“I didn’t know!”: Jennifer Lopez’s team shares impressions of Kazakhstan
Singer Sharon Youngblood, one of Lopez’s backing vocalists, posted a video on Instagram expressing her excitement:
“Look at this! Who knew Kazakhstan was giving all it is? The weather’s perfect, probably good 22 degrees Celcius outside. Come on Kazakhstan we like that, we love that,” she said.
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She also thanked Kazakh fans for their support, noting that her follower count had surged by more than 4,000 after the show.
Musician JP Castillo echoed her feelings and shared a screen recording showing a spike in his own social media following.
“Thank you for the love, Kazakhstan,” he wrote.
A warm Kazakh welcome
Upon arrival in Astana, Lopez’s crew was greeted with a traditional dastarkhan and given a taste of local hospitality. Many shared videos trying national dishes like kazy and baursak.
Makeup artist Ernesto Casillas and stylist Jackilyn Martinez were seen sampling Kazakh food in a clip where they enthusiastically rated it “ten out of ten”.
“So savoury, so salty, thats delicious,” they said.
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Not everyone, however, found the cuisine to their taste. Dancer Iván Marić posted a video of himself trying fermented mare’s milk (kumys), joking:
“Visit Kazakhstan. Drink fermented horse milk. Neither one was on my bucket list, but here we are.”
Drummer Charles Streeter, part of the touring band Streeter & The Tribe, shared how touched he was by the people and culture of Kazakhstan.
“The food was amazing. The people — just incredible. The architecture feels like something out of this world. I didn’t know! If you get the chance to come here, you absolutely should,” he said in a video message.
Streeter also tried on traditional Kazakh clothing and said he hopes to return someday with his family. He later posted an emotional farewell video from the airport:
“Kazakhstan, I’ll miss you. I already miss you. I love this country.”
Other crew members shared similar sentiments. Vocalist LaNesha Latimer Cuevas posted a video declaring her love for Kazakhstan, while artist Brandon Brown simply summed it up as “unforgettable hospitality.”
Many shared photos from a yurt, videos from the concert, and heartfelt messages thanking fans for their support. One crew member even said she was already dreaming of coming back.
Jennifer Lopez’s concert in Astana drew thousands of fans from across Kazakhstan and abroad, including Russia and Congo. Attendees began gathering as early as five hours before the show, and the event became one of the highlights of the summer.
According to Lopez’s team, the experience went far beyond music — it was about discovering a new culture, forming connections, and being embraced by a warm and curious audience.