In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story.

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.


Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram. 

In Afghanistan, a cultural revolution was televised through a musical talent show, and this is its story.
To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit<a href="http://www.awastudios.com/afghanstar"> www.awastudios.com/afghanstar</a> &mdash; proceeds go to support The Noor Initiative, who are on a mission to ensure every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
 Like what you hear? Follow us <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kscope_nyc/">@kscope_nyc</a> on Twitter and Instagram.&nbsp;

Hosted by John Legend this is the story of a TV show that changed a country. 

When the Taliban banned music in Afghanistan the country was plunged into silence. But there were people who fought back. Who smuggled cassette tapes and VCRs into the country. Who danced at secret house parties. And risked death just to watch their favorite Bollywood movies. And then those same people set up a radical new tv show. It was called AFGHAN STAR– an American Idol, but for Afghanistan. 

The show sparked a cultural revolution. People marched through the streets campaigning for their favorite contestants. In villages, they’d huddle around a single tv to watch. And the country changed: women took the spotlight and danced and sang on stage. But AFGHAN STAR was so successful the show became a lightning rod for a resurgent Taliban. The Taliban hated everything the show represented. The singing, the dancing, the women. And so they started a campaign against AFGHAN STAR. They threatened the contestants, they issued fatwas and eventually placed a bomb on a bus filled with the show's producers. 

This is the story of a tv show that transformed a country and group of young producers faced with an impossible choice …between protecting the show they built and staying alive.

Hosted by John Legend this is the story of a TV show that changed a country.&nbsp;
When the Taliban banned music in Afghanistan the country was plunged into silence. But there were people who fought back. Who smuggled cassette tapes and VCRs into the country. Who danced at secret house parties. And risked death just to watch their favorite Bollywood movies. And then those same people set up a radical new tv show. It was called AFGHAN STAR&ndash; an American Idol, but for Afghanistan.&nbsp;
The show sparked a cultural revolution. People marched through the streets campaigning for their favorite contestants. In villages, they&rsquo;d huddle around a single tv to watch. And the country changed: women took the spotlight and danced and sang on stage. But AFGHAN STAR was so successful the show became a lightning rod for a resurgent Taliban. The Taliban hated everything the show represented. The singing, the dancing, the women. And so they started a campaign against AFGHAN STAR. They threatened the contestants, they issued fatwas and eventually placed a bomb on a bus filled with the show's producers.&nbsp;
This is the story of a tv show that transformed a country and group of young producers faced with an impossible choice &hellip;between protecting the show they built and staying alive.

Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

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, 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.

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, 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.

Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/78e8848e-5a28-4e87-92da-b145011e8c49/transcript

As the Taliban returns, Massood Sanjer - the head of TOLO TV - has to make a decision. Should he do what they want and take Afghan Star off the air, or keep fighting for the revolution he helped start. 

...

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.

Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

As the Taliban returns, Massood Sanjer - the head of TOLO TV - has to make a decision. Should he do what they want and take Afghan Star off the air, or keep fighting for the revolution he helped start. 
...
To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit<a href="http://www.awastudios.com/afghanstar"> www.awastudios.com/afghanstar</a> — proceeds go to support The Noor Initiative, who are on a mission to ensure every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

Curtains

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/121cd539-8d3e-409d-ab15-b18c00f20f49/transcript

Aryana Sayeed is doubling down on her life in Kabul while all around her, the Taliban are closing in.

...

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.

Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

Aryana Sayeed is doubling down on her life in Kabul while all around her, the Taliban are closing in.
...
To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit<a href="http://www.awastudios.com/afghanstar"> www.awastudios.com/afghanstar</a> — proceeds go to support The Noor Initiative, who are on a mission to ensure every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

Exodus

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dd68f669-fc5c-4949-b232-b18c00f07183/transcript

Afghanistan’s biggest popstar leads the fight against the Taliban. And then one January day, a bomb goes off on a bus in Kabul, and nothing about the show– or the country– will ever be the same again

...

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.

Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

Afghanistan’s biggest popstar leads the fight against the Taliban. And then one January day, a bomb goes off on a bus in Kabul, and nothing about the show– or the country– will ever be the same again
...
To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit<a href="http://www.awastudios.com/afghanstar"> www.awastudios.com/afghanstar</a> — proceeds go to support The Noor Initiative, who are on a mission to ensure every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
Like what you hear? Follow us @kscope_nyc on Twitter and Instagram

The Bomb

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0bc41e22-0aa5-4bdb-b93c-b18c00ee076a/transcript

Introducing: Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

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Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

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