Thank you Ninety One for making 2017 one the best years of my life!

Қазақ тіліндегі сұхбат - https://yvision.kz/post/797029

Интервью на русском языке - https://yvision.kz/post/789823

Today I would like to present interview taken from international EagleZ Cay. I noticed her page @ninxtyone during one discussion, found it interesting and followed her. Because of her posts in Kazakh, I decided she is Kazakh girl who knows English. However later I understood that she is international EagleZ. I have been inspired by her posts in Kazakh, by the fact that she is studying Kazakh and by her very good progress on it. After watching her almost perfect pronunciation “Sen biz ushin yerekshe zhansyn” (You are special person for us) in birthday video for ZaQ, I realized how much I want to talk to her and take interview. So please welcome interview of American girl on how she became EagleZ and how she is studying Kazakh language as part of Tolkyn’s @mstosico #PrettyEagleZ column. I would like to present this interview as birthday gift to Alem @xcialem.

First of all let me thank you for your time and participation in this interview. Could you please introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Cay. I am from California, USA. Currently I am studying at High school.

Nice to meet you, Cay! So let us start from the very beginning. How did you hear about Ninety One and how you become EagleZ?

I used to be professional ballet dancer. About 1 year ago I suffered from very bad injury and haven’t been recovered from it. Injury put me out of dance for a while. I was looking for something to do what would help to put me out from dance withdrawals. I was researching for dance and music from various regions of the world. When I was looking for dance and music from Central Asia, I came across to article about how Ninety One and ballet dancer from Kyrgyzstan were struggling with their masculinity. This was my first time when I encountered Ninety One. In article it was mentioned that during touring on Sep 2016 Ninety One faced a lot of controversy because of their style and that got me interested in them. I looked for their music, listened to “Qaitadan” and just fell in love. Then I listened rest of the music in Aiyptama – EP and it was great. I started to learn lots about Ninety One, found their Instagram page and checked all photos and videos. I remember my thoughts – "Wow, this guys are really cute and super talented. I want to be their fan". So here I am today.

Wow, it is quite impressive. How did you start to communicate with other EagleZ?

Basically I just was looking for Ninety One followers and tried to find cool accounts with photos and videos. From there I discovered another international EagleZ, who also lives in USA. We talked a bit and she told me about other EagleZ who are not from Kazakhstan. All of them now are my closest friends. Actually, we started our journey of becoming EagleZ with one of my friend, who I knew before Ninety One. When I just encountered Ninety One, I sent their Instagram account to one of the group chats, where we have been together with my friend. She was impressed by their vocal. We started to search and learn everything about Ninety One together. She is also EagleZ now.

Do you have bias? How did you choose him? Was it love from the first sight?

When I started learning about Ninety One, the first member I learned about was AZ and actually he became my bias. I sent his photos to everyone in my group chats saying "See how cute he is". I was obsessed by AZ. However, few weeks after I joined fandom I felt in love with Alem. I realized how incredible he is. Once I was watching Space and analyzing EagleZ and how much they appreciate each member. I realized that AZ, Bala and Ace take much more appreciation than Alem and ZaQ. I love AZ, Bala and Ace too but Alem and ZaQ deserve way more. One day I was studying and making presentation to my literature class and came across to one picture of Alem. He was smiling and wearing white. That picture just stuck in my head. I remembered that he made very cool cover to Ed Sheeran's "All of the stars" in the end of Space 2. When I was supposed to study, I was watching Space 2 again and realized how beautiful his voice is. I decided to learn more about him. I was just learning, learning and learning. I would say I spent all of my free time by looking for his photos and videos. I felt in love with Alem, with his amazing voice and I still love him, after almost 10 month. I think he is Ninety One's strongest vocalist.

Video from thehungrygamer YouTube channel.

Probably this love motivates you to study Kazakh. Tell me how did you decide to study it? Does anybody help you?

As I started to listen to Ninety One, I realized how Kazakh language is beautiful. I never heard much about this language before and I decided to check it out. I started from learning vocabulary and then I met some EagleZ from Kazakhstan who actually helped me out. Now they become my closest friend.

One of them should be @breezyzaq. She contacted me before ZaQ’s birthday and told me that one of her friend also would love to participate in video. Then when she mentioned that this friend is you, I was so happy, since already knew you and was following your page.

Wow, it is cute. Yes, she is one of my Kazakh friends, who helps me out.

Kazakh alphabet is Cyrillic, it should be quite difficult to study. How are you studying?

I have natural attitude to study languages. I was exposed to Italian, French and little bit to Spanish from young age. Now I do not understand Italian, but I can understand French. Being exposed to languages helped me to gain attitude for learning new languages. It also helps me a lot in studying Kazakh. First, I started from alphabet and tried to pronounce all the sounds, then learned numbers. However, I still struggle with pronunciation.

Believe me your pronunciation is very good. I think everyone understand that you are international EagleZ only when you said Hello from San-Francisco in ZaQ's birthday video.

Yeah, actually Amy @iheartNinety One said me the same words. She realized that it was me who said "Dulat, sen biz ushin yerekshe zhansyn" (Dulat, you are special person for us) only when she saw me in the second part of the video sending hello from USA. Before she thought there is Kazakh girl who looks like me.

Besides speaking, you are learning writing too. I often notice your comments and posts in Kazakh.

Yes, I specially downloaded Kazakh keyboard for that. You know there is no native Kazakh keyboard in iOS, so I searched for special application and installed it in my phone. I like this option and be honest I despite when people do not use special Kazakh letters and substitute it with Cyrillic analogue. It is integral part of the language. If you are not using right letters then you are messing it up. It is like writing in Romanized Korean.

I totally agree with you. Nowadays there are many applications of Kazakh keyboard for iOS and Android. I also cannot understand why people could not download it. Probably they are just lazy.

Oh, it takes just 10 seconds to download application. Common guys, just download it!

Currently Kazakhstan is in transition period, in near future we are switching to Latin alphabet. Did you hear about that?

Yes, for sure I know about it. Be honest I do not like apostrophe version of alphabet. I am very glad that Kazakhstan decided to switch to Latin alphabet, however apostrophe version does not really look good and it would be hard to read. Apostrophes are punctuation marks, it should not be letters. I believe diacritic letters would better suit to Kazakh sounds.

Definitely, we are going to discuss different versions of Latin alphabet and hope will come across with the best one.

Ninety One are founders of Q-Pop, there are K-Pop subculture, which is very popular around the world. I believe you are K-popper too, since you often post photos of Korean idols. How do you think what are the main similarities and differences between Q-Pop and K-Pop?

Let me be general here. The K-Pop groups I am listening to are singing songs written specially for them by producer centers and different authors, maybe sometimes group members write something (lyrics or composition), however it is not very often. As per Ninety One they are participated in each and every song of their discography. ZaQ and AZ names are credited for all the lyrics and Alem's name always on for composition. Sometimes he made it with the help of Bala and Ace. Even when Ninety One make songs in association with another lyricist and composer, they are involved very much in their own production. I know that ZaQ was choreographer too in the beginning. I believe the rest Q-Pop groups like Crystalz, Black Dial and Madmen are also heavily involved in production of their songs. To conclude everything I said I would say that Q-Pop groups have more control over their style and music than K-Pop groups.

You mentioned few Q-Pop groups, now there are much more new groups, who sing in Q-Pop genre. Do you know them?

Yes, I know them. I am listening to their music. I heard that Young Khan left Newton. I was so sad about that. He was their lyricist, rapper and the leader. What can group do without their lyricist, leader and the main rapper? Probably choose the new one, but still it is very sad. He is Young Khan what means Young King. I listen to Newton and Moonlight, Madmen more often than previous two, Crystals a little bit more often than Madmen. I love their new song "Nege men" because I like the bits and vocal. And every time of every single day I listen to Ninety One.

Probably every EagleZ do the same=) Tell me about your favorite song and MV by Ninety One.

Currently there are three favorite songs. The first is "Yeski taspa bii'", because it is really what it means like me thinking over my past. For me that old records are playing in hearts. When I discovered them I became happier, even I injured and was out of dance. I have to say that 2017 was one of the best years of my life and it is partially because of Ninety One! The second one is "Umytpa". Because it is very soothing and has good bits in the same time. And the third favorite song is "Ah Yah Mah". I like it very much. It is totally different from the rest of Ninety One discography. It is really big step ahead. I love rap part, however sometimes ZaQ's scream looks a little bit annoying.

Oh, no. You have just broken my heart, you know I am the biggest fan of ZaQ. I would say that his screaming is awesome and I love it very much.

Sorry (laughing). I love ZaQ, but still his screaming in "Ah Yah Mah" is quite annoying for me. It remembers me 2015, when I used to listen to emo bands. So as per favorite MVs they are "Yeski taspa bii'" and "Ah Yah Mah", the same as favorite songs. "Yeski taspa bii'" is very dramatic, deep and I like it very much.

Thank you, Cay for very interesting interview. Let me ask you the last question. If you will have opportunity to say something to Ninety One, what it would be? Hope guys will notice this interview and read it.

I would say thank you very much for making my 2017 great! Thank you for making it one the best years of my life! Thank you for helping me discover new passions, new music and oriental languages. I love them so much! They are great! I would advise to keep going, push thru all the struggles they have to face and keeping revolutionary! Today when I was listening "Ah Yah Mah" I noticed some comments and posts about this song, some of them were written by people with outdated believes as they live in past century. I think by Alem’s lines “Slowly I’ll be ahead of time” (Slowly I’ll run out of time) Ninety One wanted to say “Maybe we are moving slowly, however we are running out of outdated believes system”. I would say move faster, keep revolutionary and run out of time!

I am going to publish this interview on Feb 18, on Alem’s birthday. Do you want to say something special to Alem?

It is so many things I want to say to him. The main is that I love him. I love him you so much! He is the kindest person. I remember his words from fan meeting, recently @xci_facts translated it. There were question from EagleZ "What would you choose: patriarchy or matriarchy?". He said that today it is inappropriate, since if there is a patriarchy, then women won't be able to express their views. And if there is matriarchy, then he won't be able to express his views. I was so impressed by this words. He always cares about other people, about their feelings. Do you remember his mother's memories? When she wanted to register him in boxing or wrestling club, he said he cannot hit people without any reason. It is so adorable and sweet. He is amazing! His voice is amazing! I am sure he will be very good dad. I know nobody is perfect, but he comes close. So I just want to say - Alem, I love you!

Interview taken by Zhyldyz (@qisyqdongelek)