Export Saint Lucia (ESL), the premier marketing agency in Saint Lucia, has unveiled an exciting opportunity for local artists to showcase their talent and compete for the coveted title of ‘Most Exportable Song’ during this year’s Lucian Carnival festivities. The winner will receive a generous prize of $5,000.
During a recent media briefing, ESL’s Executive Director, Sunita Daniel, emphasized the importance of establishing a robust domestic brand before venturing into the global market. She highlighted the pivotal role played by Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire in ESL’s evolution into a carnival partner two years ago. Daniel reiterated ESL’s commitment to promoting the best of Saint Lucia on the global stage, stating, “What we do at Export Saint Lucia is to take the finest aspects of Saint Lucia and share them with the rest of the world.”
Creatives play an integral role in producing the carnival product, which encompasses music, fashion, drama, and dance. Daniel also mentioned Saint Lucia’s successful participation in the Expo Dubai exhibition and ESL’s upcoming plans to target the Japanese market.
ESL has facilitated numerous opportunities for local artists to perform and showcase their talents on international platforms. Daniel stressed the significance of nurturing a strong domestic product that can be successfully presented to the international market. She declared, “We are going to look at a song that is really authentic Saint Lucian, and that song we can also take to the international market.”
In addition to performance opportunities, ESL conducted a tailored Business of Music workshop for Dennery Segment artists who performed at Expo Dubai. This initiative aimed to elevate their standards to meet the requirements of the global market.
Explaining the criteria for the ‘Most Exportable Song’ contest, Daniel articulated the importance of reflecting Saint Lucia’s vibrant artistic and cultural nuances and capturing the essence of ‘What Makes Me Lucian’ in the song.
She expressed the agency’s eagerness to incentivize creative artists and emphasized the song’s need to authentically represent Saint Lucia while having the potential for international appeal.
ESL is committed to not only rewarding the winner with a $5,000 prize, but also providing additional promotional opportunities for them overseas. The agency, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and the public, aims to select a song that epitomises Saint Lucia and has the potential to thrive in the export market.
“We are really looking for a song that can go across borders, and we are going to provide a $5,000 prize initially …,” she asserted.
ESL’s objective with this initiative is to foster the development of songs that can captivate the international market and provide local artists with a platform to present their talents on a global scale.”