Kazakh singer's popularity continues to grow in China

On Sept 6, the day after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolted Luding county in Southwest China's Sichuan province, Dimash Kudaibergen, a 28-year-old Kazakh singer, shared a video on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo in which he sent a message of condolence to the families of earthquake victims.

"For those who lost their family members in the earthquake, I would like to extend my deep condolences. For those who are looking for their missing family members, please stay strong," said the singer, who spoke Mandarin while recording the video.

Dimash, who has nearly 8 million followers on his Sina Weibo account, gained wide popularity in China in 2017 after appearing on Singer, a talent show produced and aired by Hunan TV that features professional singers who compete. He took second place.

His wide vocal range and chic appearance soon captivated the hearts of fans in China. Since then, the singer has been developing a career in China, with a hectic schedule of performances around the country.

Because of his wide popularity in China, more Chinese people have learned about the Central Asian country. Dimash also learned to speak Mandarin and recorded his songs, such as Ocean Over Time and The Crown, in Mandarin, which appealed to his Chinese fans.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dimash has postponed his performance schedules in China. However, he has stayed in touch with his Chinese fans by sharing his life and work on social media.

Now the singer is busy preparing for his upcoming "Stranger" concert, which will be held at the central stadium of Almaty on Sept 23, and he has kept his Chinese fans updated about the event.

"It will be the first time that I will have a concert in the beautiful city," he wrote. "There are songs that make you want to dance, songs that make you want to sing along, but the best songs are the ones that take you back to when you first heard them and break your heart again and again."

Dimash was born in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, to a musical family. He learned to play piano as a child, sang in children's choirs, won singing contests at home and released his debut, self-titled album in 2016.

He once said in an interview that he didn't expect his popularity in China and he feels honored to become a bridge between China and Kazakhstan, particularly promoting culture among young people of the two countries.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit, the singer released a song in English, We Are One, in support of the fight against COVID-19.

The singer's contribution to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan was also acknowledged when Zhang Xiao, China's ambassador to Kazakhstan, had a meeting with Dimash on March 19 last year.

Also last year, in honor of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence, a national award, "30 years－30 names", was offered to Kazakhs who made a special contribution to the development of the country and achieved success in various fields. Dimash won the Cultural Merit Award.

In January, the singer participated in the Chinese song Together for a Shared Future, which promoted the motto of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.