Popular Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen has said he thanks the Chinese people including the audience for boosting his career at the age of 22, highlighting their significant impact on and ongoing inspiration in his life. He noted President Xi Jinping's appreciation of his performances, highlighting a cultural bond and mutual appreciation through music.
Kudaibergen took China by storm after he won the second place in a popular reality singing competition, Singer 2017. He was also the winner of the Most Popular Asian Singer at the country's Top Music Awards for his outstanding performances.
He also performed at the 2018 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala, which has further consolidated his fan base in China.
"I would like to thank the Chinese people including the Chinese audience for giving me the opportunity to showcase myself at 22. Since then, my career has taken off, and I must acknowledge this. China including the Chinese audience hold a special place in my heart. No matter how long I stay in China or how many times I perform, they always surprise me and show me love every time. Because of them, I am able to soar. I feel inspired and am working harder and harder," Kudaibergen said in an interview with China Central Television prior to Xi's state visit to Kazakhstan in early July.
In 2023, Kudaibergen was invited to perform at a welcome banquet hosted by Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province for guests attending the China-Central Asia Summit.
"I remember singing two songs. The first song was in Chinese, and the second song was in Kazakh. Regarding the Chinese song, they told me that President Xi Jinping really likes my performance of this song. I immediately noticed that he is a knowledgeable man. He deeply explores the meaning conveyed by songs, which is very valuable. Overall, it is obvious that he has a profound cultural background," said Kudaibergen.
Scheduled from July 2 to 6, Xi will attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan, and pay a state visit to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
Popular Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen thanks Chinese audience, President Xi for appreciation
China and Kazakhstan have witnessed an upsurge in people-to-people and cultural exchanges in recent years, a development that Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed in a signed article published in Kazakh media outlets prior to his visit to the central Asian country.
Xi arrived for a state visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday, where he will also attend the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
On the same day, the signed article from the Chinese president was published in the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and Kazinform International News Agency under the title "Staying True to Our Shared Commitment and Opening a New Chapter in China-Kazakhstan Relations."
In the article, Xi highlighted the enduring friendship between the Chinese and Kazakh peoples, citing an example involving Chinese musician Xian Xinhai and Kazakh composer Bakhytzhan Baikadamov.
Over 80 years ago, Xian and Baikadamov met and became close and devoted friends despite their different nationalities and languages.
"In 1943, my father happened to meet Xian Xinghai, who was sitting on a box holding a violin. Seeing how helpless and homeless Xian was, my father took his hand and brought him home," Baikadamova's daughter Baldyrgan said.
Xi also mentioned the much-respected Kazakh ophthalmologist Saulebek Kabibekov, who treated more than 200,000 patients during his 25-year stay in northeastern China.
There was also a nod to the hugely popular Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen, who took China by storm after he won the second place in a popular reality singing competition, "Singer 2017", and later had the chance to meet Xi.
"I first met President Xi in 2017. After the performance, he came to me and told me about his impressions [of] my work and musical journey in China. Since then, I've been exploring Chinese culture and history which, of course, has inspired me infinitely," said Kudaibergen.
People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have also become more frequent since mutual visa-exemption arrangements took effect last year, facilitating greater travel between the two sides.
Last year, a total of 600,000 cross-border trips were recorded. In the first quarter of 2024, the number of visits in both directions had already amounted to 200,000 and are expected to reach a new high by the end of the year.
China, Kazakhstan see upsurge in people-to-people, cultural exchanges
