Kody Chetty of Music Inc tries out the acoustic guitar worth R8 000 being offered by Yamaha as one of the prizes in a competition to find the ultimate Splashy Fen song.

The organisers of South Africa’s longest running and most renowned music festival, Splashy Fen, are looking for the ‘ultimate song’ to capture the spirit of what has evolved into the ‘ultimate outdoor experience’. Why? “Because we want something really special to drive the massive 20th anniversary Splashy Fen celebrations planned for 2009,” says festival manager, Pedro Carlo.

“What we’re after is a new, acoustic driven song that’s radio friendly and no more than three-and-a-half minutes long: it can represent any genre of music, which means that the competition is open to everyone.”

Since its inception in 1990, Splashy Fen has provided a platform for close to 1 500 artists and helped to kick-start many a successful music career. If just a small percentage of these artists draw on their experiences at Splashy to come up with a song that epitomises what this unique festival is all about, then the number and calibre of entries should be high indeed.

The winning band or solo artist will re-record their song at Face Studios in Westville, then see it released – with design and artwork sponsored by Kablooey Studios – in time for Splashy Fen 2008, where they’ll perform it live on the main stage and shoot a music video. Other prizes include free website hosting by SAI Futurenet and a Yamaha jumbo body acoustic guitar (CPX500) with built in pick up and tuner sponsored by Yamaha and Music Inc. The ‘ultimate song’ will also form part of the year-long publicity campaign leading up to the milestone 20th anniversary edition of the Splashy Fen Music Festival.

The closing date for entries is 8 February 2008 and submissions (on CD) can be sent to Pedro Carlo, C-Weed Entertainment Promotions, PO Box 4078, The Square, 4021. For more information call Pedro on 082 892 6176.
...go to the competition >>

Splashy Fen 2008 runs over the Easter weekend from March 20 to 24 and will once again offer an extensive line-up of top established and up-and-coming artists, as well as a variety of fun outdoor activities for the whole family, arts and crafts, assorted food and drink outlets, children’s entertainment, camping facilities and a tent hotel. Held on a farm near Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal, Splashy Fen has something for everyone; in fact there’s nothing else in South Africa quite like it!

Early Bird tickets are now on sale at Computicket for just R285, which is a saving of more than R100 on the gate price of R400. This offer is only valid until the end of December and tickets are limited, so don’t miss out! Bookings are now also open for the tent hotel, which offers hassle-free camping at an affordable bed-and-breakfast rate. More information at www.kreefhotel.co.za.