ARMENIAN SINGER TO LEAVE FOR GREAT BRITAIN TO TAKE PART IN BBC CONTEST’S FINAL

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

LONDON, NOVEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. 17-year-old
Armenian singer Silva Hakobian has passed to the final of BBC’s The
Next Big Thing future stars’ contest and with another six singers
will have an opportunity to leave for the United Kingdom next week
to perform in BBC’s well-known Maida Vale studio.

First the best 20 out of 1100 records were selected at the contest
held since September this year.

According to radio Liberty, the best six performers were to be
selected through Internet voting on November 28, but the criteria
of presented records were so high that the jury chose seven of them,
including 17-year-old Armenian singer with her song "I like."

The song’s author is Silva’s sister Mane and the song was recorded
by Silva’s brother Edgar.

"The participants’ quality was a surprise for people, but not for
us, as from the moment of the idea’s emergence we believed in its
realization," contest producer Simon Pits said.

Maida Vale stage will start on December 6 and the contest commission
will announce the winner on December 9.

The winner will be chosen by musical experts group including Katy
Danis who has worked with Madonna and William Orbit who has written
Kyle Minogue’s song Can’t Get You out of My Head.