Songs for Social Change 2018

The winner of the 2018 contest is Eljuri and her winning song is "Keep it Up."

Born in Guayaquil Ecuador and raised in New York City, Cecilia Villar Eljuri is a compulsive genre-fuser writing songs that mirror the experiences of her life. Touted as one of the top Latina guitar players in the world, she blends the sounds and rhythms she heard from her mother’s piano, her father’s vinyl records, her siblings’ CDs and from the clubs she frequented on Manhattan’s lower east side.

Eljuri is the best guitar player in the Latin Rock Scene.
— Oscar Sarquiz, IMER RADIO MX

Cecilia Villar Eljuri is a triple threat: She’s an accomplished songwriter, a great vocalist, and one hell of a guitar player.
— ALT-LATINO, NPR MUSIC

Ablett and Cooper's song "Beverly" is one of the runners up in the contest. Here is how they describe themselves:

"We have been playing together for ten years. We have a remarkable quality to our sound, which is a combination of our voices and intricate, fingerstyle guitar. Whether it is the blues, contemporary folk or thoughtful instrumentals, our music has thrilled local and international audiences for years."  Their website is : https://ablettandcooper.ca

Cuesta Loeb's song is "A Lifeline"

NYC native, Christina Cuesta Loeb (who dropped the "Christina" for her debut solo project) comes from a family of musicians. Born to world-renown jazz guitarist Chuck Loeb and Spanish singer-songwriter/actress Carmen Cuesta, she grew up between the US and Spain, studying classical flute and bassoon. While she really enjoyed performing and playing in orchestras, Cuesta Loeb was unable to find her voice in classical music. In 2015, she moved to Los Angeles and began experimenting in her own songwriting and production.

Her website is http://cuestaloeb.com/

Laura Cheadle's runner up song was  "It's Not Okay"

About Laura: Along with her Family Band, she has opened for some of the biggest names in the business and won numerous awards, including “Best Indie Jazz/Blues Band” at WXPN sponsored Tri- State Indie Music Awards. She has performed on stages from NYC to London, appeared on 6ABC’s “Tuned In” as the very first viewer’s choice, the “NBC 10″ Show, and the National reality show “Next Great Family Band.” Laura was recently featured in Curve Magazine, named one of “100 Women We Love” in Go Magazine, and declared a “Super Woman” in South Jersey Magazine for her active Charity Work.  Her website is http://www.lauracheadle.com/

Their song is "Change" and here is something about them:

Courtney Lynn and Quinn Henderson’s worlds collided in the summer of 2012 under a scorching Los Angeles sun. The musical sparks began flying, but it wasn’t until 2015 in Phoenix where late night writing sessions would quietly begin laying the groundwork for their musical future. In many ways they were opposites, Courtney content writing music for herself, Quinn having a burning desire to perform and share their music on stage. With a growing confidence in their abilities, the two traveled further east to Charlotte, NC in 2016, with a promise to delve deeper not only into their musical pursuits, but planning the rest of their lives together.

Their website is: https://www.courtneylynnandquinn.com/

Their song "It Could be You" was a runner up in the contest

Combining the best of youth and experience, this six piece band from Ontario, Canada delivers instantly memorable hooks, exhilarating four-part harmonies, and an amazingly varied mix of musical genres – from pure delicious pop, to heart wrenching ballads and driving rock – all wrapped in arrangements packed with genuine emotion.

Their websites are: https://www.thefairestandbest.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/thefairestandbest

Here is a link to view the song

G Precious's runner up song is Get Ur Hands Up

G Precious, a Native American woman and upcoming Hip Hop Artist,  put her life, her heart, her family, her struggles, the courageous hope and healing process into her music.

Her websites are https://brenatenciosjp.wixsite.com/gprecious and https://www.facebook.com/g-precious-180063222056723/

This father and son duo's runner up song is "If You Are Not Outraged."

Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick is a father and son group. They are both songwriters and guitarists. Before working with his son, Mike toured the USA, Europe and Asia.  Pete Seeger called Mike “one of the best songwriters going.” Aleksi graduated from Peabody Conservatory, in jazz guitar, where he held the Charlie Byrd Memorial Scholarship. He has studied with such world class jazz guitarists Paul Bollenback, Vic Juris, Pat Martino and Jon Abercrombie, led his own music groups in Baltimore and NYC, and has already composed music for film and television.

Their website is https://www.facebook.com/generations.music.nyc/

You can watch and listen to live version of their song at this link

In the photo: L-R, Lindsey Wilson, Aleksi Glick, Mike Glick, photo by "JAM"

Their runner up song is "This World"

Stir up some Gritty Funk, Rock n Roll and New Orleans' Blues with a dash of Latin seasoning and you'll have what Hector Ward & The Bigtime are serving up! From Austin, Texas, Hector Ward & The Big Time is an original eight piece Latin Grooves Funk Orchestra seared in Blues and Rock & Roll.

Their websites are http://www.hwbigtime.com/   https://www.facebook.com/hwbigtime/

You can listen to their song on YouTube

"Change is Gonna Come" is the runner up song of Pete Kronowitt

Pete is a singer-songwriter based in San Francisco. He is an independent artist with four albums and  songs ranging from acoustic alternative pop, a hint of country and politically charged ballads. Pete's 30 years of performing, touring and activism, put him at the juncture where our culture and hearts clash with politics.

His website is https://www.petekronowittmusic.com/

You can listen to his song at this link.

Their runner up song is "We Declare Peace"

SkyBridge is a diverse band and project, established in the city of Boston in spring 2013 by Japanese vocalist and composer Utako Toyama (Berklee ‘14). Our ideology is illustrated by the rainbow: comprised of many colors, it connects two points, just like a bridge. This mirrors our philosophy that we come from different origins, but are connected by the common language of our smiles.

https://www.skybridgemusic.org/
https://www.facebook.com/SkyBridgeMusic

You can watch and listen to "We Declare Peace" on YouTube

Glenn's runner up song is "It Starts With You and Me"

Glenn Valles is a Singer/Songwriter from the vibrant financial capital of India - the city of Mumbai. Amidst the hustle and bustle of this busy city comes some refreshingly different songwriting talent.  With over 30 International Songwriting Awards (USA/UK/Ireland/Australia) to his credit, spanning different genres, Glenn's music is very interesting as poetic imagery characterizes his songwriting. He has a unique ability of making his listeners "see with their ears" and "feel with their souls".

His website https://www.broadjam.com/glennvalles contains a streaming sound file of his song "It Starts With You and Me"

Their runner up song is "Don't Do It (Leave The Tweetin' To The Birds)"

What's Black Is White (WBIW for short) was formed by producer Nayan Lassiter and a group of New Jersey musicians from all over the musical spectrum. They're a much-needed change of pace in an industry struck by monotony. The band's name takes inspiration from the Newspeak term 'blackwhite' in George Orwell's 1984,  which roughly translates to "the belief that one thing is the same as another, regardless of how different they may seem". This concept comes to life in their music, which brings elements of rock, funk, R&B and rap together seamlessly, making the word "genre" almost lose its meaning.

You can listen to their song at their website

You can purchase the compilation CD for the Songs for Social Change contest of 2018 by visiting our online store.

You can also download the compilation in a digital format by vising this link and you can listen to the tracks by using the widget below: