The VIII International Festival-Competition of the Bashkir and Tatar Song “Idel” was held in Ufa. The participants were performers representing not only Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, but also other regions of Russia: Moscow, Volgograd, Saratov, and Ulyanovsk regions. The Chinese vocalists Bao Wenzze and Liu Lu, undergraduates of the Kazan State Conservatory, competed in the song festival. named after N. Zhiganov.

The guests and participants of the festival were greeted by State Duma Deputy, Chairman of the Assembly of Peoples of Bashkortostan Zugura Rakhmatullina and Deputy Minister of Culture of Bashkortostan Ranis Altynbayev, who presented the organizers of the contest with letters of thanks from the Committee on Nationalities of the State Duma and the Ministry of Culture of Bashkortostan.

In total, 33 Idel laureates took part in the Gala-Concert, including eight soloists of the Idel Folk Ensemble from Ulyanovsk. Famous artists of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan Idris Gaziev, Zilya Sungatullina, Ilgam Valeev, Nailya  Fatekhova acted as members of the jury of the “Idel” contest. They identified the laureates of I, II and III degrees in  nominations “Bashkir folk song”, “Tatar folk song”, “Bashkir pop song”, “Tatar pop song”, “Children’s nomination”, “Academic”, “Ensemble”.

The winners were Nukh Kutuev, Ayrat Bayazitov (Bashkortostan), Alina Asmatullova (Ulyanovsk), Ruslana Sharipova (Volgograd). According to the established tradition, the winners of the “Idel-2018” were supported by the winners of the festival of past years, for whom this competition became a launching pad in the world of contemporary pop-vocal art.

“The international festival-competition“ Idel ”is a bright creative project that has become today a good tradition in the cultural life of a multinational republic,” Zugura Rakhmatullina noted in her speech. “This holiday of the song, loved by the audience, makes its worthy contribution to the development of friendly relations between the neighboring republics, to improving the performance skills of young vocalists, opens new talents and popularizes the national song.”

The festival is not only a meeting of the spectator with a song, but also a form of familiarizing with the native language, sounding in the favorite melodies and voices of the performers. For the first time among the contestants there were many children with bright vocal abilities and knowledge of their native language from other regions. The role of the festival-competition “Idel” in the preservation, development and popularization of native languages ​​is indisputable, the parliamentarian is sure.