Calling all singers; professionals and amateurs alike!

Dust off those guitars, get those fingers cracking and ready for the piano, and sharpen those pencils.

Toronto is celebrating its 175th anniversary, and in order to celebrate in true style the city has announced it is hosting a song competition, and they want you!

According to its website, the song sought needs to be an original one ”that is evocative of our wonderful city” and one that will “pay homage to Toronto’s amazing spirit and its unparalleled diversity”.

Twenty-eight-year-old Damion Augustin, who has already released two albums with the help of his friends, says it’s not the first time he will rap about Toronto. He wrote his first song during a period when the city was experiencing much violence, and his lyrics reflected the general unease that was felt.

Time has passed and things have changed. When he heard about the city hosting a song competition, he wanted to write again, but this time to paint Toronto in a positive light.

“Welcome to my city,” he raps. “175 years of greatness/ welcome to my city/ Toronto is a city where everyone is welcome/ the multiculturalism is the best thing/ it separates us from all the other cities/ welcome to my city/ welcome to Toronto /175 years of greatness/ welcome to my city.”

He has not yet decided whether or not he will actually enter the contest, but he came up with the short rap just in case.

So far, not many details about the contest have been released, but the city’s website states that the competition is only open to Canadian residents and that they are encouraged to record their song in any musical style they wish. It needs to be four minutes or shorter, and also in MP3 format.

And if you’re still not feeling in a musical mood, maybe this will help.
The winner will receive a cash prize of 5 000$.

So if you think you have what it takes, get cracking and keep checking the website as more details will be posted up, http://www.toronto.ca/175/song_competition.htm.