Ninety One is cultural ambassador of modern Qazaqstan

Қазақ тіліндегі сұхбат - https://yvision.kz/post/814304

Интервью на русском языке - https://yvision.kz/post/814309

Nice to meet you, Asli! Thank you for your time and participation in this interview. Let us start from the very beginning. How did you hear about Ninety One?

All by chance to be honest. It was in June 2017 and I was checking videos on YouTube when I saw a recommendation about Dimash. I was curious and wanted to see more by watching reaction videos. There I saw Ninety One for the first time. Boys literally dropped my jaw. I will be honest here, we Turkish people get mad when westerns ask questions about whether we ride camels in cities or not but I think I used to have that set of mind back then toward other countries. All I knew about Qazaqstan was what is written in our history books and I had no idea about what modern Qazaqstan is like. I was not expecting something like that and later on, I felt so ashamed of what I thought. That is why I see Ninety One as cultural ambassador of modern Qazaqstan. They do a lot, more than many people do for their countries.

When and how did you become EagleZ?

I became EagleZ right after I saw them for the first time. At that time, I was not aware of that. I mean I had no idea about what fandom is, what their fandom’s name is, I did not even know what bias means (laughing). Those were difficult times for me and I did not have enough time for anything except Ninety One. I kept listening their every song, which I found. Each time I found a new one was something like experiencing their comebacks. Then I watched Ami’s @iheart91 reaction videos. Her videos was amazing for a shy woman like me.

Oh, yes, I also watched Ami’s reaction videos. When I joined fandom, she was there. I remember my thoughts “Wow, she is so far away and she listens to Qazaq music”. I was very proud.

Me too. Later I met my brother Quwat @bykuat on Facebook. He helped me so much and even taught me about Qazaq traditions and language. This is how I got deep into Ninety One’s world and became an EagleZ. Love at first sight, slowly I was dragged into their world from the very first moment I saw them.

You said every Ninety One’s new song was like revelation for you. Do you have personal hit parade? Can you list three favorite songs and MVs?

My favorite has always been Lya since I first listened to it. Whenever I get angry or frustrated such songs like Lya help me get rid of stress. I love rap and rappers and listening to ZaQ and AZ together is amazing.

Second place goes to Su Asty. I love the lyrics and how the boys stand upright against their haters is amazing.

I also love Mooz. Borders do not exist, they are only in the vastness of your consciousness. I personally had bars in my head all my life forbidding myself from many things. My generation was brought up with no’s to almost anything new or different. I had regrets for not realizing my dreams. People are scared of unknown and unfamiliar things that is why they seal their minds and hearts. This song encourages me.

You mentioned all songs, where ZaQ’s part is amazing and very important. I know that your bias is ZaQ. So why him?

Why not? I mean how can’t it be him? First of all, he is pleasing to the eye. He has unique facial features with beautiful eyes and dimples and he is a combination of contrasts. He is young but wise, he looks tiny but manly and he has the ability to be both cold and hot at the same time (embarrassed).

When it comes to personality and attitude, he hits the bull’s eyes. I love smart people with deep thoughts and ZaQ is definitely one of them. I am impressed by his language skills, his passion for introducing his language to the world, how he plays with words and create magic to bewitch you. He is a Rap God as you say. His rapping is faster than himself (laughing). He has his own unique world and I love exploring a bit of it through his lyrics.

Loving is relatively an easy action as it, in most of the time, requires no reason. You love or you do not love. However to respect somebody, you need to see something special in that person. I definitely respect ZaQ.

Thank you for such amazing explanation. These words are music to my ears. I am also big ZaQ’s fan.

Could you please tell us a little bit about your impression when you meet guys in Kemer. I know there are few Turkish EagleZ who visited that concert. Any interesting story?

Oh, God. I remember 3rd July when people on Instagram posted me the news about their coming to Turkey. I was so happy that I literally cried. Many people helped me to realize my dream. As soon as I got news, I have tried to contact hotel, where guys should give a concert. However, I could not find right information and then hotel’s customer service gave me contacts of Menderes Bey. He is representative of organizational team. He helps us to come to that concert.

When Menderes Bey told me I could come to hotel to welcome the boys, I was overjoyed. It was a nervous waiting. I was shocked and fascinated the moment they got off the van because they were so beautiful. On the camera or media, you can only see a bit of their beauty. They are handsome. During the concert night, I was really impressed by their energy and friendliness. Especially Alem and ZaQ stole my heart once again. You already watched some bits of that night through fan videos, but I will also wait for more from the boys. I would like to see what it was like to be here in their eyes.

When you said interesting story and I remember one cute story. After fan-meeting Ace suddenly ran to me, asked for my headphones, thanked me, took it and rushed to the stage. That will remain as a cute little memory for me.

Ace is so Ace=) He is very cute and sincere. Did he return it later?

No, it was chaos, fans chasing around and etc. Even if he tried to give it back, I would not accept it. It was something sweet to remember later on.

How many Turkish EagleZ visited concert?

Around 10. Be honest, most of Turkish EagleZ did not even know about their coming to Turkey. Some EagleZ are too young. They are kids and teenagers and could not visit Kemer without parents. Those EagleZ wrote wishes and letters to Ninety One, I printed it out and gave it to guys during fan-meeting. Wishes and letters were so sweet and heartbreaking, some of them made me cry and some laugh.

I remember that letters. Guys posted photo in Twitter where they were reading letters. Very touching photo.

You helped EagleZ, who could not visit the concert to pass their wishes to Ninety One. You always help international EagleZ too. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your activity related to support them. It is great job! Could you please tell little bit about it?

In fact, I have many things to say about international EagleZ and many people to mention here to thank. When I found out about Ninety One I was desperately seeking for more and I felt so hopeless. When I finally could find translations, it felt like laughing at a joke days after it was made. Not fun at all.

I could not find pages with info in English back then and it felt so lonely. I saw pictures or videos but did not have a clue about what was going on. Then slowly people like you, @xci_facts, @91_international, @qpop_generation_tv and my dear friends Didi & Alima helped me patiently and translated things for international EagleZ. You cannot imagine how much I appreciate it. Language barrier sucks and not all of us have the opportunity and time to be fluent enough in Qazaq tili to understand. In this sense, I will ask for a favor from Qazaq EagleZ. We will appreciate if more fan pages post also in English or at least in Qazaq as my friend Saadet @91ninetyone.tr knows a bit and can translate.

To be honest I am a loyal EagleZ but my page is not a fan-page. Now my main purpose became bringing international EagleZ together and help them interact with each other, find info in English as I already been there. Currently I am managing two chats with international EagleZ in English – one in Instagram and another one in Twitter.

One of the best thing about this is seeing them find out more not only about Ninety One, but also about each other. I have witnessed such silly arguments about who look like more Qazaq or who does not fit in Qazaq society or so. Same for all of us. People only know what is shown on media about other countries and this coming together helps us cross the borders and breaks the stereotypes about each other.

In this sense, I ask EagleZ to support each other and at the same time support international EagleZ as it will give us courage and energy to go on in this path.

During the press conference before concert in Almaty, guys said they are going to enhance Q-Pop wave to around the world and they are planning to make specific steps for that. Any advice you can say on this matter?

I am not an expert in such things. However, I can share thoughts based on my experience on their coming to Turkey. First, promotion was not good enough. I understand that the main targeted audience was hotel customers. However, there are Turkish EagleZ, who wanted to participate the concert, but they didn’t know about it. I also could miss this information, if I am not in Instagram.

Second, I believe they should contact with important persons in the business. For example, there is TV channel in Turkey where additionally to Turkish, music from Central Asia and Turkic countries are played. Actually, nowadays here in Turkey many people are interested in music from Central Asia. It would be good if channels like that will announce about Ninety One, make reports and so on. We with my friend Saadet tried to contact channel by ourselves, but it was unsuccessful.

Third, I believe blocking international reactions and translated videos in YouTube is not good thing in terms of promotion. Many videos have been blocked because of some ownership rights. Those videos could help to promote Ninety One, their beautiful music, as it worked with me.

Now it is great time to go abroad, for that they should do something big and promote themselves actively.

Thank you very much for such interesting talk and your time. The last, but not least question. If you will have an opportunity to say something to Ninety One and will be sure that they will read it, what it would be? What do you want to say to Ninety One?

I would love to say that I dearly love and respect them. I want to thank for making my life upside down in the best possible way. You guys helped me get rid of the bars in my head, widen my point of view, meet wonderful people all around the world, be a happier person. You are definitely the best way for me to apologize to myself, keep going on my own way, and make it all up.

You are great role models for people in every aspect.

Please stick together forever like this, be happy and always shine!

Interview taken by Zhyldyz (@qisyqdongelek)