Zhanar Dungalova Is the New Golden Voice of the Turkic World

 

The newest “Golden Voice of the Turkic World” belongs to Kazakh singer Zhanar Dungalova, winner of the recent Turkvision Song Contest. The competition was organised within the framework of the celebration programme dedicated to “Kazan – the cultural capital of Turkic world 2014.”

Twenty-five vocalists competed for the award and the 15 with the highest scores advanced to the finals. Among them were singers from Moscow, Tatarstan, Bashkiria, Yakutia, Azerbaijan, Bolgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

The contestants’ talents were judged by an international jury composed of one representative from each participating country. With her song “Izin Korem” Dungalova was ranked third in the semifinal, but after scoring 225 of a possible 240 points in the final, she left her rivals far behind and gained a merit victory. As a reward, she will receive an honorarium and her music video will be aired on TMB TV, the international Turkish channel reaching 100 million spectators in 12 countries.

Second place was given to Tatarstan singer Aidar Suleiman, who scored 201 points. The Bashkir music group “Zaman,” with 199 points, took third.

Turkvision, an analogue of Eurovision Song Contest, includes participants from Turkic countries, with the total audience reaching more than 300 million people. The first competition kicked off last year in the Turkish city of Eskihisar, offering an opportunity to award the top singing talent among representatives from 24 countries and regions. Kazakhstan was represented by the group Rin’Go, which finished ninth.

Dungalova, who started singing at the age of five, also composes songs and has appeared in different films. She was a member of the popular Kazakh pop group “КешYou,” which won the Eurasian musical and Astana Zhuldyzy awards.

Speaking after her victorious performance on stage, Dungalova confessed she didn’t plan to enter the competition.

“I don’t enjoy participating in different contests because I am always very nervous. The idea belonged to my producer Bayan Essentayeva, who persuaded me to go and try my skills and I am very thankful to her for that. I think this is the most important ingredient of success for a creative personality – to feel that other people believe in you,” she said.

Dungalova added she dedicated her victory to President Nursultan Nazarbayev. She also noted the great support coming from Kazakh fans that she could literally feel under her skin during the contest.

According to Essentayeva, it was obvoius from the very beginning that the Kazakh singer could count on a prize.

“I was following her performance not from backstage, but from the odeum. I felt all the energy and feelings she expressed on the stage – that was a powerful performance,” she said.

1. Make a compression of each paragraph. Write short abstracts into your notebook.
2. Use the abstract to retell the text to your partner.

Task 2

Read the text and do the exercises which follow.

BRITNEY THE POP PRINCESS

Britney Spears was born in Mississippi, USA in 1981. She is one of the world’s best-selling singers, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She also writes songs and acts. She led a revival of teen pop in the late 1990s, which helped her become a star. She is also famous for her problems with drugs and alcohol.

Spears was a budding gymnast when she was a child and competed in many tournaments. She also sang and danced in her local church shows. She spent several summers developing her talent at a performing arts school in New York. When she was 11, she appeared in the Disney Channel’s New Mickey Mouse Club. She signed a recording contract at the age of 16.

Spears released her debut single "Baby One More Time” in 1998. It was an instant international success and ranks as the 38th best song of all time. The album of the same name sold 28 million copies and is the best selling album for a teenager. Spears broke many records and won many awards. She had established herself as a pop phenomenon.

Spears was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity in 2002 by ‘Forbes’ magazine. She released four more albums, which cemented her status as a superstar. Her personal life has been less successful. Her four-year relationship with Justin Timberlake ended in 2002. She married dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and divorced him in 2007. She fought for custody of their two sons.

 

1. Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

 

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	Worldwide	a.	Difficulties
	Revival	b.	Competitions
3.	Problems	c.	Promising
4.	Budding	d.	Globally
5.	Tournaments	e.	a number of
6.	several	f.	Comeback
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	instant	g.	Sensation
8.	of all time	h.	Confirmed
9.	phenomenon	i.	Ever
10.	cemented	j.	Responsibility
	relationship	k	Immediate
	custody	l	Romance

2. Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	She led a revival of teen	a.	her talent
	famous for her problems	b.	less successful
3.	Spears was a budding gymnast	c.	with drugs and alcohol
4.	She spent several summers developing	d.	of all time
5.	She signed a recording contract at	e.	a pop phenomenon
6.	ranks as the 38th best song	f.	pop in the late 1990s
7.	She had established herself as	g.	of their two sons
8.	Spears was ranked the world's most	h.	when she was a child
9.	Her personal life has been	i.	the age of 16
10.	She fought for custody	j.	powerful celebrity

 

 

You have seen a sample of a REVIEW. Use the next notes to write a review (up to 250 words) about the recent concert you have been to or the concert which impressed you the most.

How To Write A Concert Review Steps:

· Who did you see? Where did you see them? Have you ever seen them before? How much about the band do you know? What made you want to see them live?

· What did you think about the venue? Was it too big or too small? How did the band sound in it?

· What did you think of the set list? What were your favorite songs of the night? If you didn’t know any of the songs, describe band’s sound/style and staging. Were there any special moments, effects, surprise guests or quotes from the artist/s? Did you dig the show?

· How was the crowd? Were people dancing and having a good time, or was everyone being a wallflower? Did people keep bumping into you and just being all-around dicks? Was it the type of show were you would get yelled at if you spoke a single word, or were you allowed to talk with your friends and sing along if you so desired?

· What are your final thoughts about the show? What stood out to you and became your highlight of the night? Would you go see this band again? There you have it!

If you managed to follow all five steps and answer all of those questions with more than a Yes or No, you probably have a pretty decent concert review.