SA artists invited to enter for Talent Quest

Talent Quest was launched in 2012 as part of Hennessy's dedication to supporting music, culture and live performances. The brand has been supporting the Blues Passions Festival since 1994, and the competition focuses on putting the spotlight on upcoming talent which may otherwise not have an opportunity to perform at this internationally renowned event. Blues Passions has hosted musical greats such as B.B. King, Gil Scott Heron and Ray Charles, as well as legendary artists like Massive Attack, Moby, Andreya Triana, Sting and Taj Mahal.

Two in Top 10

Last year, two artists from South Africa made it to the final Top 10. The first South African entry came from TRESOR, a Congolese-born and South African-based singer and songwriter who has enjoyed performances alongside some of South Africa's biggest names, including Freshly Ground, Prime Circle and Lira. With his debut single, Complete, TRESOR has seen rotation on major music channels and is a winner of Rolling Stone magazine's Songwriting Challenge.

The Layders, a five-piece band signed under Soul Candi Records, was the second set that made it to last year's Top 10. Their musical inspiration is drawn from ethnic African sounds and fused with Neo Soul. The band launched their debut album, For All Seasons in 2012, receiving immediate attention from fans across the globe.

"Their entries were world-class, and it was an absolute honour to give local artists an opportunity to gain exposure on an international platform. Talent Quest is a wonderful initiative to showcase emerging talent, and we're looking forward to seeing the caliber of South African entries this year," says Aimee Kellen, Hennessy South Africa's brand manager.

Fans will vote

ColinResponse, a Canadian band composed of seven musicians, won the competition in 2013 against over 1,000 other bands and artists. As the winning group, they performed alongside Erykah Badu (a jury member of the competition), Ben Harper and Asaf Avidan.

Hennessy's Talent Quest invites South African artists to once again submit their videos via Hennessy.com, where an esteemed panel of judges, including the Blues Passions festival founder, Michel Rolland, and music journalists from participating countries will choose their top ten entries. From there, Hennessy fans will vote for the final winners who will perform live at Blues Passions in Cognac in July this year.

Staying true to the roots of music and the Blues heritage of the festival, all entries must fit into the genres of Blues, Soul, Funk, Folk, R&B, Boogie, Swing, Country, Gospel, Hip Hop, Slam or Rock 'n Roll.

The closing date for entries is Thursday, 3 April 2014 and must be submitted at www.hennessy.com.