Kazakh in top 20 of Chinese singing contest

Kaysar, an ethnic Kazakh living in China, has made it into the top 20 of a singing contest in China. In an interview in Shanghai the singer talked to Tengrinews about his life in China.

Kaysar is participating in the singing contest held in Shanxi Province and broadcasted by a nation-wide Chinese TV channel. The contest will continue until the end of September. So far, he is in the top 20, Kaysar said. The jury will eventually select six finalists out of the twenty. 

"I sing Kazakh folk songs, and to make them understandable for the Chinese audience, I accompany the songs with Chinese melodies. I sing songs in two languages - Chinese and Kazakh. For instance, I performed Dudarai song (a famous Kazakh folk song)," Kaysar said, ”another Kazakh singer known here as Taskyn sang this song at the Voice of China contest in Beijing and became a prizewinner."

The 20-year-old man moved to Shanghai from a Chinese province four years ago. Currently, he is studying in university and working part-time as a photographer in the country's largest news agency Xinhua.

Kaysar was born in the city of Chihu, southwestern China. He lost his father at the age of two. Kaysar’s mother lives in Ghulja. 

He has never been to his homeland, Kazakhstan. However, the young man is planning to visit it soon.

Since he Is still an undergraduate student in Shanghai, he will probably apply for a graduate program in Kazakhstan as the university in Shanghai where he is studying has close ties with the Eurasian National University in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Reporting by Roza Yesenkulova, writing by Assel Satubaldina