The former Kenyan beauty queen Melissa De Blok who was known as Mellowdee changed her line of career from modeling to music. The change also came with a new image and name. Now known as Zubi d’Nova, she is taking the music industry by storm.“It needed a change. You know art, it’s always evolving. Stay the same and the art dies,” the former Miss India Kenya said about her name change.
Zubi’s two songs 'Somehow' and 'Music Note' have been short-listed for the finals of the international songwriters competition which attracts a grand prize of Sh1.9 million ($25,000) cash and Sh1.52 million in prizes. “I just found out that my song got chosen to be in the finals at ISC and another in the semi-finals from a total of 15,000 entries from around the world. I’m pretty excited. A lot of the songwriters are already established, that’s what amazes me most. One of my Lyrics Only competitors has had her songs played on TV shows like One Tree Hill.”
ISC is an annual song contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. In addition to cash and merchandise prizes, winners benefit from a multilateral promotional campaign designed to give international exposure and attention to their songwriting achievements. ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting and music contests in the world. Some of the judges include Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Mario, Timbaland, Robbie Williams and Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), among other big wigs in the international music industry.
The winners for the 2009 competition will be announced in April, 2010.
