KABUL (SW): When music is produced enormously, it loses the characteristics of its artistic nature and changes into something cheap.
Afghanistan music has never been through such misery over any era of its history. Low quality and shallow music which is devoid of any artistic value.
It all began ten years ago when a private TV in Kabul launched a program called Afghan Star to discover the talent among the youth in music. The program which was launched based on an imitation of programs conducted in Britain and India.
In its first years, the program was warmly welcomed by the people who went through restrictions and war during the Taliban regime but no one would question that where this program would take the Afghan music style and how it would affect Afghan music.
A serious question about the Afghan Star Program since 11 years of its activity would be that how much achievements it has had and what it has added to the Afghan music?
A large number of the youth participated in the program and by each passing year 10 to 15 fame-sought- after youths are added to the list of Afghan singers but since the program is not a process for becoming a professional singer, it has failed to produce a singer to the true meaning of the word since its establishment.
It has only produced a large number of singers who have gained fame overnight who have dominated Afghan music.
Afghan Star and the abundance of cheap music
Anyone with the least and rudimentary knowledge of music can participate in this program and by the end of program it can never help them with the knowledge of music. But, the only thing, which would change the participants during the course is the way they dress.
One might argue that this program has also produced bright and successful singers, but unfortunately the number of such singers does not exceed the fingers of a hand.
Compared to the cheap music produced under the name of youth music, even those successful young singers would be overshadowed by these very shallow singers.
Afghan Star has changed the perception of becoming a singer in the minds of the public.
Producing vulgar video clips and rhythmic pop music, the program has attracted the attention of media and people towards these singers, which have won them overnight fame in the short period of time. It would be enough to look around no matter you are in a taxi cab or in the markets you could hear such music anywhere, which range from shallow songs, cheap composition to the stupid unprofessional video clips.
It would be wrong to put down all such poor music to Afghan Star program but one can say that the program is considered as one of the main causes behind producing such poor state of music.
As the program ends, a large number of young singers will vanish and no one would again mention their names just exactly how they gained fame and became celebrity with a blink of an eye. Those singers introduced to the public through the program and who even intended to produce serious works, fell prey to the cheap omnipresent music.
The poor music played continuously on the media to the extent that the public finds it difficult to differentiate between good and bad music and making them unable to think beyond what they are given by the media.
You may remember that Afghanistan was blessed with professional and serious singers in the past but Afghan Star caused the death of such music.
No one asked why music back in 1970s and 1980s, despite huge challenges, was far better and valuable compared to the current music?
ENDS
