BRXTN Studios is delighted to announce 21-year old south Londoner DeeCien as the winner of Brixton Voices, the competition in search of South London’s next big musical talent, marking the opening of the new state-of-the-art music recording studio located in the heart of Brixton Village.
Hosted by Peckham-born social media personality Harry Pinero, the finale took place on Thursday 20 May and saw the competitions’ 6 finalists DeeCien, Jbxnu, Majesty, Maviis, Nina Marie, and Richard Carter perform live in BRXTN Studios with an accompanying set from Stormzy’s sister, DJ Rachael Anson. Performing on the night to a live audience, the finale was also streamed on the studios’ Instagram channel for all to tune in. After internal review and debate, DeeCien was chosen as the winner of Brixton Voices and awarded 50 hours of recording time in the studio.
As a young rapper, emcee and singer-songwriter on the rise from South London, DeeCien is known for his musical versatility spanning UK Dancehall to New Wave, utilising Jamaican Patois to celebrate his Caribbean roots and highlight his uniqueness as an artist. DeeCien has performed at a number of stages from Lovebox Festival to Notting Hill Carnival as well as performing alongside some of the biggest UK music acts including Jorja Smith, Pharrell Williams and Krept & Konan. DeeCien recently released an EP called Creme de la Creme with his debut single Lose Your Rag premiering for the first time on Capital XTRA.
Following the finale, Grammy nominated song-writer Ruth Anne Cunningham will be lending her expertise to mentor all finalists with a songwriting masterclass. RuthAnne has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including John Legend, Britney Spears, Professor Green, Pixie Lott, Martin Garrix, One Direction and Niall Horan, before releasing her own debut album in 2019, which has had songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy, Love Island and Netflix film Desperados. In 2020, RuthAnne received her first gold plaque as a producer for a collaborative single with notable Irish-female artists called Irish Women in Harmony, raising over €250,000 for Irish domestic abuse charity, Safe Ireland. This year, RuthAnne is back with more exciting releases including her recent single F.L.Y.
The Brixton Voices runner-ups will be offered the opportunity to showcase their musical and performative talent on a stage within Brixton Village’s Courtyard, as part of the official entertainment programme during the summer season.
Open to all applicants living in Lambeth, the competition called on all gifted musicians, singers, rappers, producers and poets to audition by sending a digital file of their performance which was reviewed by the BRXTN Studios team. The competition’s aim was to encourage local innovation and celebrate the historical diversity and creativity of Brixton, offering the chance for an aspiring musician to have their voice or musical talent heard, regardless of experience.
Karl Lokko, Creative Lead at BRXTN Studios said: “There’s very few things that can be a revelation to me when it comes to the borough I’ve called home for the last 3 decades. I knew there was talent that resides here but the level and the amount has stunned me. To shortlist was a challenge, to pick finalists and then whittle it down to one winner was damn near impossible. But we have our ‘Brixton Voices’ winner and I’m excited to see what he does with this opportunity.”
DeeCien, Winner of the Brixton Voices Competition said: “This means everything to me. I put 100% into everything I do including this and I’ve entered this competition to win it. I don’t go for opportunities to play around. I want this more than any of the other contestants and I’m going to make full use of the prize. I’m here to stay and for the longevity. I’ve been left out too many times throughout my career and now I’m at where I once dreamed to be, I’m going all the way with it, taking it all and leaving no crumbs.”
