Kazakhstan selects: It's Karakat Bashanova!

Broadcaster Khabar selected 9 composers and producers to create the songs each act would perform in the final. The winner, Karakat Bashanova, was selected with her song Forever from public votes and evaluation by an expert jury.

Karakat becomes the third act to represent Kazakhstan in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after their debut in 2018 with Daneliya Tuleshova and last year's second-placed participant, Yerzhan Maxim.

The national competition

The top 3 acts were Karakat Bashanova, Ayim Mukitanova and Tleubek Aykerim. After being the jurors' favourite, Karakat Bashanova added enough votes from the public to be the one competing for Kazakhstan in Warsaw later this year.

The line-up was as follows (winner in bold):

• Islam Saypolda 11,7 %
• Tleubek Aykerim 24,2% (3rd)
• Kamila Gazizkyzy 14,4%
• Zhan Makim 14,4%
• Nurshat Kusanova 10,7%
• Saniya Altynbekkyzy 14,1%
• Makhinur Tursunova 12,7%
• Aidana Zhumazhan 12,9%
• Akzhibek Manarbekkyzy 15,5%
• Adiya Burkhanova 18,5%
• Karakat Bashanova 25,9% (1st)
• Ayim Mukitanova 25,1% (2nd)

About Karakat

Karakat started singing at 5 years old and enrolled in formal courses at the age of 9. Soon, she began to practice vocals from singers on YouTube. She is now enrolled at a music boarding school named after famous Kazakh opera singer Kulyash Baisetova, where she plays the piano and violin.

Not without accolades to her name, Karakat has participated in several singing contests in the region. She was a finalist in 'The Voice of Children 2018' and also took 3rd place at the II open children's vocal festival 'Happy Child 2019'.

The 12-year-old performer has dedicated her song Forever to her father. The song was written by Khamit Shangaliyev, the same composer who wrote Yerzhan Maxim’s song for Junior Eurovision Song Contest last year.