Canadian-born singer-songwriter Mark Cote will perform his award-winning song that addresses the human rights issues of the Native American Indian at the Call To Arts! Summit Conference on Nov. 7. This organization recognizes excellence in the fields of music, visual art and the written word.
(PRWEB) November 4, 2004 -- With his song ' Still I Rise ', just awarded top honors in the 2004 Call To Arts ! National Songwriting Competition, Canadian-born singer-songwriter Mark Cote demonstrates once again, as he has throughout his recording career, that he has carved out an artistic niche for himself, that successfully straddles the fence between rock and world-beat music.
The awards which were honored in October, singled out Mark's song as the top winner in the themed category of ' Spirit and Creativity '. The song " Still I Rise ", from Mark's debut album " Somewhere To Stand ", was written specifically about the struggle of the Native American Indian to maintain an identity and self-respect in the midst of eco-destruction and a rapidly changing world.
In listening to the track, " Still I Rise " one is struck by Mark's poetic lyricism, a trademark of his songwriting craft, over which glides his yearning tenor voice above a swirl of electric guitars that recall some of U2's early instrumental work. Distinctively, actual Native American drums and percussion are woven into rock drum backbeats to create an aural heartbeat that frames the often poignant nature of the lyrics.
" I was very moved by a newspaper article ", Mark explains, " and felt compelled to write a song as an emotional response. Through a bureaucratic loophole, a particular tribe of Native Americans that had resided for generations on preservation land they believed was protected, suddenly found themselves displaced. The land became eligible for strip-mining and as a result their groundwater became contaminated forcing them to leave ."
Ultimately, as voiced in the chorus, the song becomes a triumphant anthem to the resilience of the human spirit. " To me, at it's core, this is a song for everyone facing obstacles and learning to forge ahead. We are all connected in the most profound way, regardless of our ethnicity and we all laugh the same laugh and shed the same tear."
On Sunday Nov. 7, in Los Angeles, Mark will perform an intimate acoustic version of his winning song at the 2004 Call To Arts ! Summit Conference. Now in it's 2nd year, Call To Arts! is an extension of Artists Helping Artists, a non-profit organization founded to promote and acknowledge accomplishments in the fields of art, music and the written word that advance humanity to higher ideals.
Citing his artistic goals, Cote concludes, " I want to continue to evolve and explore - to be as intensely personal and honest as I possibly can. I want to have longevity as an artist and speak to an audience that stays with me through the years so we can take this journey together ".
For more information visit www.markcote.com and www.calltoarts.artistshelpingartists.org
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