Aidos Sagat Biography

Aidos Sagat was born in 1970 in Almaty, the then capital of Kazakhstan. He grew up with a love of music and graduated from the Kazakh National Conservatory as a talented composer and pianist. In 1994, three years after Kazakhstan became independent, he founded Urker, a pop-folk band that promoted the Kazakh cause and quickly built up a large and loyal following.

Sagat, who cites traditional Kazakh music as a major influence on his work, has won numerous awards for his musicianship and as a composer, including an award for Best Film Composer at the Golden Knight Film Festival in Moscow.

Urker released their first album, "Ansarym," in 1997. The three-member band has toured internationally, including in Europe and the United States. Sagat has been working with the UN refugee agency since 2010. In 2013, he was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.