Urker ( Kazakh: Үркер, Úrker; Russian: Уркер) is a Kazakh pop-folk group established in 1994. They have toured internationally in Germany, France, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and the United States.[1][2]
Urker Үркер | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Genres | Folk rock |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Members | Aydos Saghat Rustam Musin Nurlan Alban |
Members edit
The band consists of:
- Aydos Saghat (Айдос Сағат): The vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter for Urker, he studied in a conservatory in his youth, but initially dreamed of becoming a conductor rather than a songwriter.[3]
- Rustam Musin (Рустам Мусин): The guitarist for Urker, he has no formal musical education, and originally trained as an engineer.[3]
History and development edit
Urker formed in 1994; lead vocalist and songwriter Aydos Saghat stated that he was inspired to form the group by the example of The Beatles. They recorded their first album in 1997; in 2001, their song "Nauryz" won the Golden Disk award, reflecting their rise to popularity.[3] Their music combines traditional Kazakh folk melodies and modern pop rhythms. They use instruments often found in rock and pop music, like guitar and piano, alongside the dombyra and kobyz.[4] Of their fifteen music videos produced up until 2005, fourteen were filmed in Kazakhstan; only the remaining one, "Tugan Elim", was recorded abroad, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Their 2007 video "Arman", shot in cooperation with Tatar musician Rezeda Galimova, was also recorded in Hong Kong.[2][5] Saghat has stated that their visuals and cinematographic technique are highly influenced by British musician Peter Gabriel.[5] In April 2007, Urker travelled to New York City for a live performance at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in celebration of the holiday of Nauryz; in an interview following his return to Kazakhstan, Saghat stated that Urker would be releasing a new album later in the year.[2]
Discography edit
References edit
- ^ "A Kazakh Folk Popular Group Finds Its Admirers in Ashgabat". State Information Agency of Turkmenistan. 2004-12-18. Retrieved 2007-07-06. [dead link]
- ^ a b c Nurgalieva, Meruert (2007-04-27). "Группа "Уркер" в США ('Urker' in the USA)". Muz'ikoved. 16 (678). Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c Shulembaeva, Raushan (2002-12-29). "Новые ритмы казахских песен (New rhythms of Kazakh songs)". Kazakhstanskaya Pravda. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ Wiser, Danny (2022-02-19). "KAZAKHSTAN: Made in Kazakhstan - Urker". 200worldalbums.com. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ a b Ten, Olga (2005-10-14). "Видеопривет Питеру Гэбриэлу". Liter Media. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c "About". Urker. 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ a b О нас (in Russian). Urker. 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
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