From Mongolia to global stage: The journey of first Silk Way Star winner
Last weekend saw the first Asian vocal megaproject Silk Way Star conclude in Astana, with Mongolia’s representative Michelle Joseph, a well-known singer and songwriter, who blends the traditional Urtiin duu (long song) with modern musical genres, winning. More than 508,000 people participated in the online voting, Qazinform News Agency reports.
From the very first episode, Michelle stood out as one of the project’s brightest contestants, seamlessly combining tradition and modernity on stage. Her performances consistently showcased strong national identity - both in her vocal style and in her stage imagery.
The artist noted that Michelle Joseph is her real name. She has both Mongolian and Czech heritage. Michelle Joseph was born in Mongolia, and her father is Czech.
Michelle’s mother, Dagiimaa Badamkhuu, shared her emotions after her daughter’s final performance. She expressed gratitude to Kazakhstan for the warm welcome, the special atmosphere, and the opportunity given to young performers to appear on such an important stage.
Michelle Joseph sings in both Mongolian and English, naturally blending national motifs with contemporary pop, R&B, and funk. During the project, she also performed the Kazakh folk song Karatorgai.
Michelle says she intends to release a song in the Kazakh language and is already working on a new project. She feels a strong connection to the Kazakh people’s language and culture and wants to create a composition specifically for Kazakhstani listeners.
After her victory, the singer addressed her fans and commented on the project:
Thank you, Silk Way Star. May your light travel endlessly through galaxies, igniting dreams wherever it goes. May the bright cultural friendship between Kazakhstan and Mongolia continue to grow stronger, bringing our nations closer through art, heritage, and mutual respect, Michelle writes on social media.
Her artistic portfolio includes participation in several popular TV projects:
“My Voice” (2016), where she took third place;
“Your Sounds Familiar” – where she received the Best Participant award;
“That’s My Jam” – where she performed as a guest singer.
Michelle Joseph actively shares her work on social media. She has 152,000 followers on Instagram, and 20,700 subscribers follow her YouTube channel.
Previously, Qazinform News Agency reported the Silk Way Star international vocal competition initiated by the TV and Radio Complex of the President of Kazakhstan together with China Media Group, emerges as one of the country’s most recognized exported media products.
