Beatles Song Festival planned in Kazakhstan

    50 years have passed, but the Beatles music remains popular worldwide, and on Aug 30, the people of Kazakhstan will get to hear some of the band's most popular hits, like Yesterday, Let it be, and Michelle, as peformed by Kazakh singers, actors and politicians at a performance dedicated to the music of the Beatles.
     The Khabar news agency has reported the performers will belt out more than 30 hits of the legendary band at Astana Square.
     According to the organizers, this year's performance was dedicated to the band's 50th anniversary as well as John Lennon's 70th birthday.
     The singers include Nurlan Abdullin, Tolkyn Zabirova, Gani Kasymov, Mels Yeleusizov, and the bands - Zhetygen, Fridays and Newts.
     The organisers said that the Tabigat environmental union and the United Kingdom ambassador to Kazakhstan David Moran will join them as well.
     The Union is also planning to create a John Lennon alley in Almaty, and has promised the festival will gain international recognition and be held on an annual basis.
     Khabar said that Beatlemania came to Kazakhstan in the late 60s. People could hear the Beatles' hits playing everywhere, and vinyl records with their songs were top sellers. A monument to the Beatles was was placed at Kok-Tobe in 2007.
     Aidar Bekbosynov, the festival organiser, said that "1,000 years will pass, and everyone will still know and love the Beatles, as their songs are very simple."
     He said that practically all the band members had no musical education, but they still wrote great songs.
     "I invite everybody here to sing, dance, sing along and feel pretty much like our elder brothers did in the Beatles era," he said, according to Bernama.