Story from abu.org.my
Performers from 12 Asia-Pacific countries will light up the Gala Night finals of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s 2nd Radio Song Festival in Colombo on 23 May this year.
Singers and musicians from Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam will perform live at Stein Studio in Colombo in front of a grand audience.
The event culminates this year’s ABU Song Festival, which attracted national level performances of the best songs and singers selected by ABU members in 12 countries. The Song Festival is being held in conjunction with the ABU RadioAsia2014 Conference from 22-24 May in Colombo.
Through participation in the Radio Song Festival, ABU radio broadcasters discover up-and-coming talented performers, helping to promote unsigned talent in the Asia-Pacific and recognising cultural diversity through the medium of radio song.
MTV/MBC Radio of Sri Lanka is hosting the two-hour Gala Night performances.
Ms Vijay Sadhu, the ABU’s Senior Executive Radio Programming, says she is very happy with the way the second year of the ABU Song Festival has developed.
“The festival provides international exposure to the singers, composers and other artistes,” she says. “The festival is all about those making music in their own communities and audiences under their own effort. The ABU Radio Song Festival is unique and the only one of its kind in the Asia-Pacific.”
The original music and song tracks of the participating artists are being showcased on the Song Festival website so that ABU members and people around the world can access and play the songs. One of the objectives is to offer a variety of original music to the public, opening a gateway to the music and culture of the participating member countries.
The inaugural ABU Radio Song Festival was launched in June 2012. On that year’s Gala Night in Seoul, artists from Australia, Brunei, Bhutan, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam performed.