Dundalk duo call for support in irish Music Month bursary award

NeGrO impacto, a Dundalk duo comprising of vocalist-songwriter Chi Chi and producer, multiinstrumentalist Laurence (aka strangeLove) have been named as one of the six national finalists in the ‘A new local hero’ awards. The duo have called on the people of Louth to support them by voting for them at www.irishmusicmonth.ie

The pair quickly gained attention in the irish music scene thanks to their unique neo-soul sound, impressive musicianship and fun live sets. Named as part of the ‘2FM rising’ class of 2023 and ones to watch across many outlets, the duo are in for another incredible year.

Tickets for the highly anticipated live finale of A New Local Hero 2023, featuring some of the hottest young talents in ireland, are on sale now.

Following a phenomenal talent search, featuring a genre-blending selection of acts from right across the country, Hot Press and the independent broadcasters of ireland (ibi) recently announced the six national finalists for A New Local Hero. Out of the hugely talented 25 regional finalists, Brad Heidi (Galway bay FM), Darian June (red FM), Negro impacto (LMFM), Temi (FM104), Paddy Keyes (Ocean FM) and eva Campbell (sPiN

1038) have been chosen to perform at the live finale showcase event at The Academy, in Dublin, on April 25.

However, there are still huge opportunities for the 19 artists who didn’t make the final six: this year’s edition of A New Local Hero also includes a special new element – with all 25 regional finalists still in with a chance to be crowned the winner of the Wild Card Award voted by the public. The Wild Card winner will be awarded a €2,500 bursary.

Dundalk duo Negro impacto comprises vocalist Chi-Chi and producer strangeLove. The pair joined forces during lockdown, and are fast becoming one of the most exciting, genre-defying acts in the country. After a busy few months, they capped off the year with a new eP featuring reworked versions of their songs. They’ve since clocked up impressive live performances, and an appearance on All City’s This Way Vol. 1 compilation – with even more big things to come.

As one of the central features of irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for irish musicians and bands – with all 25 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions as part of the talent search. every participating radio station selected four finalists each

– giving them the chance to play live on air, and paying them for their performance, thanks to the support of the broadcasting Authority of ireland, under its sound & Vision scheme.

From there, the station’s four finalists were whittled down to one ‘Local Hero’ from each – a major honour in itself, which will serve as a huge milestone in the career of the selected 25 artists.

“it has been really exciting, hearing the cream of the new artists who are coming through all over ireland,” Hot Press editor Niall stokes said. “i know that the judges were faced with some enormously difficult calls. But there was also a very strong unanimity in relation to the six that have now been shortlisted, that these are very special acts, with the potential to really flourish in the long run. There can be only one artist selected as A New Local Hero 2023, but it is very clear, from the music that we have been hearing, that we are on the right track here in ireland at the moment, producing artists of real calibre across all genres. Long may it continue.”

Tickets for the A New Local Hero live event at the Academy on Tuesday, 25 April are now available at https://www.ticketmaster.ie/a-new-local-hero-tickets/artist/5366306

PEELING GREAT— Two-year-old Theodore Nugent, from Dundalk, pictured enjoying Ireland’s National Fitness Games held at Dublin’s National Sports Campus. Supported by Dundalkbased banana importer Fyffes, the weekend ‘festival of fitness’ is viewed by them as the ideal prelude to National Banana Day, which falls this week on April 19th. Now in its seventh year, the initiative was devised to combat obesity by encouraging healthy eating and an active lifestyle, especially amongst young and growing children.