Hunan TV Channel in China and Khabar TV channel in Kazakhstan will air live on April 15 the finals of the singing competition “I am a Singer.” The show would feature the eight finalists in a duet with famous Chinese singers.
Finals Duets
The semifinals would be aired by Hunan TV on April 8, Kazinform News Agency reported. One of the finalists, a Kazakh, Dimash Kudaibergenov, would have a duet with Shang Wenjie, a famous Chinese singer.
In the semifinal round, Dimash would sing “Confessa” by Adriano Celantano and the aria from the soundtrack of the movie “The Fifth Element” originally performed by Diva Plava Laguna. Shang Wenjie was the champion of the “Super Girl” singing competition in 2006. She also participated in the 2013 edition of the “I am a Singer” contest.
In early March, Dimash placed second in Episode 9 of “I am a Singer 2017” after he performed “All by Myself.” Chinese singer Lin Zhixuan topped that episode, while after Dimash came the Lion band of Jam Hsiao, Sandy, Li Jian, Liang Bo, Peng Jiahui and Zhang Ze.
Singing Contests in China
Singing competitions are popular in China, similar to their western counterparts such as “The Voice,” “American Idol” and “X Factor.” However, in early 2017, “I am a Singer” was involved in a controversy because Hong Kong singer Hins Cheung was removed from the promotional material of the show aired by Hunan TV. His removal triggered speculations it had something to do with his alleged previous remark supporting Hong Kong’s Occupy Central Movement.
Two other singing contests in China had a court battle over the use of the name “The Voice of China,” until a court ruled in favor of one show, while the other had to premiere using the name “Sing! China.”