Sudbury musician wins John Lennon songwriting contest
Louis Simão's song earns top honours in world music category, advancing to final prize round.
Sudbury's Louis Simão is no stranger to the music industry. As a festival coordinator and accomplished performer, he's spent years helping other artists earn recognition.
Now, he's celebrating an award of his own.
Simão won the grand prize in the World Music category of the John Lennon songwriting contest for his Portuguese song Oração.
"I was just looking at the judges and I started to feel like, wow, this may be an important award… I mean, these are people, important people in the music industry," Simão said.
The contest, launched in 1997 in memory of John Lennon, is an annual international competition open to both amateur and professional songwriters. It recognizes original compositions in 12 musical genres, from pop to jazz to country.
The competition is divided into two sessions with winners from each session advancing to compete for the grand prize: a $20,000 cash award and a prize package that includes professional music equipment.
Entries are judged by a panel of industry professionals, including award-winning musicians and producers like Jimmy Cliff, Nathan East, Sheila E., and Lita Ford.
Portuguese connection
Simão originally co-wrote Oração with tenor saxophonist David French about 20 years ago, but the song remained largely untouched as he pursued other musical projects. Simão later re-recorded the song in collaboration with Carlos Bernardo, a Brazilian multi-instrumentalist.
"It's a song about in general, it's about ancestry, it's about roots. It's also about paying it forward, you know, and being thankful for the gifts we receive in life," he said.
The song is sung entirely in Portuguese, a nod to Simão's heritage.
"I grew up in a Portuguese home. My parents immigrated to Toronto in the 1960s," he said.
About four years ago Simão moved to Sudbury and said he's proud to represent his new community through his music.
"It says Sudbury, Ontario, right beside my name," he said. "I think those connections … are important."
Oração is now moving on to compete against the first-season winner of the World Music category.
"When I was fortunate enough to receive the email, which was a surprise for sure, because really you're putting, sort of throwing your hat in the ring. And there are people from all around the world you know that are entering their compositions into this contest," Simão said.