Myanmar singer Ni Ni Khin Zaw won second place at the Asean+3 Song Contest in Thanh Hóa, Vietnam, on Sunday, losing the top prize to Darlin Joy Baje from the Philippines.
The singing competition was organized by Vietnamese state-run radio station Voice of Vietnam to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment ASEAN. Pop singers between the ages of 18 and 35 from ASEAN countries were invited to participate, and singers from Japan, South Korea, and China also gave performances.
Ni Ni Khin Zaw, a 25-year-old singer who gained fame in Myanmar through her performances on the the televised singing competition Melody World and through her performances at 2013 SEA Games, was one of two singers representing Myanmar at the competition.
She impressed the judges with a performance of the popular song “Hope,” written by Saung Oo Hlaing. Images of Aung San Suu Kyi were displayed in the background during her performance. Aung Htet, who was also there representing Myanmar, won the Audience Award.
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Ni Ni Khin Zaw said upon receiving her award: “Thank you everyone who supported me in the contest. My thanks also go out to song writer Saung Oo Hlaing and Saw Khu Se, music conductor Dhiyado, Myo Zaw Htet, costume designer Ma Pont – my favorite – and singer Aung Htet and my fans.”