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Ninety One (group)

arts Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Ninety One is a famous boy group from Kazakhstan.

Ninety One 1
Ninety One 1

They are pioneers of a new musical style called Q-pop. This genre is a mix of Western and Asian pop music. The name Q-pop uses the letter Q. This comes from the Latin script used for Qazaqstan. This prefix is a trendy way to show a new Kazakhstan. The group wants to show that their language can be modern.

Ninety One 2
Ninety One 2

Creating the group involved many different steps and talents. The group started from a project called KTI-boys in 2014. This project aimed to make Kazakhstan's first idol group. Two members, A.Z. and ZaQ, won this project. Other members like BALA and ALEM were chosen through auditions. Ace joined after training for two and a half years in South Korea. Now, the four members are Alem, Ace, Zaq, and Bala.

The group's name has a very special meaning. They chose the name Ninety One to honor the year 1991. This was the year Kazakhstan won its independence. For the members, the name stands for creative freedom. They released their first song, "Aiyptama!", in September 2015. This song stayed at the top of music charts for 20 weeks. They also released a mini-album with six songs later that year.

Being a famous group has not always been easy for them. Many people in the mainstream public were very unkind at first. Some people did not like their dyed hair or earrings. These people thought the group's style went against Kazakh culture. Some fans even tried to stop their concerts from happening. The group even had to protect themselves from angry people. They even made a movie called "91" to show these hard times.

Ninety One has reached fans far beyond Kazakhstan. In 2019, they appeared on a Korean TV show called "I can see your voice." They won the show and performed with the group Mamamoo. They also held their first concert in China that summer. Their music helps keep the Kazakh language alive and popular. Today, Q-pop is one of the most popular music styles for young people in their country.

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