Voice of Turan: Artists from 20 countries to sing Kazakh songs in Turkistan

The festival is scheduled for September 25–27, Deputy Governor of Turkistan Region Yertai Altayev told a briefing at the Central Communications Service.

According to him, the seventh annual festival will feature performers from France, Spain, Italy, San Marino, Tunisia, Venezuela, Indonesia, Vatican City, Belarus, Bulgaria, Tuva, Georgia, Armenia, Mexico, Morocco, Cuba, Guinea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Bashkortostan, and Brazil.

The festival aims to promote Kazakh music internationally, bring the vocal arts of the Great Steppes to the global stage, and highlight Turkistan as a spiritual and cultural hub of the Turkic world.

Meyirzhan Aliakbarov, the event’s general producer, outlined the contest's unique nature.

"What distinguishes this competition is that it is not a professional singing contest. It is a competition for performers of Kazakh songs, with the emphasis on folk compositions and the music of Kazakh composers. Victory doesn't go to the one who displays a wide vocal range and sings at the edge of their ability, but to the one who has taken the Kazakh song into their heart and delivered it to the audience beautifully, skillfully, and sincerely," the speaker said.

On September 25, the festival will kick off with the Zhibek Zholy Áýenderi (Melodies of the Silk Road) gala concert, bringing to the stage renowned artists from Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Bashkortostan, Tuva, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

The festival's grand opening ceremony and the Star Duet round will take place on September 26. That day, international participants, together with Kazakhstan's master artists, will perform Kazakh songs and contemporary pieces.

The main competition — the Kazakh Song round — is set for September 27, with contestants singing folk songs and pieces by Kazakh composers before a professional jury and live audience.

In addition to the concerts, the festival will comprise an artisans' village, a showcase of designers from Turkic-speaking countries, and various cultural events.

Earlier, it was reported that leading music organizations from Turkic countries had created the Turkic Union of Composers (TUC).