“Asia Folk 2020” special edition “Ser ser salkhi” festival

Due to the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, organizers of the “Asia Folk” festival decided to held it online as special edition. It gave chance for performance of music and vocal artists from all over the world without any age limitations. 

The participants’ task was to perform Mongolian folk song “Ser ser salhi” with their own musical arrangements, performed with traditional instruments. All participants from Bulgaria, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, Poland, Belarus, Slovenia and Lithuania received the notes of the Mongolian song and sent their performance video links. Total 64 artists took part in this contest. 

Organizers of the festival are: “ArtLar Culture” NGO, “Arts of Mongolia” Agency, “Bilguun Undarga” NGO, World Association of Folklore festivals and European Association of Folklore Festivals.

“This festival edition is proof that we can live in a cultural world without any borders, we can meet each other through music which we feel in our hearts without any reason..”, said the director of the festival, Mrs Tsatsral Baatar.  In the contest, performers from 8 countries, with different lifestyles and cultures, understood and felt the song “Ser ser salhi”, recreating it in a fantastic way, typical of the Mongols and ancient nomads, but with a harmony that emphasizes their folklore art.

Winners of the “Asia Folk 2020” special online edition “Ser ser salkhi”:

1st place – LAB Art Project, Kabupaten Agam (Indonesia)

2nd place – TUNI RANDAVI, Sandakan (Malaysia) 

3rd place – Group Family, Sofia (Bulgaria) 

4th place – Mehr, Tehran (Iran) 

5th place – Sławomir Niemiec, Aleksandrów (Poland) 

Other participants: 

• Jaka Waldhütter, Ruše (Slovenia) – winner of certificate IInd degree

• Shalale art school, Tabriz (Iran) – winner of certificate IInd degree

• Fado Ensemble, Tehran (Iran) – winner of certificate IInd degree   

• PERSATUAN SENI BUDAYA TUARAN SABAH (PESTA), Tamparuli (Malaysia) –  winner of certificate IInd degree 

• Avat ensemble, Kerman (Iran) – winner of certificate IInd degree 

• Folklore ensemble of folk instruments “Kruglica”, Stowbtsy (Belarus) – winner of certificate IInd degree 

• Ginas Baladinskas, Kaunas (Lithuania) –  winner of certificate IIIrd degree