Gibraltar International Song Festival 2014
FULL version of the Gibraltar International Song Festival 2014 – in VOD format (Video-on-demand)
GISF 2014 WINNERS
First Prize: TOTAL HEAVEN
Authors/Composers: Denis Valerga & Susanna Alman, (Gibraltar)
Interpreter: Nolan Frendo
Second Prize: YA ME CANSÉ
Author/Composer: Charo López (Spain)
Interpreter: Charo López
Third Prize: RETWITEANDO MI CORAZÓN
Author/Composer: Fernando San Martín (Spain)
Interpreter: Lester
Best Interpreter: Zenobia (Song: El Primero En Mi Vida, Author/Composer: William Luque – Venezuela)
History
In 1965, the Reverend Monsignor Caruana (deceased Bishop of Gibraltar), a young priest at the time, decided that Gibraltar lacked a Community Centre and set about raising funds for such an ambitious project. Undaunted, his idea was to hold a Song Festival in Gibraltar as his main thrust. The Song Festival was totally comprised of local talent and became so popular that it became an annual event. Some years later, the then Father Caruana, had to relinquish control of the event due to his parochial duties and the Festival died a natural death.
Upon his retirement, Joe Carseni, winner of 3 Gibraltar Festivals, took it upon himself to revive this event. Such was his enthusiasm and determination that a Board of Directors was formed and plans set in motion to hold the first International Gibraltar Song Festival.
The revived Song Festival was held at the new Tercentenary Sports Hall on Saturday 29 September, 2007, and attracted singers and song writers from a large number of countries. Entries came from the UK, Spain, Australia, Portugal and as far away as Chile, Brazil, Colombia, the US and Australia, among others, and played to an audience capacity of 1,000. All monies collected were distributed in total to local charities, since donating to charity is one of the aims of the Festival. The Festival is a window of opportunity for local, as well as international, talent and will not only help to promote tourism, but will also launch Gibraltar into the world of music.
The British Academy of Music, the Performing Rights Society (UK) and the Sociedad General de Autores y Editores from Spain, along with the International Songwriters’ Association, Portal Latino and the Association of Song Festivals of the Canary Islands, have all enthusiastically supported our event and annually notify their memberships accordingly.
The last show, held on Saturday 6 April, 2013, was broadcast live — just as its immediate predecessor — both in audio and visual formats, on the Internet by the ON.tv Channels, the German radio station, Radio 700, to an audience of over 10,000,000. In addition, the Peru-based broadcaster, UJJINA, streamed the festival live to the whole of South America .
The festival continues to go from strength to strength and has already acquired international recognition and popularity, which augurs well for the future. This is the fifth year in which the Gibraltar International Song Festival was held.
