​Zimbabwe to Norway, Brazil to Poland. Latin jazz guitar to Swedish hip-hop, Zimbabwean Afro-fusion to Croatian punk-rock. The 2018 Imagine International Final had it all!

Hosted by the Muziekgieterij, Maastricht, the Netherlands, the 2018 Imagine International Final showcased some of the world’s finest young musical talent (22/09/2018)

Check out the Facebook Live video on the Imagine Facebook page and watch the incredible finalists in action!

After eight incredible performances by young artists and bands from around the world the jury was faced with a near impossible decision: to crown one winner. Following a set that had tons of aggressive energy, crunching guitar riffs and a mesmerising sound world French rock quarter tRuckks were named 2018 Imagine International Winners.

Congratulations must also go to the competing bands who performed to the highest standards during the competition, making the jury decision incredibly hard. Also performing were:

• Arthur Endo, a latin jazz guitar virtuoso from Brazil
• Caravan Joe, a one-man blues band from Norway
• Home Conflict a punk-rock outfit from Croatia
• Fridlyst, a hip-hop trio from Sweden
• Kweseka, an afro-fusion band from Zimbabwe
• Whybe, a singer-songwriter from the Netherlands*
• Mith, a Polish rock band

In order to reach the international final, each band had to win the Imagine national final of their respective countries. Throughout the event these young musicians received advice from music industry professionals and celebrated musicians, including bassist Mano Gallo and percussionist and composer Michael Blair as well as working with the Muziekgieterij team to record their music and produce videos for the final production.

More important than the competition was the experience these bands gained in participating in the whole Imagine experience. This was a unique opportunity for these bands to travel and perform in a foreign country, many for the first time. After four days of making music and fusing cultures as well as artistry, these young artists can make deep connections which will endure long after the event is over.