Ninety One facts for kids

Ninety One or 91 (Kazakh: Тоқсан бір, Toqsan bir) is a popular Kazakh boy group that started in 2015. The group was formed by JUZ Entertainment. It has four members: Alem, Ace, Zaq, and Bala. A fifth member, A.Z., left the group in 2020.

Ninety One is famous for starting a new music style called Q-pop (which means Qazaq-pop). This style mixes Western and Asian pop music. The group's producer is Yerbolat Bedelkhan, who is also part of another Kazakh music group called "Orda."

The Story of Ninety One

How the Group Started

The group began in 2014 with a project called "K-Top Idols." The goal was to create Kazakhstan's first idol group. A.Z. and ZaQ were the winners of this project. BALA and ALEM joined after separate auditions. ACE became a member after training for 2.5 years at a big music company in South Korea called S.M. Entertainment.

What is Q-Pop?

The term "Q-pop" was first used in 2015 by Ninety One's fans, who are called "Eaglez." They noticed that this new Asian pop style was different from other pop music. The letter "Q" comes from how Kazakhstan is spelled in the Latin alphabet: "Qazaqstan."

Early Days and Challenges (2015-2016)

New Name and First Songs

After a year and a half, the band changed its name to "Ninety One." This name is special because 1991 is the year Kazakhstan became independent from the Soviet Union. So, "91" means independence and creative freedom for the group.

On September 1, 2015, Ninety One released their first song, Aıyptama! (which means "Don't judge!"). The music video came out on October 8, 2015. This song was a big hit, staying at the top of Kazakhstan's music charts for 20 weeks! On December 1, 2015, they released their first mini-album, also called Aıyptama, which had 6 songs.

They released more popular music videos, like "Qaıtadan" ("Again") in June 2016 and "Qalay Qaraisyn" ("How do you look at that?") in December 2016. "Qalay Qaraisyn" was even part of a movie soundtrack and stayed at number one on the Gákký chart for 20 weeks.

First Concert Tour

Ninety One held their first solo concert in Karaganda on June 21, 2016, as part of their "#91" tour.

However, many of their concerts were canceled because some people protested against the group. Sometimes, the band and their team couldn't even get into the concert places. Despite these challenges, Ninety One continued to perform. From July 23 to August 5, 2016, Ninety One toured China with the music group Orda.

New Albums and a Movie (2017)

"Qarangy Zharyq" Album

On July 2, 2017, JUZ Entertainment announced Ninety One's second tour, "JUZ Tour 2k17." This tour was even bigger and visited more cities. It was very successful, and the group didn't face as many problems from protesters this time.

The Movie "91"

A song called "Mooz" (meaning "Ice" or "cold") was released on August 21, 2017. This song was the official soundtrack for Ninety One's movie, "91."

The movie "91" came out on August 24. It was directed by Askar Uzabaev. The movie showed the difficulties the group faced, especially when they were just starting out. The members of Ninety One played themselves in the movie, which was their first acting experience. Even though some thought it was too early for a movie about the group, the director believed their story needed to be told.

New Music and International Shows (2018-2019)

"Dopamine" Album

On June 25, 2018, Ninety One released "E.Yeah," the first song from their new album, "Dopamine." This was quickly followed by "All I Need" on August 8.

The third song from the album, "Boyman," came out on October 24. "Boyman" was a special song that honored Denis Ten, a famous Kazakhstani figure skater. His passing deeply affected the members of Ninety One and many people in Kazakhstan.

Performing Around the World

On March 15, 2019, Ninety One appeared on a popular Korean TV show called "I Can See Your Voice" on the MNET channel. They won the show and got to perform with the famous K-POP group Mamamoo. After the show, Ninety One released their debut song "Ayiptama" on Korean music apps.

In the summer of the same year, they also held their first concert in China.

Documentary Film

A documentary film by Katherine Suvorova, called "Петь свои песни" (which means "To sing your songs"), explored why some people protested against the group and why their concerts were canceled. The film showed how these events revealed different ideas and ways of life within Kazakhstani society. It featured conversations with the band members, their supporters, and those who protested against them.

Ninety One's Impact

Language and Culture

Ninety One has had a big impact on the Kazakh language. Even though some suggested they sing in English or Russian, the band members believe their music helps make their country and language more popular.

On March 29, 2018, ZAQ, a member of Ninety One, who is also part of a youth group called Жас Отан ("Zhas Otan"), gave a speech at their congress.

Ninety One and their producer, Yerbolat Bedelkhan, have also greatly influenced Kazakh culture. Q-pop is now the most popular music style among young people in Kazakhstan.

New Projects

The group's producer, with help from a Kazakh TV channel called NTK [de; kk; ru], created Kazakhstan's first rap show. On May 25, 2018, a video for "Qara beri" came out. Zaq and A.Z. from Ninety One were mentors on the show.

Yerbolat Bedelkhan said that the main goal of the project was to show that Kazakhstan has hip-hop and that young people want to rap in Kazakh. He believes it proves that the Kazakh language can be modern. The winner of the show, a rapper named "Ne1tron," signed a contract with Juz Entertainment.

On May 1, 2019, Yerbolat Bedelkhan and Salem social media announced a search for a new show called "Project X." "Project X" is a reality show where they look for members for the next boy group from Juz Entertainment. This new group would add to the Q-Pop music scene. More than 2000 people applied for the show, and 400 were invited to auditions. The first episode of "Project X" aired on May 27.

Members

Current Members

• Alem (Batyrkhan Abaıuly Málikov; Kazakh: Батырхан Абайұлы Мәлікoв, born February 18, 1993) – He is the main singer and also writes music.
• Ace (Azamat Qaıratuly Ashmaqyn; Kazakh: Қайратұлы Ашмақын, born August 29, 1993) – He is the leader, a singer, a lead dancer, and writes music. He is also known for his looks.
• Zaq (Dýlat Bolatuly Muhametqalı; Kazakh: Болатұлы Мұхаметқали, born February 8, 1996) – He is the main rapper, main dancer, and creates dance moves. He also writes song lyrics.
• Bala (Danııar Qulymshin; Kazakh: Құлымшин, born February 19, 1998) – He is a lead singer and the youngest member. He also writes music.

Former Member

• A.Z. (Azamat Baıbýlatuly Zenkaev; Kazakh: Байбyлатұлы Зенкаев, born September 28, 1993) – He was a leader and a lead rapper, and he wrote song lyrics.

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays (Mini-Albums)

Singles

Music Videos

Images for kids

• 

  The band in a talkshow in 2016

• 

  The band in a talkshow in 2016