Urker Үркер | |
---|---|
Origin | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
Genres | Folk rock |
Years active | 1994–present |
Members | Aydos Saghat Rustam Musin Nurlan Alban |
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]
The band consists of:
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]