This article was written by Kelly Brown for The Moreland Leader on 05th Nov 2007.

Jai Larkan FROM Cairo to Brunswick, Jai Larkan’s song “Life on the Border” has been a hit with audiences. Now he’s won the latest heat of the Moreland Good Folk Song competition.

The song about taking control during change, written a world away in Egypt, took out the final heat of the competition at the Brunswick Hotel on October 23.

The first of three finals was last Tuesday night. The second final will be held on November 13.

Larkan (pictured), of St Kilda, was in Egypt for most of 2005, while his wife studied Arabic and she  encouraged him to take control of his career.

“It was there I started playing more and became more of a performer,” he said. “I’m now nurturing an ongoing career as a performer rather than just being a lounge room songwriter.”

Larkan said he sang the song to English speaking audiences at various clubs and festivals in Egypt and since returning to Australia has taken every opportunity to have himself heard.

“It’s about being in that transition period between different parts of your life, the past and future,” he said.

One lyric is ‘A pearl has grown where the pain was thrown’ that says with difficult things positive changes can come out of them.”