The first Asian vocal contest Silk Way Star has concluded
in Kazakhstan. The long-awaited grand finale of the unprecedented television
megaproject took place last weekend. The ceremonial evening opened with
welcoming remarks on behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, delivered by
State Counsellor Erlan Karin.
«Silk Way Star is a unique initiative aimed at promoting
spiritual cooperation among Asian countries and strengthening the bonds of friendship
between our peoples. The project has become a vivid example of cultural
diplomacy, showcasing the traditions and creative achievements of our nations,» Karin stated.
«In June of this year, during a meeting between Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a document was signed to launch this international music
project involving 12 countries,» said Raushan Kazhibayeva,
Director of the Kazakh President’s TV and Radio Complex.
Seven of the strongest performers made it to the final —
representatives of Malaysia, Georgia, China, Armenia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and
Kazakhstan. Each of them managed to showcase the versatility of their talent
and the culture of their homeland by performing songs in their native languages. The hall was filled with a festive atmosphere, and the
audience greeted the contestants with enthusiastic applause. And then — the
culmination! People’s Artist of Kazakhstan Dimash Qudaibergen announced the name of the winner.
The scale and format of Silk Way Star are already being
compared to the world’s largest music competitions, including Eurovision. The final show drew a record audience of more than half a million viewers. In
addition, broadcasts
were carried live in the Kyrgyz
Republic,
Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. On the Jibek Joly
TV channel, the show aired in Kazakh, while the Silk Way TV channel broadcast it in six languages. In total, the grand finale
was watched by an estimated 120 million viewers worldwide.
«Such broad reach has clearly demonstrated that
Kazakhstan’s television content can confidently compete on the international
market and is truly in demand among foreign audiences. We believed in it, we
worked for it, we moved ahead – and the result exceeded expectations,» noted Yerkezhan Kuntugan,
Managing Director of the Jibek Joly/Silk Way TV Channel.
«From the beginning, almost all Mongolians watching this and all of them rooted and supported for me. And then, a lot of Kazakh people started rooting for me too, and I’m so happy about that. I want to learn Kazakh language. This is beautiful language I think,» shared Silk Way Star Winner Michelle Joseph.
According to Wang Delu, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of
the Eurasian Bureau of China Media Group, the next season of Silk Way Star will take place in China. Its details
will be reviewed in December, with particular reliance on Kazakhstan’s
experience.
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