More than 80 participants will compete for the Grand Award at the Doina Festival, a contest of vocal and instrumental performances of doinas, organized by Radio Moldova. The Gala will take place on Sunday, October 28, at the Radio House and will be broadcasted live by public channels Radio Moldova and Moldova 1 TV, Info-Prim Neo reports. Chairman of IPNA Teleradio-Moldova (TRM) Constantin Marin told the press on Wednesday, October 24, that this year TRM organized two big cultural events. The first was the Ie Festival (ie is a traditional shirt), which was meant to publicize the folk costume, and the second is the Doina Festival, which will do the same for the doina (a traditional musical style). General director of Radio Moldova Alexandru Dorogan declared that among those who registered for the contest were both many amateurs and professionals. They are of different ages and come from all the regions of the country. The youngest is 8 years old, while the eldest is aged 82. “In 2009, UNESCO registered doina as intangible value. But that doesn’t mean it’s all and doina is saved. In the register it is written that we must promote it and create a cultural environment for the doina to survive”, said Alexandru Dorogan. Composer and musicologist Constantin Rusnac, director of the festival, said we must learn to remember the deeds of our ancestors and to promote all the good things that were once. “Doina as a musical species is on the brink of extinction. We must study it because at this stage, the doina is hard to promote”, said folklorist Andrei Tamazlacaru. Doctor of musicology Victor Ghilas said that the initiative was good because the doina is the reference song of this people. Its age and contents express a wide range of feelings. “The traditional song cannot be learned, it is inherited. The festival wants to bring forward some primary carriers of this music”, said Victor Ghilas. The selection will take place on October 25 and 26 at the Radio House. Participants will perform either doinas or doina-style songs without instrumental accompaniment. The contest itself will take place on October 27. The main award, the festival trophy, will be 10,000 lei. The first place winner will receive 7000 lei, the second place 5000 and the third place 3000. The sponsors will hand additional awards for the most authentic doina, for best vocal and instrumental improvisation, for the youngest and the oldest participant and for the most authentic national costume. The best doinas will be recorded on a CD and the conference works will be edited in an omnibus.