The final round of the folk musicians' competition ‘Çalsana, bagşy!’ (‘Play, Bakshy!’) held as part of the state creative competition ‘Golden age of Turkmen’ has ended in Ashgabat. This was reported by the IIC.

Twenty-eight performers aged 18 to 35 from all velayats of the country took part in the competition. The competition was held in two stages: first, the participants demonstrated their skills in playing the dutar (a Turkmen two-stringed instrument), then they performed folk songs in the traditional bakshy genre.

The jury, consisting of renowned master musicians, evaluated the performance technique and preservation of ancient traditions. At the end of the competition, 14 winners were awarded valuable prizes — national Turkmen carpets and gold chains on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan.

The event was accompanied by a thematic exhibition of antique musical instruments, carpets and works of art, and ended with a collective performance of the song ‘Çalsana, bagşy!’