The rise of TV talent shows

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

(CNTV)

Singing competition fever has swept the world ever since "American Idol" debuted in 2002. Other than the Idol franchise, we now have The Voice", "The X Factor" and many more. For the music industry, they find new talent; and for the singers, the whole experience can be life changing.

He used to live in a refugee camp in Palestine. But now, Mohammed Assaf has become the first Arab Idol, a national hero for Palestinian people, and a peace ambassador.

China isn’t short of its own singing talent either. Most of the winners over the years have been amateur musicians or college students, like Zhang Liangying. Zhang made it to the top three in the hit singing competition "Super Girl" back in 2005, and remains at the top of the Chinese pop scene.

For Connie Talbot, who was only 6 years old when she made runner-up at 2007 "Britain’s Got Talent", winning the competition allowed her to travel and sing for thousands in Beijing, something she never dreamed would happen. "It did’t feel real. It was so dreamy. But I had such a great time," Talbot said.

• Talent shows urged to follow new restrictive tunes

We Recommend

• 9th 'Hong Kong Teenager Military Summer Camp' ended
• A 54-year-old repairman's flying dream
• So cute! Smallest animals on the earth
• Bitter sweet acrobatics childhood
• 2 Chinese workers killed in Seoul bridge collapse
• Fan Bingbing poses for fashion magazine