A member of Cork’s Kabin Crew has received praise for his performance on Britain’s Got Talent, where he wowed the judges with an original song about life in a wheelchair.
Jamie Forde, 19, played Life In A Wheelchair during his audition on the Simon Cowell-hosted talent competition, with a sample released on social media. The Farranree native is already well-known in the music field for his work with Kabin Crew, who achieved popularity last year with their viral song, The Spark.
Jamie rapped about his wheelchair-using experience, and the child advanced to the next round when all four judges said, “Yes.” Simon Cowell stated, “People will remember you for all the right reasons, and I really like you.” I really like your attitude.
A video of the performance was published on TikTok, and the comments section was full of appreciation for the young man. One person asked, ‘Isn’t this one of the guys from the Kabin Crew? He’s unreal.
“Go on, Jamie, represent the Irish,” said another. Influencer Miriam Mullins from Cork said, “Wonderful, Jamie, excellent work!” Cork is really pleased with Jamie’s accomplishments.
“It’s just great that the world gets to see the great work that’s going on in the Kabin, and the fact that rap and hip-hop are used for something very positive and very powerful, bringing to light the struggles that Jamie has experienced being in a wheelchair,” Gary McCarthy, a music producer and facilitator of youth workshops, told The Echo, expressing his happiness at Jamie’s success.
It follows Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew’s viral success, The Spark, winning them the Choice Music Prize for Irish Song of the Year. In Knocknaheeny, on the north side of Cork City, there is a non-profit youth music venue called The Kabin Crew. Composers, rappers, musicians, creatives, and volunteers of all ages comprise the ensemble.
