Sharp 'Diamonds' at Iguana's

My friend DOUG E. LACHANCE and KIM ANGEL, both residents of White Rock, have for the past couple of months organized a unique talent search in the South Surrey/White Rock area. The Diamond in the Rough talent search encouraged young people to come out on Tuesday evenings to Iguana's Beach Grill in White Rock to strut their stuff and perform in front of an audience.

I attended a couple of the final evenings of music. On the final night of the live portion of the competition, it came down to two incredible examples of talents. The House of Music band from the Semiahmoo House made even the grizzled music-industry veterans in the audience remember what is so very special about music. PAYTON RECTOR then took the stage with the ease and poise of a seasoned veteran. The strange part about the equation is she is only 10 years old. What a voice. If you ever have a chance to see either of these wonderful artists perform, don't miss it. In the talent finals, MIKE FABRO won the grand prize of recording time at White Rock's Turtle Studios and an opening slot on an upcoming Rock.it Boy concert. The real winners, though, were the members of the audience -- music for all the right reasons.

Other examples of rising talent in the fertile farmland of the Fraser Valley are JASON BUIE, MAD SHADOW, SAM & LUKE and RANJ SINGH.

Buie, with the release of his CD, Urban Blues, may have recorded the album Colin James never made. Simply brilliant. Buie is a driving force behind the White Rock Blues Society. As well, he can be found at the Sandpiper on Tuesday evenings hosting his blues jam, and solo at Uli's on Marine Drive acoustically every Tuesday. Mad Shadow dipped back into classic-rock vaults for inspiration for their new CD. With every offering from this band, they move closer to that big break. The Warner Brothers label out of Toronto is presently working closely with the band, shaping them for future recording sessions and upcoming live shows -- it's all good.

Brothers Sam and Luke, who seem to be everywhere I turn over the past few months, are quickly making a big name for themselves. The boys hope to be in the studio by summer's end.

Last but not least, Ranj Singh is another artist who has caught my ear in the past six months. Singh and his brothers were, for a number of years, an integral part of a bhangra-rock band called DAL-DIL-VOG (featuring the Now's own DAL HOTHI). Singh performs on a regular basis in and around our area. The City of Surrey missed a golden opportunity by not including him on their upcoming Fusion Festival schedule for Holland Park, mid-July.