of our islands’ best local talent live on the Garapan Fishing Base stage. A panel of judges will be choosing the Liberation Day theme song from a number of songs composed by our own talented artists who will be performing live onstage at the opening ceremony on Saturday, July 1, 2023.

The competition will feature original lyrical compositions and melodies centered on this year’s theme “Resiliency Rising,” a theme that is expected to showcase our recent challenges and our islands’ ability to bounce back stronger from back-to-back super typhoons Soudelor and Yutu to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent scare with Typhoon Mawar.

A total of eight finalists will be selected from a pool of applicants to perform in front of a live audience and a panel of handpicked judges composed of members from our local music and arts community. Interested musicians must upload a recording of themselves performing to YouTube and send the link to liberationdaysong@gmail.com as part of the preliminary screening phase.

Finalists will be scored based on how well the song relates to the theme, lyrical composition, stage presence, and originality. Bands must be residing in the CNMI and may not be made up of more than five members. Solo artists and duets are also allowed to vie for the top spot. The winning artist(s) will have their song featured in all advertisements leading up to Liberation Day 2024. Finalists will be vying for $1,000 worth of cash and prizes, and a chance to be featured throughout Liberation Day promotions.

The Liberation Day Committee would like to especially thank its co-sponsor for the event, Napu Brewing, which does business as Tapped Out, for supporting our local artists and joining us in giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent.

Contact the Liberation Day Committee at liberationdaysong@gmail.com to receive an application or to find out more information regarding the competition. Interested applicants may also call the Saipan Mayor’s Office at (670) 234-6208. (PR)