Dimash with that incredibly stunning vocal power and prowess

Dimash Kudaibergen 

You've never heard anyone sing like Dimash, I swear! He has a vocal range of 4-octaves (that's according to his mother, but other reports claim 5-octaves), plus a little more... (like hitting a D8 with sheer clarity!) 

I recently came across a YouTube video with this artist singing a highly emotional French song. Turns out it was a cut from a singing competition held in China earlier this year.

Couldn't get enough of him afterwards, watching his live performances, his baritone, tenor, countertenor, soprano and OMG whistle registers (Kazakh musicians classify his voice range 'from counterbass to kontraltino'), till I find myself agreeing with this one YouTube comment: 

A once-in-a-century genius, with amazing voice, perfect techniques and special charisma. His live performance is solid and brilliant, being able to replicate notes hit in the studio when in a live setting. Even though he speaks only a little English, his voice is transnational, trans-cultural and transgender.

(Update: In a recently posted YouTube video Dimash was asked how wide really is his vocal range, five or six octaves? His answer: "Possibly wider than six octaves. But that is not important to me. Success to a singer is his/her pursuit of music and their inner feelings. Neither bass nor treble is important. Most important thing is singing beautifully.")

Who's Dimash?

Dimash (pronounced di-ma-shi or di-ma-xi in China, elsewhere it's di-mash') Kudaibergen (Kudaibergenov is the longer name), is a 23 year-old male singer well known in Kazakhstan where he won national competitions for young performers. The outside world started to notice him after winning the Grand Prix in the 25th International Contest of Pop Song Performers "Slavic Bazaar 2015" in Vitebsk (Belarus).

At age 5 he was sent to music school by his grandmother who raised him,
after finding his "ear for music".

Then, earlier this year he joined the Singer 2017 (Chinese TV series on Hunan Television), the winners of which were determined by audience voting. While he won the first round, his combined score in the semifinals and final placed him second in the competition, with Sandy Lam, a veteran singer from Hong Kong as the winner.

During the competition Dimash set the record for singing the most number of songs in different languages (English, Mandarin, Russian, French, Kazakh and Italian). And the only baritone, tenor and soprano in one singer. He only speaks Kazakh and Russian fluently. 

He has since won the following awards: 

2017			Fresh Asia Music Awards	Best Overseas Artist	Won
2017			Hong Kong Golden Music Awards	My Favorite Male Singer	Won
2017			MTV Global Chinese Music Awards	Best Overseas Singer	Won
2017			MTV Asian Music Gala	Most Popular Overseas Singer	Won
2017			OK! Style Music Gala	Favorite Male Singer Of The Year	Won
2017			Top Chinese Music Awards	Best International Artist	Won
2017			Chinese Top Ten Music Awards	Most Popular Asian Singer	Won

"SOS d'un terien en detresse" (SOS from a distressed human being), that song I first heard him singing was from the repertoire of French singer Gregory Lemarchal. It is now one of Dimash songs that has become much talked-about and my favorite, too. 

Says a YouTube subscriber (Ian Kain), of this "ever most beautiful interpretation" of this song: "His presence and the power of his voice is not just making goosebumps, it rather makes people cry. The tears of remembering who we are, where we come from, (there we go again), and that this planet is a very tough place to live on." 

One could listen to other interpretations of the song by other acclaimed singers and find that their excellent versions may be weighed but found paling side by side with Dimash's incomparable interpretation, apparently the most reviewed Dimash song on YouTube right now.

Watch/listen to two of the older versions at the bottom of this page. (By song artists Gregory Lemarchal and Daniel Balavoine)

Best to listen to Dimash himself as he tells his personal, developing story in this well-crafted video:

French - S.O.S. d'un terrien en détresse  (with English translation courtesy of YSGBSongs Pourquoi je vis, pourquoi je meurs Pourquoi je ris, pourquoi je pleure Voici le S.O.S. d'un terrien en détresse J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre J'aim'rais mieux être un oiseau J'suis mal dans ma peau J'voudrais voir le monde à l'envers Si jamais c'était plus beau Plus beau vu d'en haut, vu d'en haut J'ai toujours confondu la vie Avec les bandes dessinées J'ai comme des envies de métamorphose Je sens quelque chose Qui m'attire Qui m'attire Qui m'attire vers le haut Au grand loto de l'univers J'ai pas tiré le bon numéro J'suis mal dans ma peau J'ai pas envie d'être un robot Métro boulot dodo Pourquoi je vis, pourquoi je meurs Pourquoi je crie, pourquoi je pleure Je crois capter des ondes Venues d'un autre monde J'ai jamais eu les pieds sur terre J'aim'rais mieux être un oiseau J'suis mal dans ma peau J'voudrais voir le monde à l'envers J'aim'rais mieux être un oiseau Dodo l'enfant do English - S.O.S. from a distressed human being Why do I live, why do I die Why do I laugh, why do I cry Here is the S.O.S of a distressed human being I never had my feet on the ground I would rather be a bird I am not comfortable in my own skin I would like to see the world upside down In case it was more beautiful More beautiful viewed from above, viewed from above I always mistook life For a comic strip I feel the need to transform myself I feel something That is pulling me That is pulling me That is pulling me towards the sky In the great lottery of the universe  I didn't pick the right number I am not comfortable in my own skin I do not want to be a robot Working eating sleeping* Why do I live, why do I die Why do I scream, why do I cry I think I am picking up waves Coming from another world I never had my feet on the ground I would rather be a bird I am not comfortable in my own skin I would like to see the world upside down I would rather be a bird Sleep, child, sleep Gregory Lemarchal's version: Daniel Balavoine's version:

And where is Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, sharing borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea.

An important nation along the ancient Silk Road, Kazakhstan has had a long relationship with its Chinese neighbors. It is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage. In the 13th century, the territory joined the Mongolian Empire under Genghis Khan.

Political map of Kazakhstan

Sources:

Dimash Kudaibergen - Wikipedia

Dimash Kudaibergen: Biography Of The Famous Kazakh Singer

Dimash Kudaibergen newest symbol of Sino-Kazakh relations

Kazakhstan - Wikipedia

YouTube

Autographed photo of Dimash

Trivia: Dimash also sang Contessa + The Diva Dance. The latter was from the movie "The 5th Element" sung by Albanian soprano Inva Mula and recorded with the help of computer editing (she was able to sing 80% of the aria, but the other 20% was computerized. It's the part that was deemed not possible to be sung by humans. But Dimash sings it live without the aid of computer editing to the amazement of his audience.