The “Karaoke” concert competition was held in the Small Hall of the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory. It served as the grand finale of a week of concerts organized by the Department of Variety Art.
Four teams, each consisting of six participants, took part in the competition. They included students from the Special Music School in the city of Arkadag (Team 1), students from the Ahal Velayat Music College (Team 2), junior-year conservatory students (Team 3), and senior-year conservatory students (Team 4).
The audience enjoyed a wide selection of popular songs by Turkmen and international composers, drawn from the repertoires of renowned singers such as Atajan Berdiyev, Atabay Charygulyev, and Akysh Saparov. Songs by Uzbek singer Firuza Jumaniyazova, Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises, and Russian pop artists Valery Meladze, Philipp Kirkorov, MakSim, and many others were also performed. Notably, the song “Oriental Tales” truly set the audience alight, with spectators joining the contestants in singing it.
The concert was hosted by Maysa Mammetjumaeva, Head of the Department of Pop Art, who announced each round of the competition. The programme opened with team performances, followed by performances by the team captains and then a joint number featuring all the captains. In the final round, soloists representing each team took the stage. The performances were evaluated by a jury on a ten-point scale.
As expected, the senior-year conservatory students emerged as the winners.
Karaoke is an entertaining activity that has become popular among young people. For aspiring pop performers, however, it is also an excellent way to hone their skills. It helps them learn to switch quickly between different performance rhythms, imitate popular artists not only vocally but also in terms of stage presence and performance style, and broaden their knowledge of contemporary pop music repertoire.
It is worth recalling that the “Karaoke” concert competition brought the Department of Variety Art’s creative week to a close. During the week, students performed songs from the repertoires of legendary groups such as Gunesh, Dessan, and Firyuza, as well as songs by Akmukhammet Saparov, Bibi Velmuradova, Ovezgeldi Tekaev, Annaberdi Atdanov, and other prominent figures of Turkmen pop music.
