DUSHANBE, May 7, 2011, Asia-Plus — The music and cultural festival for talented children with physical and intellectual disabilities, entitled “Without Border,” was held at the Kokhi Jomi State Complex in Dushanbe on May 6.
Popular singer Diana Gurtskaya was the guest of honor of the festival. Diana sang several songs together with young Tajik singers.
The visit of the popular singer and holding of the festival among the talented children with physical and intellectual disabilities were organized under support of CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation (IFHC).
On May 6, Diana Gurtskaya visited the National Rehabilitation Center for Children with Physical Disabilities, Chorbogh, in Varzob district. She donated a TV set and various developmental games to the Center pupils.
On the same day, Diana met with Tajik Deputy Prime Minister, Ruqiya Qurbonova. During the meeting, Qurbonova expressed gratitude to Diana, who is also director of board of guardians of the charitable foundation for blind and partially sighted children, Po Zovu Serdtsa (At the Call of the Heart), for an initiative to organize the festival and active charitable activity. She handed over the letter of appreciation from President Emomali Rahmon to the Russian singer.
Diana, for her part, expressed gratitude for cordial welcome and noted that when visiting National Rehabilitation Center for Children with Physical Disabilities in Varzob, she felt that the government took care of those children. “Children were glad and happy. I felt that they take care of children, protect them; it is very important for children, you know,” the singer noted.
The singer also handed over to Ruqiya Qurbonova the CIS sponsorship award, “The Sponsor of Commonwealth,” for President Emomali Rahmon.
Diana Gurtskaya is a blind Georgian singer residing in Moscow. On March 1, 2008, she won the Georgian national final with 39.4% of the vote, therefore she represented Georgia at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia. She won a place in the final at the second semi-final on May 22 and finished 11th.
Gurtskaya has a number of awards to her credit. Most notably, a 2007 Russian Honorable Artist award given to her by President Vladimir Putin, a Medal of Honor given to her by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili , and the Award of Saint Barbara in Ukraine amongst others.
She has recorded duets with various well-known foreign singers including Ray Charles, Toto Cutugno, and Demis Roussos.
In 2004, Diana Gurtskaya founded the charitable foundation for blind and partially sighted children, Po Zovu Serdtsa (At the Call of the Heart).
