June 6, 2024 • 43 mins
A young radio producer in Afghanistan is given an impossible task: to create a brand new, revolutionary talent show in just two months.
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.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Afghanistar Episode one, light camera action. Welcome back to Afghanistan.
Please put your hands together for the host, the director,
the producer, the.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Man who built this show, Daoud Zidiki.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It's around eleven o'clock. I'm so thirsty, I'm so angry.
I'm so exhausted that I can't think about anything.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's September two thousand and five, just a few years
after the Taliban were driven out of Afghanistan, and Daoud
Sidiki has barely slept in days. He's been pulling all
nighters to get the first episode of a new TV
show out. It's called Afghanistar, and nothing like it has
ever aired in Afghanistan before. But right now daoude is
(01:20):
so exhausted he's about to pass out. So instead of
sticking around to watch the show.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Go live, I just drove to my house and went home,
and my mom opened the door and I just went
to the bit with my offsclots.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Daoud collapses into a deep sleep and he doesn't wake
until late the next morning.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
At that time, he didn't have the electricity at Cobble
that much like I didn't have a chance to listen
to radio or TV or anything.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But as soon as he's up. He's in a panic.
He has no idea how the show's been received. Are
there people cheering in the street? M are calling for
his head? He spent two sleepless months of his life
on this thing. Did anyone even watch? Also, he's late
(02:15):
for work, like really late. That would throw some clothes on,
jumps in his car, his hand shaking as he turns
on the radio, the chimes of the clock playing at
the top of the hour, and then the.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Headlines against afghanst Star.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Afghanstar is one of the most shows in the country.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
This is a new type of show and the people
are watching it, following it intensely, seeing only this time.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hours during generators long and starts. Oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
The answer to that question is going to define his life.
It will take him on a journey from the back
rooms of a makeshift TV station in Cobble all the
way across the globe.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I was a celebrity of the country everywhere. I was
like on the skies.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
He will watch as his country is transformed.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Lights, mikes and cameras.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's a different kind of battle in Afghanistan, one that
has the whole nation watching. Osma because in the aftermath
of the Taliban you still see rubble everywhere. There really
was an American idol for Afghanistan.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
We cannot let the darkness come over us again. We
have to fight back with music.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Afghan Star helped heal a nation torn apart by violence.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
Between all the explosions and all the disappointment, that was
light in the darkness.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
It allowed its people to fall in love with music
again and eventually had them running for their lives.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
And knew he had the gun, And I said to him,
if I get captured, please shoot me.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
In the head.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I'm John Legend from Kaleidoscope and iHeart podcasts. This is
Afghan Star.
Speaker 7 (05:01):
Then make a numba eat a go Damn Buddha, Let
no more Ruda as maas John bad.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Name Mother.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Chapter one, Friday Night Lights. Every once in a while,
there's a moment when the world seems to halt, when
streets fall quiet and people call one another to stop
everything and turn on the television. They gather in apartments
and living rooms, huddle onto sofas and floors. They sit together, transfixed.
(05:52):
You know these moments. The moon landing, a royal wedding,
and Princess of weddings. These moments can be joyous and triumphant,
like everyone watching as a hobble gymnast somehow sticks a landing,
(06:26):
or unimaginable, like the day the towers fell and then
it's flapped out.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
It looks like it's it at it's light.
Speaker 7 (06:34):
Tangle into the world's race that I can see.
Speaker 8 (06:36):
I can see flames now coming out the side.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Of the building, and the smoke.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Continuets to blow. These are moments of cultural importance, when
everyone drops what they're doing to gather around a screen. Well.
In Afghanistan, for about fifteen years, these moments have and
(07:00):
every Friday night it's March two thousand and six, New
Year's in Cobble. The city should be bustling, two lip festivals,
I've gotten polo tournaments, old men wearing colorful clothes walking
(07:21):
the streets, spitting poetry. People should be gathering in mosques
to raise giant banners and cheer. But instead of it's
a ghost town. The only signs of life are coming
from a few houses and apartments, lights flickering from the windows.
But look closer and you see why. In each of
(07:45):
these homes there's a tiny television perched in the corner
and huddled around its warm glow. Are people so many
people packed in so tightly that you can barely see
the ground. They're all there to watch Afghan Star. In
(08:13):
one of these apartments, on one such sofa is Omit Nazami.
He's relaxing now, but he's been fielding calls all day,
trying to help his friends out.
Speaker 8 (08:23):
The people that they didn't have electricity. They keep calling,
do you have power? You have electricity?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Tonight?
Speaker 8 (08:29):
Can you tell me who is eliminated.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
To watch Afghan Star? People across the nation have pulled
their resources and shared their homes.
Speaker 8 (08:38):
You could see a family member that he is sitting
in a corner of the room and he's so upset.
She's so upset, and they say, come on, have food,
have dinner. No, I'm not doing well tonight. My favorite
contestant just got eliminated.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
He didn't deserve it. Everyone takes it seriously because this
show means everything to them. So why was watching a
talent show so important to these people? Well, before we
answer that question, maybe I should tell you a little
(09:12):
bit about myself, because I know what you're thinking. Why
is John Legend hosting a show about Afghanistan. Well, there's
the talent show connection. For sure. You might have seen
me on the Voice. You have so much passion that
you also have discipline. I would love for you to
be on the team of the defending voice champion. That's me,
(09:37):
that's me, But this is about something deeper. Music is
my life. When I was growing up, I heard it
at home in the car. At church every Sunday, we
would sing in the gospel choir. My grandfather was the pastor,
my mother was the choir director, my grandmother the church organist.
(09:59):
It was my the whole world. After college, I dropped
out of a solid career in management consulting because I
couldn't stop thinking about music. And then the other day
I was reading the news and the story popped up.
(10:20):
It had a crazy headline, the Taliban burned a pile
of musical instruments because they're immoral. The photo showed four
men standing around a fire, just a regular garbage fire.
But then you look closer and you see strings, mangled guitars,
(10:45):
the shelves of these beautiful harmoniums all charred up. I
thought it. He's from Afghanistan's Ministry for the Promotional Virtue
and prevention of vice, created a bonfire from a number
of seased instruments and allowed speaker in her province over
the weekend. The idea that anyone would destroy all these
(11:10):
things that bring us so much.
Speaker 9 (11:12):
Joy and life. It's heartbreaking, but that image, it's the
key to understanding why Afghanistar was so important, why a
TV show could get a nation.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
To come to a halt. Because when the Taliban were
in power the first time in the nineties, they did
everything they could to rid the world of music. Clerics
would tear out the ERDs of cassettes and string them
(11:52):
up from trees. Morality police went around smashing radios and
boomboxes with hammers. They conducted brutal raids on houses and
terrified people into submission. Think about that for just one second.
(12:12):
Think about all the songs you listen to today on
your commute or bopping around the house. The music you
heard in your car or hummed to yourself at the
grocery store. Think about the soundtrack of your life, from
(12:36):
the lullabies your mom sang, to road trips with friends,
piano lessons to first dances. Try to picture all.
Speaker 9 (12:48):
Of that he raised.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Think about the absence of music. That's what happened in
Afghanistan on Silas. And the thing is, we tend to
(13:22):
take shows like The Voice and American Idol for granted,
shows that you binge when you want to zone out.
But here in Afghanistan, Afghanistan became a beacon, a reminder
to a shell shocked nation that it had permission, the
(13:46):
freedom really to sing again, to use their voices. Chapter
(14:11):
two An impossible Dream. So back to Dairud, the guy
we met at the top of the show. Long before
he set out to make Afghan star. He was already
a badass when the Taliban banned music. He kept adding
to his cassette collection, even though it could mean a
jail sentence or possibly death. At night, He'd traveled to
(14:36):
underground dance parties and hang out with Kabo's cultural dissidence,
people who'd risk their lives for art. He watched Bollywood
movies and fell in love with the heroes, and so
once the Taliban fell, he was determined he wanted to
be on screen, to be a star. And that's when
(14:56):
he met someone who changed his life. I named Sad Mosenne.
The walls are going to come to our rescue and
perhaps it's time for us Afghans, ourselves in our own ways,
to find a way out for the country. Sad had
launched a radio station in Kabu and then a TV
network that made news and soap operas and music shows,
(15:20):
and it wasn't long before Daoud found his way to
Sad's office to ask for a job.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Oh my god, this is my place, that's where I
want to be.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
The two quickly hit it off.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
We would like having jokes and fun and chit chat.
Give us this chance to be ourselves.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
In a lot of ways. Sad story couldn't be more
different than Daoud's. He left Afghanistan in the seventies. We
took refuge in places like the US and Australia and
Europe because we were forced out of our homeland. Then,
in October two thousand and one, after American troops invaded
Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime, So'd sinsed an opportunity.
(16:02):
It feels like a calling to go back. In his
mid thirties, at the time, Sad thinks this is it.
Afghanistan doesn't have a stock market, the media is dead.
He can do something. Before long Sad wants to change
the whole culture of Afghanistan, and he knows there's no
(16:22):
better way than through the small screen. He's determined to
make a splash. He's going to import soap operas and
put women news anchors on air. But most of all,
he wants to try out a new kind of show,
one that has never been seen in Afghanistan before American
(16:43):
Idol but Afghan And as if that isn't hard enough,
he wants to put it out in just a couple
of months to beat any competition to the idea. The
thing is, if this is going to work, Sad needs
someone he can try to handle it, someone who loves music,
someone who can pull favors and hustle to get this
(17:05):
to air. And that's when he starts yelling for someone
to get him daoude Chapter three, just go make a
show to hear Daoud tell it. The conversation didn't take
(17:30):
that long.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
And I remember exactly this sentence, like you said, I
want you to make this show happen. I don't know
how go and make this show for us. That was
a big expectation, Like I knew this is not a
small show, this is something big. I didn't know how
to start, what to do, what will happen.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Sad is watching Daoud carefully waiting for an answer.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And after five to ten seconds pause, I said, okay,
I will make.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It, and then Sad hands him a DVD.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
He gave me Australian Idol DVDs and he told me
go and watch this and try to make something like this.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Okay, that's it. That's the only guidance. He had a
few Australian Idol DVDs and now he has about sixty
days to go make the thing. So he puts the
DVDs into the machine and hits play.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
I'm just gonna find my note.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
What what sort of music do you like? To listen
to it and lock everything. I leve all styles of music.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
App yes, mom, it's nothing kie.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Immediately he starts scribbling down notes as fast as his
hand will let him.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
The stages, the lighting, and I don't have any clue
how it works.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
He's never done anything like this before, never produced a
live show of any kind. He has so many things
he has to figure out. Singers, stage lighting, He's trying
to understand the format, the camera angles, the different components,
and he's trying to work out what he should tackle. First.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Okay, people are coming, and then audition happens, and then
come to judges.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
He thinks maybe if he starts with a few judges,
he can build from there.
Speaker 9 (19:36):
That's good.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
I thought, that's one of the eazy things that they
can do in one or two days.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Except with Afghanistar, nothing's ever that easy. Back in two
thousand and five, Afghanistan didn't have pop stars. There were
no cool girl groups, no singers that shot to fame
on social media. Basically, not many good candidates to be
a judge on a reality show. But Daoud has an idea.
(20:02):
The one thing people hire performers for is weddings, so
he starts reaching out to random wedding singers.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I introduced myself and said, okay, this is the idea
of we want to make a music talent show. I
want you guys to be my judges.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
He promises to put them on air, make them famous,
but all he's getting is blank stares. So Daoud explains
it in more detail. He talks about the performances, the exposure,
the spotlight.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
And they said no, we can't come to this show.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Daoude is taken aback. He can't get his words out
fast enough.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Why why this is a good opportunity. You guys can
gain more name for yourselves and that will help you
to reach more people and people will know you.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
But these singers haven't seen a show like this and
they don't think it will work. Nothing Daoud says can
change any of their minds. He's completely deflated. This was
supposed to be the easy part. And that's when he
gets another call from Sad. Sad tells him not only
do I need you to find male judges, I also
(21:11):
want a female judge.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
When he said that, a break almost I said, what
you are talking about, Sade? What's going on with you?
Do you know you're an abon'stan. There was still people
supporters of Toliban, people with different opinions, more traditional, more religious.
(21:36):
They were against these ideas.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Daoud is losing it on the phone. He's thinking that
Taliban have only just left blue jeans, women returning to schools,
that stuff is just starting to come back. But putting
a woman on TV in a position of power that
feels like something this society isn't ready for yet. The
(22:01):
task feels so insane. He can't stop himself from yelling
into the phone.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I can't find a man to be a judge of
our true you are asking me to find a woman.
Are you crazy?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
But sah, he's an optimist. He knows he's asking too
much of Daoude, but he's also got a lead, an
aspiring politician, and he says, just talk to her.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
She was like shocked, what are we talking about. I'm
not a musician. I'm not a good choice for this.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But as Daoude keeps talking to her, he sees an opening.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
I said, okay, I see you in a different interviews
and says thing about the presence of women and the
society in media and politics and all the things. If
you are not participating, then tomorrow, don't blame me if
I don't have any lady, any representative of women in
(23:06):
my show.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
One guilt trip later and she's on board. That's one
judge down. Then Daoud's colleague suggests an old singer from
the villages, so Daoud gives him a call.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
He just cuted me in the middle and said, you
guys are paying me. I said yes. He said, don't
worry about don't explain to me. I will come whatever
the show is.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
He's so in need of money that he doesn't even
let Daoud finish his pitch.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Okay, I have two judges, he.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Just needs three to pull this off. So he approaches
a local music shop.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
On it there was a guy he was okay singer
and he had a very good music instrument shop.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He also just released a song that was playing on TV,
which for Daoude is good enough. Daoud consults his Australian
Idol DVDs. He's officially checked off the first item find judges.
Now it's time for the fun part. Chapter four, Meet
(24:11):
the Stars. On audition day, Daoud is up early. He's
heading into the city center.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
And rented one of the biggest rooms of this five
star hotel and in the middle of Coobol.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
At that time, Daoud is thinking it's only been about
three years since the Taliban were in power. He has
no idea if even ten people will show up.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I went there at eight forty five. When I get close,
the streets are jammed. I thought, okay, Cobbol is a
big city, maybe that's normal traffic, but this is an
unusual jam.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Daoud elbows his way through the crowds, thinking what is
going on? He can't work it out.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Oh my god, police is there? Security is there?
Speaker 9 (24:59):
This is a chaos.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
As Thoud gets closer to the hotel, he realizes that
all of this chaos is his fault.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And now I see a big crowd of people in
front of the hotel.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
These people have heard his advertisements and they've come to audition.
Plus they brought all their friends and family for support.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Security. If the hotel is so angry on us, like,
you guys are crazy? What's going on with you? What
type of show is this? What you guys are doing?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Hundreds of people have turned up and now they're all
crammed into the hotel lobby.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
We had space for one hundred and twenty people. We
got these people and we took them upstairs and started
the audition.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The judges are sitting side by side at a long table.
On the wall behind them is a red banner with
a few yellow stars scattered across it and images of
men and women singing into microphones. This is about as
close as he can get to Australian idol on his budget.
One by one, people step into the room to audition.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Some of them were dancing, some of them were singing
like English songs. Some of them like Indian songs.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
There's just one problem.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
They thought they are very good singers, genuinely, but they
were terrible singers.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Got me Hevy lights On Gote heavy light us On,
I why why His Australian Idol DVDs have taught him
(26:49):
that terrible singing is a big part of what makes
these shows great. Everyone knows the audience loves shower singers
and karaoke hogs and people who think they're great because
they're says they are. But as contestant after contestant walks
up to the mic belting out awful sounds, that dude
starts to get nervous. Where were the people you could
(27:11):
actually root for?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
No no, no, no no no no no no no
no no no no no no no no no no.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
But just when all seems lost, like the show might
fail because no one here can hold a tune, a
young guy steps in front of the judges.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Zendiggiecausafer, Hey, you casufer.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Koy some.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Johnny Coy John Hey you can yes Sie the girl.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
And Daou thinks this is who I've been waiting for.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
Gooy so.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Johnny goodie joy.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Hey, it's John Legend If you've been listening, you already
know that Afghanstar is a tale of resistance and hope.
For fifteen years, Afghanstar was a beacon, but when the
Taliban returned to power, they shut the show down along
with so many Afghan rights. They banned music, education for
(28:55):
girls and women, and they continue to clamp down on
everyone freedoms. But there are ways to show your support.
We've teamed up with AWA Studios and their incredible graphic
artists to illustrate some of the most extraordinary moments in
this podcast. There is a unique print for each episode,
(29:17):
bringing to life powerful moments that are moving and inspiring,
and there's an unforgettable print based on a painting from
superstar artist Raza that represents the spirit of hope embodied
by the show. Art and music have the power to
uplift us all, and ordering a work for yourself or
(29:39):
as a gift help support Afghans. With every purchase, we'll
be donating to the Nore Initiative, a nonprofit working to
ensure that every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
For more information on our collaboration with AWA, the artworks
available to listeners and to learn more about the NORE Initiatives'
(30:04):
efforts to educate, support independent media, and transform lives across
the region. Head to the link in our show notes below,
Chapter five. Shakib had.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I was driving a van, you know like Uber and Lyft.
While I driving, I was singing a lot and there
was the passengers always saying like, oh you have a
good advice.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Oh no leg In the behind the scenes biographies you
get about contestants on reality shows, you often hear about
the feel good the way Shakib likes to dance to Bollywood,
the way his favorite passenger won't get out of the
car until he's done an encore. But this is not
(31:22):
a normal reality show. This is taking place in Afghanistan.
That is the picture.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
That's my father there.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
He was a peaceful person.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I you gonna tell you about something, Let me smoke
a sign, give me one minute.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Not long ago, Shakiv's father was murdered.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
It's too hard if you see your father in peace,
you know, like dam dum dum, dun dumb someone coming
in sociding them. And the legs is somewhere, you know,
the head is somewhere, the body is you.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Know, like his older brother was murdered too.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
My brother was always playing soccer. He was crazy about soccer. Wow,
during halftime, the rockets come there and you know, boom.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
So now Shakiv is alone in providing for his mother
and sister. He thinks auditioning is a waste of time,
but his mom won't take no for an answer.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
My mom, you know, took me there like case and
don't worry.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I gotta pray for you. So she drives him to
the audition with his cousins in tow and watches as
Shakiv is welcomed onto the stage by Daoud. Like many
of the contestants, Shakiv sings a song by one of
the own famous Afghan singers, Ahman Sahir a k a.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
The Afghan elvis Ahmazare was my favorite.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
As mama, as me.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
As me, they got me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
As the matz me as mesafer me kum deblah bosi
so it they got me kum.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
The judges like it so much they ask him to
perform another.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
And then I sing farhad daya song mm hmm, blundyitoza
javonido and they was like, make noises like that.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Over to Mamo all along the.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
A smile spreads across his face. Shakid is a natural
and with that, Afghanstar has its first real contender.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
When I was selected, you know, like my mom was crying.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
She was so happy.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
She was like hugging me and saying, Snai, proud of you.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
I I knew it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
You're gonna make it.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Chapter six, the race. Too many people have shown up
for the audition. Daoud has hundreds of contestants on tape,
but people are still queuing outside begging to be heard.
Before long, Dawood has to reverse course. All the advertisements
(35:20):
telling people to come an audition are pulled from TV
and radio and they're replaced with the opposite.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
And we made I advertise to people that please don't come.
The show is finished, the recording is done, Please don't
come to this area.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Dawoud feels good about his recordings. He has all the
tape he needs, but now he's got an even bigger
task editing. The first episode is airing in just a
few days now.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
I have like tons of footage in front of me
and I need to make a show from this. A
huge responsibility. Oh my god, I have like a mountain
on my shoulders.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
And right now that mountain is looking. Mount ever is tall.
Remember this is two thousand and five, so before they
can edit anything, they need to transfer the footage to
their computers. And these aren't high tech machines. They're doing
this on a shoe string, so it takes them two
full days. Time is slipping away. That wood is frantically editing.
(36:30):
He doesn't even have time for sleep.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And nine pm we need to have a show on
air because we already advertised Afgne Star Show is coming.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
But it's eleven am and only half of the show
is rending.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
I have the bit stress. I have like working under
the hardest stress in my life at that moment, especially
after twelve o'clock, when whenever the time is getting close,
my dispressure goes up.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
After a few hours, thou would starts to relax, but
then he realizes he's missing something.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Where is the beginning and end of the show? My god,
I don't have announcement to say, Hi, welcome to afghanist
Our show. I am the Ouzedigree. This is the first time.
Thank you so much for watching.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
In the chaos of the auditions, they forgot to record
an intro.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Like I have two three hours to the show. Being aired,
but slowly, slowly getting darker. And it's Friday that most
of our colleagues left the office.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
That gets up from his desk and starts running around
the office looking for someone to help. But everyone who
knows how to operate a camera has gone home except
for one guy, a cameraman who works for the news team.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Okay, ask him, you need to come with me. He
was not interested. They need to talk to my manager.
I said, just take your camera.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
You're Mike.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Come with me, please.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
That would cannot believe he's wasting the last minutes of
daylight trying to persuade this guy to roll some film.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
We drove to this hotel again, but that would needs.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
The opener to be stylish, so he makes a pit
stop at a nearby music store.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
I got one of the guitars in my shoulder. I
kind of make a style for myself for the first show,
and I basically recorded my introduction in this hotel. Run
back to Tolo TV and put it in front.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Of the show.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
The show is airing at nine PM, and now at
two minutes before nine, they only have the first twelve
minutes lined up and ready to go.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
I'm running between the control room and the editor like,
or you finish, please export, please.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
But the computers are moving too slowly. Part two of
the show isn't ready and the ads are almost over.
Is racing between rooms begging people to just export whatever
they have.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
We put some extra advertisement to give us a little
bit of time.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
They start patting the show with extra ads to give
them cushion. Part two is ready, it goes on air,
but Part three is so far behind, so they play
more commercials. They do that over and over again. Daoud's
blood pressure is through the roof.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
Basically, I run from the control room and edit room
for the entire show, and the show was aired, and
I'm exhausted, so I don't care about anything right now.
I just delivered the show. It's fine. I didn't see
(39:45):
the show. I don't know what it looks like, how
it feels like, what it is. I put something on.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Air, and as you know, thou doesn't stick around to watch.
He needs to go to bed, so it won't be
(40:14):
until morning that he turns on his car radio and
finds out the show he just aired has kicked off
a revolution.
Speaker 8 (40:33):
It was something new like never before in the history
of Afghanistan.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Moving a visor from one house to another house. It
was kind of like moving a truck full of drugs.
Speaker 9 (40:46):
I think it was called Devil's Star by some people.
Speaker 5 (40:49):
They actually said that my head should be cut off,
and whoever that cuts off my head and brings it
to them, they will go to heaven.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
That's this season on Afghanis Stars.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Asma John Name done by Your de What do Gilia?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Afghanistar is a Kaleidoscope production in collaboration with iHeart Podcasts,
produced by samas dot Audio and hosted by me John
Legend from samas dot Audio. The series producer is Mira Kumar.
Our executive producers are Joe Sykes and Dasha Listitsina. Mix
(42:01):
and sound designed by Jeff Imptman, Story editing by Joe Sikes,
with original composition by Kyle Murdoch, Recording engineer Tim McClain.
Chapter artwork by A W A Studios Ramushamony from Kaleidoscope.
(42:24):
The executive producers are Kate Osborne, Mengesh Hatikadur Oz Volisian
and Costas Linos from iHeart. The executive producers are Ali
Perry and Katrina Norbel. Social Media by Dara Potts and
Vaheeny Shoori Special Thanks to Tom Freston, Lizzie Jacobs, Will Pearson,
(42:50):
Carrie Lieberman, Nikki Etore, Bob Pittman, John Sykes, con O
Byrne Sad Mussenni and the Moussenni family, Matthew Anderson, an
Axo Alonso, whoa, oh, thank you
Afghanistar Episode one, light camera action. Welcome back to Afghanistan.
Please put your hands together for the host, the director,
the producer, the.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Man who built this show, Daoud Zidiki.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
It's around eleven o'clock. I'm so thirsty, I'm so angry.
I'm so exhausted that I can't think about anything.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's September two thousand and five, just a few years
after the Taliban were driven out of Afghanistan, and Daoud
Sidiki has barely slept in days. He's been pulling all
nighters to get the first episode of a new TV
show out. It's called Afghanistar, and nothing like it has
ever aired in Afghanistan before. But right now daoude is
(01:20):
so exhausted he's about to pass out. So instead of
sticking around to watch the show.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Go live, I just drove to my house and went home,
and my mom opened the door and I just went
to the bit with my offsclots.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Daoud collapses into a deep sleep and he doesn't wake
until late the next morning.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
At that time, he didn't have the electricity at Cobble
that much like I didn't have a chance to listen
to radio or TV or anything.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
But as soon as he's up. He's in a panic.
He has no idea how the show's been received. Are
there people cheering in the street? M are calling for
his head? He spent two sleepless months of his life
on this thing. Did anyone even watch? Also, he's late
(02:15):
for work, like really late. That would throw some clothes on,
jumps in his car, his hand shaking as he turns
on the radio, the chimes of the clock playing at
the top of the hour, and then the.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Headlines against afghanst Star.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Afghanstar is one of the most shows in the country.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
This is a new type of show and the people
are watching it, following it intensely, seeing only this time.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hours during generators long and starts. Oh my god, what happened?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
The answer to that question is going to define his life.
It will take him on a journey from the back
rooms of a makeshift TV station in Cobble all the
way across the globe.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
I was a celebrity of the country everywhere. I was
like on the skies.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
He will watch as his country is transformed.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Lights, mikes and cameras.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
It's a different kind of battle in Afghanistan, one that
has the whole nation watching. Osma because in the aftermath
of the Taliban you still see rubble everywhere. There really
was an American idol for Afghanistan.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
We cannot let the darkness come over us again. We
have to fight back with music.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Afghan Star helped heal a nation torn apart by violence.
Speaker 5 (04:08):
Between all the explosions and all the disappointment, that was
light in the darkness.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
It allowed its people to fall in love with music
again and eventually had them running for their lives.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
And knew he had the gun, And I said to him,
if I get captured, please shoot me.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
In the head.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I'm John Legend from Kaleidoscope and iHeart podcasts. This is
Afghan Star.
Speaker 7 (05:01):
Then make a numba eat a go Damn Buddha, Let
no more Ruda as maas John bad.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Name Mother.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Chapter one, Friday Night Lights. Every once in a while,
there's a moment when the world seems to halt, when
streets fall quiet and people call one another to stop
everything and turn on the television. They gather in apartments
and living rooms, huddle onto sofas and floors. They sit together, transfixed.
(05:52):
You know these moments. The moon landing, a royal wedding,
and Princess of weddings. These moments can be joyous and triumphant,
like everyone watching as a hobble gymnast somehow sticks a landing,
(06:26):
or unimaginable, like the day the towers fell and then
it's flapped out.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
It looks like it's it at it's light.
Speaker 7 (06:34):
Tangle into the world's race that I can see.
Speaker 8 (06:36):
I can see flames now coming out the side.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Of the building, and the smoke.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Continuets to blow. These are moments of cultural importance, when
everyone drops what they're doing to gather around a screen. Well.
In Afghanistan, for about fifteen years, these moments have and
(07:00):
every Friday night it's March two thousand and six, New
Year's in Cobble. The city should be bustling, two lip festivals,
I've gotten polo tournaments, old men wearing colorful clothes walking
(07:21):
the streets, spitting poetry. People should be gathering in mosques
to raise giant banners and cheer. But instead of it's
a ghost town. The only signs of life are coming
from a few houses and apartments, lights flickering from the windows.
But look closer and you see why. In each of
(07:45):
these homes there's a tiny television perched in the corner
and huddled around its warm glow. Are people so many
people packed in so tightly that you can barely see
the ground. They're all there to watch Afghan Star. In
(08:13):
one of these apartments, on one such sofa is Omit Nazami.
He's relaxing now, but he's been fielding calls all day,
trying to help his friends out.
Speaker 8 (08:23):
The people that they didn't have electricity. They keep calling,
do you have power? You have electricity?
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Tonight?
Speaker 8 (08:29):
Can you tell me who is eliminated.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
To watch Afghan Star? People across the nation have pulled
their resources and shared their homes.
Speaker 8 (08:38):
You could see a family member that he is sitting
in a corner of the room and he's so upset.
She's so upset, and they say, come on, have food,
have dinner. No, I'm not doing well tonight. My favorite
contestant just got eliminated.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
He didn't deserve it. Everyone takes it seriously because this
show means everything to them. So why was watching a
talent show so important to these people? Well, before we
answer that question, maybe I should tell you a little
(09:12):
bit about myself, because I know what you're thinking. Why
is John Legend hosting a show about Afghanistan. Well, there's
the talent show connection. For sure. You might have seen
me on the Voice. You have so much passion that
you also have discipline. I would love for you to
be on the team of the defending voice champion. That's me,
(09:37):
that's me, But this is about something deeper. Music is
my life. When I was growing up, I heard it
at home in the car. At church every Sunday, we
would sing in the gospel choir. My grandfather was the pastor,
my mother was the choir director, my grandmother the church organist.
(09:59):
It was my the whole world. After college, I dropped
out of a solid career in management consulting because I
couldn't stop thinking about music. And then the other day
I was reading the news and the story popped up.
(10:20):
It had a crazy headline, the Taliban burned a pile
of musical instruments because they're immoral. The photo showed four
men standing around a fire, just a regular garbage fire.
But then you look closer and you see strings, mangled guitars,
(10:45):
the shelves of these beautiful harmoniums all charred up. I
thought it. He's from Afghanistan's Ministry for the Promotional Virtue
and prevention of vice, created a bonfire from a number
of seased instruments and allowed speaker in her province over
the weekend. The idea that anyone would destroy all these
(11:10):
things that bring us so much.
Speaker 9 (11:12):
Joy and life. It's heartbreaking, but that image, it's the
key to understanding why Afghanistar was so important, why a
TV show could get a nation.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
To come to a halt. Because when the Taliban were
in power the first time in the nineties, they did
everything they could to rid the world of music. Clerics
would tear out the ERDs of cassettes and string them
(11:52):
up from trees. Morality police went around smashing radios and
boomboxes with hammers. They conducted brutal raids on houses and
terrified people into submission. Think about that for just one second.
(12:12):
Think about all the songs you listen to today on
your commute or bopping around the house. The music you
heard in your car or hummed to yourself at the
grocery store. Think about the soundtrack of your life, from
(12:36):
the lullabies your mom sang, to road trips with friends,
piano lessons to first dances. Try to picture all.
Speaker 9 (12:48):
Of that he raised.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Think about the absence of music. That's what happened in
Afghanistan on Silas. And the thing is, we tend to
(13:22):
take shows like The Voice and American Idol for granted,
shows that you binge when you want to zone out.
But here in Afghanistan, Afghanistan became a beacon, a reminder
to a shell shocked nation that it had permission, the
(13:46):
freedom really to sing again, to use their voices. Chapter
(14:11):
two An impossible Dream. So back to Dairud, the guy
we met at the top of the show. Long before
he set out to make Afghan star. He was already
a badass when the Taliban banned music. He kept adding
to his cassette collection, even though it could mean a
jail sentence or possibly death. At night, He'd traveled to
(14:36):
underground dance parties and hang out with Kabo's cultural dissidence,
people who'd risk their lives for art. He watched Bollywood
movies and fell in love with the heroes, and so
once the Taliban fell, he was determined he wanted to
be on screen, to be a star. And that's when
(14:56):
he met someone who changed his life. I named Sad Mosenne.
The walls are going to come to our rescue and
perhaps it's time for us Afghans, ourselves in our own ways,
to find a way out for the country. Sad had
launched a radio station in Kabu and then a TV
network that made news and soap operas and music shows,
(15:20):
and it wasn't long before Daoud found his way to
Sad's office to ask for a job.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Oh my god, this is my place, that's where I
want to be.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
The two quickly hit it off.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
We would like having jokes and fun and chit chat.
Give us this chance to be ourselves.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
In a lot of ways. Sad story couldn't be more
different than Daoud's. He left Afghanistan in the seventies. We
took refuge in places like the US and Australia and
Europe because we were forced out of our homeland. Then,
in October two thousand and one, after American troops invaded
Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime, So'd sinsed an opportunity.
(16:02):
It feels like a calling to go back. In his
mid thirties, at the time, Sad thinks this is it.
Afghanistan doesn't have a stock market, the media is dead.
He can do something. Before long Sad wants to change
the whole culture of Afghanistan, and he knows there's no
(16:22):
better way than through the small screen. He's determined to
make a splash. He's going to import soap operas and
put women news anchors on air. But most of all,
he wants to try out a new kind of show,
one that has never been seen in Afghanistan before American
(16:43):
Idol but Afghan And as if that isn't hard enough,
he wants to put it out in just a couple
of months to beat any competition to the idea. The
thing is, if this is going to work, Sad needs
someone he can try to handle it, someone who loves music,
someone who can pull favors and hustle to get this
(17:05):
to air. And that's when he starts yelling for someone
to get him daoude Chapter three, just go make a
show to hear Daoud tell it. The conversation didn't take
(17:30):
that long.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
And I remember exactly this sentence, like you said, I
want you to make this show happen. I don't know
how go and make this show for us. That was
a big expectation, Like I knew this is not a
small show, this is something big. I didn't know how
to start, what to do, what will happen.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Sad is watching Daoud carefully waiting for an answer.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And after five to ten seconds pause, I said, okay,
I will make.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
It, and then Sad hands him a DVD.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
He gave me Australian Idol DVDs and he told me
go and watch this and try to make something like this.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Okay, that's it. That's the only guidance. He had a
few Australian Idol DVDs and now he has about sixty
days to go make the thing. So he puts the
DVDs into the machine and hits play.
Speaker 7 (18:35):
I'm just gonna find my note.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
What what sort of music do you like? To listen
to it and lock everything. I leve all styles of music.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
App yes, mom, it's nothing kie.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Immediately he starts scribbling down notes as fast as his
hand will let him.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
The stages, the lighting, and I don't have any clue
how it works.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
He's never done anything like this before, never produced a
live show of any kind. He has so many things
he has to figure out. Singers, stage lighting, He's trying
to understand the format, the camera angles, the different components,
and he's trying to work out what he should tackle. First.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
Okay, people are coming, and then audition happens, and then
come to judges.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
He thinks maybe if he starts with a few judges,
he can build from there.
Speaker 9 (19:36):
That's good.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
I thought, that's one of the eazy things that they
can do in one or two days.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Except with Afghanistar, nothing's ever that easy. Back in two
thousand and five, Afghanistan didn't have pop stars. There were
no cool girl groups, no singers that shot to fame
on social media. Basically, not many good candidates to be
a judge on a reality show. But Daoud has an idea.
(20:02):
The one thing people hire performers for is weddings, so
he starts reaching out to random wedding singers.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
I introduced myself and said, okay, this is the idea
of we want to make a music talent show. I
want you guys to be my judges.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
He promises to put them on air, make them famous,
but all he's getting is blank stares. So Daoud explains
it in more detail. He talks about the performances, the exposure,
the spotlight.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
And they said no, we can't come to this show.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Daoude is taken aback. He can't get his words out
fast enough.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Why why this is a good opportunity. You guys can
gain more name for yourselves and that will help you
to reach more people and people will know you.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
But these singers haven't seen a show like this and
they don't think it will work. Nothing Daoud says can
change any of their minds. He's completely deflated. This was
supposed to be the easy part. And that's when he
gets another call from Sad. Sad tells him not only
do I need you to find male judges, I also
(21:11):
want a female judge.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
When he said that, a break almost I said, what
you are talking about, Sade? What's going on with you?
Do you know you're an abon'stan. There was still people
supporters of Toliban, people with different opinions, more traditional, more religious.
(21:36):
They were against these ideas.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Daoud is losing it on the phone. He's thinking that
Taliban have only just left blue jeans, women returning to schools,
that stuff is just starting to come back. But putting
a woman on TV in a position of power that
feels like something this society isn't ready for yet. The
(22:01):
task feels so insane. He can't stop himself from yelling
into the phone.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I can't find a man to be a judge of
our true you are asking me to find a woman.
Are you crazy?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
But sah, he's an optimist. He knows he's asking too
much of Daoude, but he's also got a lead, an
aspiring politician, and he says, just talk to her.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
She was like shocked, what are we talking about. I'm
not a musician. I'm not a good choice for this.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But as Daoude keeps talking to her, he sees an opening.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
I said, okay, I see you in a different interviews
and says thing about the presence of women and the
society in media and politics and all the things. If
you are not participating, then tomorrow, don't blame me if
I don't have any lady, any representative of women in
(23:06):
my show.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
One guilt trip later and she's on board. That's one
judge down. Then Daoud's colleague suggests an old singer from
the villages, so Daoud gives him a call.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
He just cuted me in the middle and said, you
guys are paying me. I said yes. He said, don't
worry about don't explain to me. I will come whatever
the show is.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
He's so in need of money that he doesn't even
let Daoud finish his pitch.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Okay, I have two judges, he.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Just needs three to pull this off. So he approaches
a local music shop.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
On it there was a guy he was okay singer
and he had a very good music instrument shop.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
He also just released a song that was playing on TV,
which for Daoude is good enough. Daoud consults his Australian
Idol DVDs. He's officially checked off the first item find judges.
Now it's time for the fun part. Chapter four, Meet
(24:11):
the Stars. On audition day, Daoud is up early. He's
heading into the city center.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
And rented one of the biggest rooms of this five
star hotel and in the middle of Coobol.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
At that time, Daoud is thinking it's only been about
three years since the Taliban were in power. He has
no idea if even ten people will show up.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I went there at eight forty five. When I get close,
the streets are jammed. I thought, okay, Cobbol is a
big city, maybe that's normal traffic, but this is an
unusual jam.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Daoud elbows his way through the crowds, thinking what is
going on? He can't work it out.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Oh my god, police is there? Security is there?
Speaker 9 (24:59):
This is a chaos.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
As Thoud gets closer to the hotel, he realizes that
all of this chaos is his fault.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
And now I see a big crowd of people in
front of the hotel.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
These people have heard his advertisements and they've come to audition.
Plus they brought all their friends and family for support.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Security. If the hotel is so angry on us, like,
you guys are crazy? What's going on with you? What
type of show is this? What you guys are doing?
Speaker 1 (25:30):
Hundreds of people have turned up and now they're all
crammed into the hotel lobby.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
We had space for one hundred and twenty people. We
got these people and we took them upstairs and started
the audition.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The judges are sitting side by side at a long table.
On the wall behind them is a red banner with
a few yellow stars scattered across it and images of
men and women singing into microphones. This is about as
close as he can get to Australian idol on his budget.
One by one, people step into the room to audition.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Some of them were dancing, some of them were singing
like English songs. Some of them like Indian songs.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
There's just one problem.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
They thought they are very good singers, genuinely, but they
were terrible singers.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Got me Hevy lights On Gote heavy light us On,
I why why His Australian Idol DVDs have taught him
(26:49):
that terrible singing is a big part of what makes
these shows great. Everyone knows the audience loves shower singers
and karaoke hogs and people who think they're great because
they're says they are. But as contestant after contestant walks
up to the mic belting out awful sounds, that dude
starts to get nervous. Where were the people you could
(27:11):
actually root for?
Speaker 2 (27:20):
No no, no, no no no no no no no
no no no no no no no no no no.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
But just when all seems lost, like the show might
fail because no one here can hold a tune, a
young guy steps in front of the judges.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Zendiggiecausafer, Hey, you casufer.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Koy some.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Johnny Coy John Hey you can yes Sie the girl.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
And Daou thinks this is who I've been waiting for.
Speaker 7 (28:09):
Gooy so.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Johnny goodie joy.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Hey, it's John Legend If you've been listening, you already
know that Afghanstar is a tale of resistance and hope.
For fifteen years, Afghanstar was a beacon, but when the
Taliban returned to power, they shut the show down along
with so many Afghan rights. They banned music, education for
(28:55):
girls and women, and they continue to clamp down on
everyone freedoms. But there are ways to show your support.
We've teamed up with AWA Studios and their incredible graphic
artists to illustrate some of the most extraordinary moments in
this podcast. There is a unique print for each episode,
(29:17):
bringing to life powerful moments that are moving and inspiring,
and there's an unforgettable print based on a painting from
superstar artist Raza that represents the spirit of hope embodied
by the show. Art and music have the power to
uplift us all, and ordering a work for yourself or
(29:39):
as a gift help support Afghans. With every purchase, we'll
be donating to the Nore Initiative, a nonprofit working to
ensure that every Afghan girl has access to education and opportunity.
For more information on our collaboration with AWA, the artworks
available to listeners and to learn more about the NORE Initiatives'
(30:04):
efforts to educate, support independent media, and transform lives across
the region. Head to the link in our show notes below,
Chapter five. Shakib had.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
I was driving a van, you know like Uber and Lyft.
While I driving, I was singing a lot and there
was the passengers always saying like, oh you have a
good advice.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Oh no leg In the behind the scenes biographies you
get about contestants on reality shows, you often hear about
the feel good the way Shakib likes to dance to Bollywood,
the way his favorite passenger won't get out of the
car until he's done an encore. But this is not
(31:22):
a normal reality show. This is taking place in Afghanistan.
That is the picture.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
That's my father there.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
He was a peaceful person.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I you gonna tell you about something, Let me smoke
a sign, give me one minute.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Not long ago, Shakiv's father was murdered.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
It's too hard if you see your father in peace,
you know, like dam dum dum, dun dumb someone coming
in sociding them. And the legs is somewhere, you know,
the head is somewhere, the body is you.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Know, like his older brother was murdered too.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
My brother was always playing soccer. He was crazy about soccer. Wow,
during halftime, the rockets come there and you know, boom.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
So now Shakiv is alone in providing for his mother
and sister. He thinks auditioning is a waste of time,
but his mom won't take no for an answer.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
My mom, you know, took me there like case and
don't worry.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
I gotta pray for you. So she drives him to
the audition with his cousins in tow and watches as
Shakiv is welcomed onto the stage by Daoud. Like many
of the contestants, Shakiv sings a song by one of
the own famous Afghan singers, Ahman Sahir a k a.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
The Afghan elvis Ahmazare was my favorite.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
As mama, as me.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
As me, they got me.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
As the matz me as mesafer me kum deblah bosi
so it they got me kum.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
The judges like it so much they ask him to
perform another.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
And then I sing farhad daya song mm hmm, blundyitoza
javonido and they was like, make noises like that.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Over to Mamo all along the.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
A smile spreads across his face. Shakid is a natural
and with that, Afghanstar has its first real contender.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
When I was selected, you know, like my mom was crying.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
She was so happy.
Speaker 2 (34:43):
She was like hugging me and saying, Snai, proud of you.
Speaker 1 (34:47):
I I knew it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
You're gonna make it.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Chapter six, the race. Too many people have shown up
for the audition. Daoud has hundreds of contestants on tape,
but people are still queuing outside begging to be heard.
Before long, Dawood has to reverse course. All the advertisements
(35:20):
telling people to come an audition are pulled from TV
and radio and they're replaced with the opposite.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
And we made I advertise to people that please don't come.
The show is finished, the recording is done, Please don't
come to this area.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
Dawoud feels good about his recordings. He has all the
tape he needs, but now he's got an even bigger
task editing. The first episode is airing in just a
few days now.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
I have like tons of footage in front of me
and I need to make a show from this. A
huge responsibility. Oh my god, I have like a mountain
on my shoulders.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
And right now that mountain is looking. Mount ever is tall.
Remember this is two thousand and five, so before they
can edit anything, they need to transfer the footage to
their computers. And these aren't high tech machines. They're doing
this on a shoe string, so it takes them two
full days. Time is slipping away. That wood is frantically editing.
(36:30):
He doesn't even have time for sleep.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
And nine pm we need to have a show on
air because we already advertised Afgne Star Show is coming.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
But it's eleven am and only half of the show
is rending.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
I have the bit stress. I have like working under
the hardest stress in my life at that moment, especially
after twelve o'clock, when whenever the time is getting close,
my dispressure goes up.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
After a few hours, thou would starts to relax, but
then he realizes he's missing something.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Where is the beginning and end of the show? My god,
I don't have announcement to say, Hi, welcome to afghanist
Our show. I am the Ouzedigree. This is the first time.
Thank you so much for watching.
Speaker 1 (37:24):
In the chaos of the auditions, they forgot to record
an intro.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Like I have two three hours to the show. Being aired,
but slowly, slowly getting darker. And it's Friday that most
of our colleagues left the office.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
That gets up from his desk and starts running around
the office looking for someone to help. But everyone who
knows how to operate a camera has gone home except
for one guy, a cameraman who works for the news team.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Okay, ask him, you need to come with me. He
was not interested. They need to talk to my manager.
I said, just take your camera.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
You're Mike.
Speaker 3 (38:02):
Come with me, please.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
That would cannot believe he's wasting the last minutes of
daylight trying to persuade this guy to roll some film.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
We drove to this hotel again, but that would needs.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
The opener to be stylish, so he makes a pit
stop at a nearby music store.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
I got one of the guitars in my shoulder. I
kind of make a style for myself for the first show,
and I basically recorded my introduction in this hotel. Run
back to Tolo TV and put it in front.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Of the show.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
The show is airing at nine PM, and now at
two minutes before nine, they only have the first twelve
minutes lined up and ready to go.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
I'm running between the control room and the editor like,
or you finish, please export, please.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
But the computers are moving too slowly. Part two of
the show isn't ready and the ads are almost over.
Is racing between rooms begging people to just export whatever
they have.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
We put some extra advertisement to give us a little
bit of time.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
They start patting the show with extra ads to give
them cushion. Part two is ready, it goes on air,
but Part three is so far behind, so they play
more commercials. They do that over and over again. Daoud's
blood pressure is through the roof.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
Basically, I run from the control room and edit room
for the entire show, and the show was aired, and
I'm exhausted, so I don't care about anything right now.
I just delivered the show. It's fine. I didn't see
(39:45):
the show. I don't know what it looks like, how
it feels like, what it is. I put something on.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Air, and as you know, thou doesn't stick around to watch.
He needs to go to bed, so it won't be
(40:14):
until morning that he turns on his car radio and
finds out the show he just aired has kicked off
a revolution.
Speaker 8 (40:33):
It was something new like never before in the history
of Afghanistan.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
Moving a visor from one house to another house. It
was kind of like moving a truck full of drugs.
Speaker 9 (40:46):
I think it was called Devil's Star by some people.
Speaker 5 (40:49):
They actually said that my head should be cut off,
and whoever that cuts off my head and brings it
to them, they will go to heaven.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
That's this season on Afghanis Stars.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Asma John Name done by Your de What do Gilia?
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Afghanistar is a Kaleidoscope production in collaboration with iHeart Podcasts,
produced by samas dot Audio and hosted by me John
Legend from samas dot Audio. The series producer is Mira Kumar.
Our executive producers are Joe Sykes and Dasha Listitsina. Mix
(42:01):
and sound designed by Jeff Imptman, Story editing by Joe Sikes,
with original composition by Kyle Murdoch, Recording engineer Tim McClain.
Chapter artwork by A W A Studios Ramushamony from Kaleidoscope.
(42:24):
The executive producers are Kate Osborne, Mengesh Hatikadur Oz Volisian
and Costas Linos from iHeart. The executive producers are Ali
Perry and Katrina Norbel. Social Media by Dara Potts and
Vaheeny Shoori Special Thanks to Tom Freston, Lizzie Jacobs, Will Pearson,
(42:50):
Carrie Lieberman, Nikki Etore, Bob Pittman, John Sykes, con O
Byrne Sad Mussenni and the Moussenni family, Matthew Anderson, an
Axo Alonso, whoa, oh, thank you
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