Zhanar Dugalova

With KeshYou

Zhanar Dugalova, was born in Kyzylorda, in southern Kazakhstan before moving with her family to Almaty. Years before her debut in the music industry she took part in the Zhas Kanat contest, a national music festival which aimed to launch the career of amateur and new singers. After her performance in that festival, the well-known producer Bayan Esentayeva started being interested in her voice. She was hailed because of her powerful voice and her beauty. Thanks to that, in late 2012, she released her first single entitled "Süyemin deşı", which was used as a song in the soundtrack of the movie "Ğaşıq jürek" (A cocktail with stars) where she also had a role. The popularity of the film and the success of the song turned the young singer into a celebrity, but her definitive leap to stardom took place some months later when she was included in the new lineup of Kesh-You, a well-known band in Kazakhstan, which is also known by its almost constant lineup changes. Her first single with Kesh-You was the song "Asıqpa", that was a smash hit in Kazakhstan, topping for months the airplay charts.

Zhanar started being more popular than Aidana Medenova and Kamshat Joldibayeva, the other two vocals of Kesh-You. Thanks to the enormous promotional effort by Bayan Esentayeva, the popularity of the band kept on growing, producing many more hit singles such as the song "Qazaq qızdarı" (Kazakh girls). The band also took part in the first Kazakh national final for the Turkvision Song Contest with the song "Rızamın", which achieved second place, turning into another great hit for the group. During this part of her music career, Zhanar Dugalova combined her KeshYou trajectory with solo songs.

Solo

After many years of popularity with KeshYou, Zhanar left the band and started her solo career definitively. She started releasing more solo songs, also with the collaboration of her producer Bayan Esentayeva. Her popularity started increasing even more with those songs but her total recognition in Kazakhstan and the rest of the Turkic-speaking countries became widespread with her victory in the second national final for the Turkvision Song Contest with the song "Izin Körem." In the festival, which took place in Kazan, Russia she managed to qualify, which she then won.

Turned into a national heroine, Zhanar released more songs and took part in many national events. In 2015, the singer met Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president Kazakhstan, who invited her to a convention of Kazakhstani women in which other successful Kazakhstani personalities such as the female volleyball player Sabina Altynbekova took part.

She indicated interest in representing Kazakhstan in the Eurovision Song Contest, the debut of which is yet to come. Currently Kazakhstan is not on the participation list released by the EBU. However, their broadcaster Khabar would be eligible to participate in the competition as an associated member.

With KeshYou

• Asıqpa (Acықпa) (2013)
• Qazaq qızdarı (Қaзaқ қыздapы) (2013)
• Tuwğan jer (Tyғaн жep) (2013)
• Rıyzamın (Рыйзамын) (2013)
• Maxabbat (Maxaббaт) (2014)

Solo

• Tañdanba (Taңдaнбa) (2011)
• Süyemin deşi (Сүйемін деші) (2012)
• Sen yemes (Ceн eмec) (2012)
• Kim üşin (Kiм үшiн) (2013)
• Bir suraq (Біp cypaқ) (2013)
• Uwayımdama (Уaйымдaмa) (2013)
• İzin körem (Iзiн көpeм) (2014)
• Sen meni tüsinbedin (Ceн мeнi түciнбeдін), With Kairat Nurtas (2014)
• Ayta Bersin (Aйтa бepcін), with Ninety One on Gakku Äuenderi 2016 (Kazakh: Gakku Әуендері)^[3]
• Ala ketpedin (Aлa кeтпeдін) (2017)