Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend
05/16/24 • 3 min
From the fall of the Taliban until its return, people all over Afghanistan planned their lives around Afghan Star. People would pack into apartments. Villages would hook up generators to a single tv so crowds could watch. New Year’s celebrations would come to a halt, all to watch this one show. Over its 15 seasons, Afghan Star spotlighted an Afghanistan that could be: women singing without hijabs, Afghanistan’s first rapper, people of warring ethnic groups hugging and cheering for each other on stage. And it launched a cultural revolution. This is the story behind it all– from how a ragtag team scrambled to make the show every week, to the dangers they faced for trying to push the country forward. In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story. Hosted by John Legend.
Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the fall of the Taliban until its return, people all over Afghanistan planned their lives around Afghan Star. People would pack into apartments. Villages would hook up generators to a single tv so crowds could watch. New Year’s celebrations would come to a halt, all to watch this one show. Over its 15 seasons, Afghan Star spotlighted an Afghanistan that could be: women singing without hijabs, Afghanistan’s first rapper, people of warring ethnic groups hugging and cheering for each other on stage. And it launched a cultural revolution. This is the story behind it all– from how a ragtag team scrambled to make the show every week, to the dangers they faced for trying to push the country forward. In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story. Hosted by John Legend.
Listen here or on the iHeartRadio app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Kaleidoscope recommends: Afghan Star!
A young radio producer in Afghanistan is given an impossible task: to create a brand new, revolutionary talent show in just two months.
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To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit www.awastudios.com/afghanstar — proceeds go to support The Noor Initiative, who are on a mission to ensure every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
Music at the end of this episode from Afghan musician Qais Maroof, contestant on The Voice of Afghanistan.
Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Last Soviet - Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend
Transcript
Once upon a time in Afghanistan, the Taliban band music.
Speaker 2Radios were smashed, instruments burned, people buried their televisions and cassette tapes six feet under and for five years there was silence.
Speaker 1But one man, Daoud Sadiki, refused to bow down. He risked his life to join an underground network of people smuggling music and movies aroun
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