I soundtracked an Olympic Gold Medalist

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🔔 RISING x ANDRE x TOKYO 2020 🔔

Single Release ✅National TV Interview ✅Olympic Gold Medal ✅Canadian History ✅What a week it's been 😅. As you know, I released a new song called "RISING" last week and I was fortunate to have the song placed as the official soundtrack to Canadian Olympic star, Andre De Grasse. Andre is one of Canada's top olympic athletes and one of the fastest men in the world, having come in second to Usain Bolt in the 200m race at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Rio, Andre also claimed a bronze medal in the 100m. A few years (and injuries later), expectations were high for Andre to claim his title in Tokyo, since Bolt's retirement in 2017.And man oh man, did he rise to the challenge. As part of CBC's national Olympic coverage, the montage featuring my song was played before every segment leading up to an Andre event. On Sunday, Andre took the bronze medal in the 100m race. As if that wasn't exciting enough, CBC reached out to me on Sunday night, inviting me to do a LIVE TV interview with CBC Sports about my song and De Grasse's stellar performance. Yet another major event lay on the horizon, arguably Andre's specialty, the 200m. Over Monday and Tuesday, Andre continued to dominate, advancing from the heats, to the semifinals, to the finals, and at each stage setting a new Canadian record and personal best. Wednesday was D DAY! At 8:55AM Eastern Standard Time, I watched Andre firmly stamp his name into the annals of Canadian history, as he took the gold medal in the Men's 200m race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Once again, he demolished the previous record (set by himself a day prior) with a time of 19.62 seconds.In that moment, I realized that I had also been written into Canadian history....feels weird to say that.I wrote RISING in 2019 and at the time, my creative team knew we had made something special. When I pitched the song to CBC in late 2019/early 2020, and they expressed interest, I was understandably excited, yet quite pensive. So much of this industry is froth with false hopes, disappointments and letdowns. So I've learnt to keep a level head, waiting to see results with my own eyes. Still, it's difficult not to get even a little excited. So imagine my disappointment when the Olympics were cancelled/postponed last year due to the pandemic. That was a tough moment. In one year, I had lost JUNO Awards performances and Olympic placements. Through every moment, I have tried to remain grateful and trust God to handle things as He wills. I also understand the power of perseverance. So throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, I kept contact with CBC, trying to gauge their interest in the song and the probability of the Olympics still taking place.Long story short, when we got the affirmative that the Olympics were taking place, CBC expressed they were still interested in using RISING. But I had no idea the plans they had for the song. That my song was selected not simply as background music for general coverage, but rather, as the official soundtrack for Andre's Tokyo 2020 run is nothing short of amazing.I'm grateful for this incredible opportunity, and reminded all the more of the following; 

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)and "For exaltation comes neither from the east. Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. (Psalm 75:6-7)

About the songInspired by my African roots and our tribal chants, my creative team set out to create an epic, Black Panther-esque soundtrack. The vast resources of the National Music Centre provided us with endless tools to create such a masterpiece, including multiple analog synths, and an endless selection of live instruments. This can be heard in the final product. As implied in the name, RISING is all about boldly claiming your spot in the pantheon of the greats and asserting your merit even as you ascend the ranks. "RISING" is officially OUT NOW 🎧! Enjoy and if you do, please share it with a friend. That goes a long way. Peace!-Shopé

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