As the sole breadwinner for his family, Shakib Hamdard struggles to provide for his mom and sisters. But everything changes when the young taxi driver finds himself at the very first audition for Afghan Star.   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 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kscope_nyc/">@kscope_nyc</a> on Twitter and Instagram See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

As the sole breadwinner for his family, Shakib Hamdard struggles to provide for his mom and sisters. But everything changes when the young taxi driver finds himself at the very first audition for Afghan Star. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the sole breadwinner for his family, Shakib Hamdard struggles to provide for his mom and sisters. But everything changes when the young taxi driver finds himself at the very first audition for Afghan Star. &nbsp; To purchase original Afghan Star artwork visit <a href="http://www.awastudios.com/afghanstar" rel="noopener noreferrer">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 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kscope_nyc/" rel="noopener noreferrer">@kscope_nyc</a> on Twitter and Instagram&nbsp;See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="noopener noreferrer">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Bigger than an Election

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.

Society & Culture

Documentary

Arts

Music

History

Performing Arts

Music Commentary

Music History

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– 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’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 …between protecting the show they built and staying alive.

Share Bigger than an Election

Sign up to save your podcasts

Bigger than an Election

Bigger than an Election

More shows like Afghan Star, hosted by John Legend

Bobby Bones Presents: The BobbyCast

Ear Hustle

We Knows Parenting

The Fred Show Feels Good News

Project Listen

Point of Origin

Special Teams

We're Having a Moment

Drafted

Abortion: The Body Politic with Katie Couric

Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast

Prompt Us

Money Moves Powered By Greenwood

Maxine Miles: Volume I

Burke In The Game

Angie Martinez IRL

On-Call with Kay-B

Stealing Superman

King Slime: The Prosecution of Young Thug and YSL

Playing Dirty: Sports Scandals

IDEA GENERATION's All Angles