Urker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Urker Үркер |
|
|---|---|
| Origin | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Genre(s) | Ethno rock |
| Years active | 1994 – present |
| Website | Urker's official site |
| Members | |
| Aydos Saghat Rustam Musin Nurlan Alban |
|
Urker ( Kazakh: Үркер, 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]
Contents |
[edit] Members
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]
- Nûrlan Alban (Нұрлан Албан; born 1976): Vocals, dombra. A graduate of the Almaty Academy of Arts, he acted in several movies. Saghat and Musin invited him to join Urker in July 2001 as a replacement for former bassist Daurena Syzdykova. Saghat described him as "very sensitive to music" in an interview.[3][4]
[edit] History and development
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. 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 Rezedoy Galimovoy, 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]
[edit] Discography
- Ansarym, 1997[6]
- Toi Bastar, 1998[6]
- Urker, 2001[6]
- Made in Kazakhstan, 2002[7]
- The best of Urker, 2004[7]
- Tolgau, 2008
[edit] References
- ^ "A Kazakh Folk Popular Group Finds Its Admirers in Ashgabat", State Information Agency of Turkmenistan, 2004-12-18. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c Nurgalieva, Meruert (2007-04-27). "Группа «Уркер» в США ('Urker' in the USA)". Muz'ikoved 16 (678).
- ^ a b c d Shulembaeva, Raushan. "Новые ритмы казахских песен (New rhythms of Kazakh songs)", Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, 2002-12-29. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ Новости группы Уркер (Russian). Urker (July 2001). Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
- ^ a b Ten, Olga. "Видеопривет Питеру Гэбриэлу", Liter Media, 2005-10-14. Retrieved on 2007-07-06.
- ^ a b c "About", Urker, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
- ^ a b "О нас", Urker, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-07-10. (Russian)
[edit] External links
- Urker's official site (English and Russian, with lyrics and music available)
