(Adnkronos) – Grand finale, last night, in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, for ‘Silk Way Star’, the first major Asian vocal competition. The singing competition, which could be called the Asian Eurovision, was won by Mongolian singer Michelle Joseph, as reported by the Kazakh news agency Qazinform. The event aims to “promote cultural dialogue among Asian countries and expand humanitarian ties between peoples,” as emphasized by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his speech read by the State Counselor of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Erlan Karin.
The final, characterized by elaborate stage productions and high-level musical performances, brought together seven contestants from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. Each performer presented a song in their own language, transforming the stage into a musical map of Asia.