Vietnamese German singer places 3rd at int’l singing contest

Khuat Duy Vinh at the New Wave 2013

Vietnamese singer Khuat Duy Vinh won third prize -- worth 20,000 euros (US$26,500) -- at New Wave 2013, the 12th international contest for young pop singers in Latvia’s Yurmala city on July 28.

23-year-old Vinh was born in Hanoi and started living in Germany when he was one year old.

Since he was 15, Vinh has won many music awards, including first prize at the “Made in Schauburg” 2008, held every three years in Germany, and the highest prize at the Hannover Songcontes "Hören 2012", where he had to perform a song he composed himself.

This year’s five-day New Wave 2013 attracted the largest number of contestants in 12 years with 16 young singers from 12 countries, said composer Igor Krutoi, one of the founders of the contest.

Singer Roberto Kel Torres from Cuba was crowned with the first prize, worth 50,000 euros ,while the 30,000-euro-second prize went to Saloma Katamadze from Georgia.

Founded in 2002, "New Wave" features not only the world''s emerging stars, but also popular Russian and well-known international artists. It is jointly organized by Latvia and Russia and held every year at Dzintari concert hall in Jūrmala.

By Phuc Duy, Thanh Nien News