From Bashkortostan to the Global Charts

A band from Bashkortostan, one of Russia's autonomous republics, has amassed millions of views on TikTok and YouTube with "Homay," a single sung solely in Bashkir. The folkloric techno song reached the fourth spot in Apple's Shazam chart, surpassing global stars such as Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and Bruno Mars.

The band AY YOLA takes its musical inspiration from its hometown, Ufa. The band's debut album is based on the Bashkir folktale "Ural-Batyr," which was passed down orally for generations. The record follows the tale's hero, Ural, on his journey to discover that immortality an be found in good deeds. On February 21, AY YOLA released its first single, "Batyr."

Despite only being "founded" in mid-January, AY YOLA's members have a long history. Lead singer Adel Shaykhitdinova won a singing competition on the show Pesny ("Songs") of the channel TNT. Shaykhitdinova, who also plays the guitar and the Bashkir sting instrument dombra, worked as a songwriter and vocalist with major Russian music labels. Together with her father and fellow AY YOLA member Ruslan Shaykhitdinov, they formed the now inactive musical duo Musume.

Ruslan Shaykhitdinov, also known as DJ Sever ("DJ North"), has been recognized as one of Russia's top 30 disc jockeys. He has worked for the show "Elektroshok" on Radio Maximum in Moscow. Shaykhitdinov, who plays the keyboard, the kobyz, and the bass, is the producer responsible for the band´s unique sound. 

The third member of AY YOLA, Rinat Ramazanov, who throat sings and plays the traditional Bashkir flute quray, has received national and international acclaim. Ramazanov has been recognized as an "Honored Artist of Bashkortostan." The musician's solo project "Argymak" won him the Grand Prix of the Nomad Universe international competition in Saudi Arabia. 

AY YOLA's true global recognition came after the release of "Homay." The song follows the story of a womanbird that helps Ural battle the forces of evil. The track quickly became viral, especially in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey. AY YOLA uploaded short snippets of the videoclip for "Homay" with subtitles in multiple languages, including English.

Shaykhitdinova has been criticized for her "heavy Russian accent" in Bashkir. The singer, who is half-Russian and half-Bashkir, didn't grow up speaking the language. However, that doesn't stop her from singing in her "native tongue." The band said on social media, "We are a bridge between the past and the present, telling eternal stories in a new sound."

"AY YOLA" is translated from Bashkir as "laws of the universe." Ramazanov explained the meaning of the band's name to BashInform: "Eternal values: do not kill, do not steal, respect your elder ones, protect the younger ones. These are the principals that underlie our project."

Listen to "Homay" here: