In 600-hour creation, Malaysian powerhouse Aina Abdul joins 11 nations in historic Eurovision Asia debut

Detailed summary

Singers from 11 nations will compete Saturday in the first Asia edition of Eurovision, the televised contest known for its lavish outfits, soaring ...

BANGKOK, Nov 13 — Singers from 11 nations will compete Saturday in the first Asia edition of Eurovision, the televised contest known for its lavish outfits, soaring vocals, geopolitics and the tantalising possibility of global stardom.

A Mongolian government adviser, a K-pop star and a Bhutanese singer on his first trip abroad are among the contestants performing live at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok, potentially watched by millions on TV and online.

“It’s very important for me to show up, to show respect to our ancestors on this big stage,” Mongolian singer Beck told AFP.

Resplendent in an orange and gold traditional outfit he described as a “suit of a warrior”, his song tells of a fighter who laments the loss of his true love.

Beck is an unusual contestant, a trained economist who advises the country’s deputy prime minister on banking issues – a juggling act he brushes off as modern-day “multitasking”.

But that is the joy of Eurovision, the world’s biggest televised live music event known for its kitsch and political voting, a cultural phenomenon that drew 131 million viewers this year for its Europe edition.

Many of the Asia entries had never heard of the contest, but understand the Bangkok show offers a huge platform, broadcast live in participating countries and several others as well as on YouTube.

“I’m not a star, but I want to be. I want more fame and a bigger stage,” said Junhee, the South Korean entry bringing K-pop energy in shiny red trousers and a matching jacket exposing his bare chest.

Malaysia’s Aina Abdul cites one-time Eurovision winner Celine Dion as one of her musical inspirations, and said it was “about time” the show came to Asia.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Malay Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.