Presentation of UCHQUN

Yandex Music has introduced UCHQUN, a project aimed at supporting Uzbek artists. The presentation took place on April 15 at the Physics-Sun Institute. Young artists are selected through Yandex Music's "My Wave" recommendation system, which is based on artificial intelligence technologies. Thanks to these algorithms, tracks by emerging performers gain popularity, and the best among them are featured in UCHQUN. This offers a great opportunity for media support, chart advancement, and even the chance to reach an international audience.

At the event's opening, Izzat Shukurov, head of Yandex Uzbekistan, delivered a welcoming speech, discussing the project's objectives, goals, and development plans. Following this, the artists were introduced, highlighting their uniqueness and how they found their popularity.

Artists' performances were accompanied by a laser show that emphasized the beauty of the location, the performers' dynamism, the concept of space, and the birth of new stars at the "Physics-Sun" Institute.

Young artists who have already gained recognition through the "My Wave" algorithms and support from the streaming service performed at the presentation. Let's talk about each of them:

Jamshid Ximmatov – a pop artist who has captured listeners' attention with sincere and emotional music. His videos get tens of millions of views.

AbroBey – a rapper whose tracks narrate his childhood and life experiences, as well as what helped him gain popularity.

Amelis – a young singer who started by creating covers of famous hits and now writes her own music.

Kamran Rakhim – a singer and producer specializing in heartfelt pop ballads.

Yunkaa – a blogger who became a musical sensation thanks to the hit "Dardim."

Adan Jabbar – A rapper and beatmaker known by the name Uchitayy.

Hamood – the author of romantic pop compositions.

Qarz – a rapper distinguished by deep and meaningful lyrics.

Taniyn – a member of BS Records, known for trendy tracks and social media activity.

Organizers shared insights into the project's preparation and realization:

Sabina Avanesova
Music marketing specialist at Yandex Music

"We prepared this project for many months, initially planning for January, but postponed it to April to ensure comfort under the open sky. It was important for us to hold the event at this particular location because the place is associated with the project's name, UCHQUN – meaning 'spark', which perfectly reflects the idea of the birth of new stars and performers.

There have been instances where artists came to Yandex Music with a significant number of plays, and thanks to the algorithms, their numbers increased hundreds of times. This project demonstrates how an artist can find their audience through 'My Wave.' We support and will continue to support their growth, development, and help them find greater resonance with listeners".

Odil Mukhamedov
Founder and lead producer of MOC

"Our collaboration with Yandex began with the MOC-fest, where we first united and met Sabina. Since then, we've been building a partnership, developing various cases, and have eventually come up with the UCHQUN project. We decided to make a spectacular launch and created an event with a powerful visual show and a project presentation. For us, this is a significant milestone – we're not just organizers, we're developing the industry.

Overall, there's currently a growing interest in the creative economy in Uzbekistan, with support coming from all sides: the government, international and commercial organizations, and the local community. We see efforts synchronizing, and now is the best time for artists to take action. The country's potential is enormous, with a large number of talented youths.

UCHQUN is not a one-time event but a full-fledged project already operating in Russia, Kazakhstan, and now in Uzbekistan. This is an important step for the local scene and the entire industry".

Artists shared what it means for them to be part of the project and what music personally signifies:

Amelis
Singer, artist

"I've been singing since childhood, and the desire to be an artist has always been with me. A year ago, I started writing my own songs, explored promotion, and uploaded music. Eventually, I got into Yandex recommendations, and they invited me to the event. This is my first performance on a big stage, and I'm very excited and inspired.

Today, all the artists performing have already met, and it's a great opportunity for networking and discovering new musicians".

qarz
Artist, rapper

"In 2025, I was already making music, we were recording tracks in Moscow, but it didn't work out. Last year, I decided to try again, this time in the Uzbek language, thinking that if I didn't try again, I'd regret it later. Something clicked inside me at that moment. We worked hard to promote our music – the whole team was involved in filming, and the distribution guys made sure the tracks got into the charts, and here we are. I hope this event is just the beginning, and the industry will continue to develop. I'm always for culture and music, for supporting artists and similar projects.

For me, music is a state of the soul – I see and feel it everywhere, and all our important life moments are connected to some composition that plays a significant role at a particular time".

Guests shared their impressions of the event:

Kamila
Managing partner at Be the Change

"We're here as guests and are glad to see local artists developing and receiving support. I met performers I wasn't familiar with before the event; it's nice to see cool guys emerging in the music sphere".

Amalia
Musician, sound producer

"I didn't quite understand how 'My Wave' works and how artists are supposed to get there. I think many of the performers already had some fame, and it seems that the algorithms don't help new artists but amplify already popular voices.

For example, Jamshid Ximmatov was presented as a freshman, although he already has a collaboration with Xamdam Sobirov, one of the most famous performers, so it's hard to say he's from the underground. Yunkaa already had popularity. Uchitayy also rose a year ago, thanks to his promotion on social networks.

I really liked the event's organization: the transfer, catering – there was a choice, and everything was delicious. And, of course, the laser show. The project presentation also pleasantly surprised me. The only technical issue was that the sound reflected and slightly distracted from the artists' performances".

Azizkhon
Guitarist of the band Bu Qala

"Probably the most accurate word to describe my feelings is “finally.” Until now, we essentially didn’t have a project or platform that dealt not only with the commercial side but also with promoting creativity and building a cultural environment. In other countries like the USA, Europe, and even in the CIS, such platforms have long existed, and we lacked that. And it’s great that it’s Yandex that has become the first major company to drive this forward from a digital, modern music and artist promotion perspective.

What’s especially cool is that they invited not only well-known figures but also young, independent artists, like Amalia and our band Bu Qala. This shows a real attention to local creativity. The atmosphere of the event itself was vibrant and inspiring.

I think one of the key tasks for the organizers is to reach the right audience and create a space for networking, so that artists and creatives can communicate, get to know one another, and collaborate".

Photos provided by Yandex press service.