Karina Abdullina
Karina Abdullina | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1976 Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, actress, songwriter |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Lead singer of duet "Musical", film "Mustafa Shokai" |
Karina Abrekkyzy Abdullina (, Karina Abrekqyzy Abdullina; born 13 January 1976) is a distinguished Kazakhstani vocalist and actress.
Biography
Abdullina represents the third generation in a lineage of professional musicians. Her mother, Olga Lvova, served as the principal concertmaster at the opera house, while her father, Zaur Abdullin, was a baritone who completed his studies at the Moscow Conservatory. Notably, her grandfather Rishat Abdullin and granduncle Muslim Abdullin were influential figures in opera and instrumental in establishing Kazakhstan's operatic tradition. She pursued piano studies for 11 years at the Republican Special Music School named after Kulyash Baiseitova and later graduated from the Alma-Ata State Conservatory named after Kurmangazy. Beginning her singing career at age 14, Abdullina earned the Grand Prix at the All-Union TV competition "The Morning Star" in Moscow when she was 17—a feat unmatched by any other contestant from Kazakhstan.
Career
Starting in 1992, Abdullina became the lead singer of the well-known duet "Musical," collaborating with guitarist Bulat Syzdykov, through which they gained widespread acclaim throughout the CIS. The pair secured first place at the international "Big Apple music 96" contest held in New York. Abdullina is credited with composing nearly all of the approximately 70 songs in their collection, having released ten albums by 2018, including works performed in Kazakh language.
Her acting debut occurred in 2008 with a leading role in Satybaldy Narymbetov's film "Mustafa Shokai." The next year, she published her inaugural poetry book titled Dream Girl, which received recognition from Kazakhstan’s first president. Her songwriting has been embraced by numerous performers, including prominent Russian pop artists. In 2011, she composed the official anthem for Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Measures.
Between October and December 2012, Abdullina produced a series of 60 original television programs called "Non-random encounters" broadcast on Kazakh channel "Madeniet," while also hosting 102 episodes of the radio show "Dialogue" on Kazakhstan radio "Classic" 102.8 FM. These programs featured notable musicians such as pianist Jania Aubakirova and violinist Oleg Rat.
On 13 December 2013, President Nursultan Nazarbayev honored her with the title of Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan in recognition of her cultural achievements. On 1 February 2014, as part of "Musical," she delivered a performance of Kazakhstan’s national anthem at a boxing event held in Monte Carlo prior to champion Gennady Golovkin’s match.
In July 2014, Abdullina was appointed as the official voice for Kazakhstan's national airline "Air Astana", recording all flight announcements in both Kazakh and Russian languages. Bulat Syzdykov contributed his expertise as sound engineer for this initiative.
After Syzdykov’s unexpected passing in 2016 and the subsequent disbanding of "Musical," Abdullina pursued a solo career. In February 2018, she launched the album Come, which features songs performed in Kazakh, Russian, and Armenian.
Personal life
Abdullina’s first marriage was to a pilot based in Almaty whom she had known for four years; they wed on 5 March 2004 but later divorced. On 29 August 2007, she married Nizami Mammadov, who leads national projects at the major Kazakhstani company "Meloman"; this marriage ended in divorce in 2012.
On 12 May 2015, she gave birth to her son Albert at Private Clinic Almaty. She is currently legally married to a physician of mixed Iranian and Spanish heritage.
Discography
- The Girl in a White Dress – 1996
- Illusion (cassette) – 1998
- I Will Not Forget You – 2000
- Arman Zholdar (single) – 2001
- Songs – 2002 (compilation)
- Between Almaty and Moscow – 2003
- Bitter Chocolate – 2004
- Arman Zholdar – 2005
- Musicola. The Best (CD + DVD) – 2006
- Reissued Arman Zholdar with new track Kok Orik – 2007
- Singer and Saxophone (tracks interpreted by other performers) – 2007
- As Always – 2008
- Re-release of Arman Zholdar including three additional songs – 2011
- Voice of the Heart – 2012
- The Spark – 2013
- Two-CD compilation Best Songs – 2015
- Deeply in Love – 2015
- Complete Musicola. Collection (9 CDs, spanning 1995–2016) – 2017
- Come – 2018
- Queen of Sadness – 2019