
Alfiya Nurgumarova, CEO of First Media Group, the organization behind recent J.Lo and Backstreet Boys concerts in Kazakhstan, took part in a local podcast on the IZI Talk YouTube channel. The producer behind large-scale concerts with international stars shared backstage stories about organizing such events in Kazakhstan.
She paid special attention to the high-profile Backstreet Boys concert in Almaty.
According to Nurgumarova, the group’s managers surprised her with their simplicity and openness. They turned out to be very cooperative and even selected their hotel themselves, although the higher-end Ritz-Carlton, Almaty was among the suggested options. In the end, InterContinental Almaty was chosen, as it was located closer to Central Stadium, where the concert was held.
Speaking about the group members, the producer shared an interesting detail: Kevin Richardson turned out to have a relative in Almaty.
«He has a cousin here who is married to a Kazakh woman,» Nurgumarova said.
Another topic of discussion was the artist selection principles for Kazakhstan’s stage. She said that the team is primarily guided by personal taste and audience interests.
«I think we choose those whom we understand and listen to ourselves in the first place. We like hip-hop and this kind of music,» she said.
Discussing genres that could be interesting for the Kazakhstani audience, Nurgumarova mentioned popular K-pop performers. However, the producer admitted that she is not yet ready to bring these artists to Kazakhstan, despite the genre’s popularity.
«These are pretty expensive artists. They are technically complex as well. We understand that not every parent is ready to pay 80,000-100,000 tenge (around $148 to $185) for a ticket for their child,» Nurgumarova noted.
Kursiv LifeStyle previously reported how the Backstreet Boys impressed their audience with their fitness in photos taken at a steam bathhouse in Astana.