Cesária Évora soon in Tashkent

November 4, 2009

The world-famous Portuguese songs singer Cesária Évora will award grants to young talents in Uzbekistan. The Fund Forums and Cesária Évoras joint charitable grants award ceremony of "Yangi Avlod " Children's Creativity Festival winners will be held on November 17 in Tashkent.

The festival, organized by the Fund Forum in conjunction with Kamalak children's organization, has been held for six years. Kids from 6 to 14 demonstrate their talents in areas such as: playing classical and national instruments, singing, dancing, fine and applied arts, as well as literary works. In 2009, Yangi avlod Festival was timed to the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with the support of UNICEF.

It is worth noting that the festival reveals the talents out of Uzbekistans most remote regions. Particular attention is given to children without special education, that is, the nuggets that previously had no chance to perform on the big stage. Children's Art and Creativity Centers have been set up on the basis of the project in Tashkent and Samarkand, where children are taught and can develop their creativity in different directions free of charge.

Yangi Avlod Festival is one of the biggest projects of the Fund Forum to support gifted children in Uzbekistan. Over the six years since 2004 the project has been attended by more than 50 000 boys and girls from all regions. About 1500 of them became winners, received grants, diplomas and Fund Forums further support in professional and creative development. In 2009, around 20 000 children across the country applied for the Festival. More than 500 of them passed to the national finals, which will be held from 11 to 17 November in Tashkent.

In 2009, the legend of world music, philanthropist and public figure Sting personally gave special grants to the four Yangi Avlod winners, who have particularly showed themselves in the traditional music.

Participation of world-famous singer Cesária Évora at the final gala concert is to be another spectacular event. The singer of popular Bésame Mucho, also known for charitable projects in the field of childrens education, intends to give special grants of the Fund Forum and Cesária Évora to several winners of the Yangi Avlod Festival. After that she will present her musical program to the project participants and all guests of the Yangi Avlod-2009 gala concert.