October 14, 2020

Singing my way to stardom

28 minutes

Pop singers from Afghanistan and Northern Ireland tell Kim Chakanetsa what it's like to perform in, coach and judge major singing competitions.

Aryana Sayeed is the biggest female pop star in Afghanistan. She’s been a judge on one of the country’s biggest TV shows, Afghan Star and a coach on The Voice of Afghanistan. The multi-award winning performer was born in Kabul and raised in Switzerland, later moving to the UK. Aryana is also a women's rights activist, and wants to deliver a message of peace, love, and empowerment through her music.

Janet Devlin was a quarter-finalist in the UK singing competition The X Factor. At just 16 years old and from a small town in Northern Ireland, she didn’t love the attention that came with it and struggled against her inner critic on stage. She talks about the importance of being open about her mental health issues and addictions, and how the support of a female fanbase has brought greater confidence.

IMAGE DETAILS

L: Janet Devlin (credit - Emma-Jane Lewis)

R: Aryana Sayeed (credit - Neelio Paris)

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