LG Awaaz Banaey Star

LG AWAAZ BANAEY STAR ROCKED PAKISTAN

2010-08-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

MUQADDAS CROWNED AS LG STAR
PAKISTAN’S NEXT SINGING SENSATION

Muqaddas from Szabist seized the ultimate honor of LG Star and wins the grand prize worth Rupees five million

‘LG Awaaz Banaey Star’, Pakistan’s first ever student singing competition recently concluded on Geo TV. The competition had been highly entertaining and engaging with highest viewership ratings. Keeping the spirit of the competition high, the extravaganza had its thrills and excitement throughout, performances by all the participants were full of energetic vibes and participants tried their best to be crowned for country’s first ever ‘LG Star’. The show was produced by BBCL sponsored by LG Mobile.

The Grand Finale night was a real entertainment. A galaxy of leading film & TV stars and LG Mobile style & fashion walk by top models including Iraj, Rubab, Fauzia, Maha, Uzma & Ayesha sizzled the ramp with LG mobile handsets and added flair & color to the grand finale at which this glorious journey reached its zenith. The Grand Finale was very well conducted by Muzna & Tipu. All the guests praised the concept, the talent, anchors and the judges of the show. On this occasion the program director, Arshad Iqbal and the creative director Shahid Iqbal thanked Team LG Mobile, Team GEO, participating educational institutions, the students, their parents, the judges, the anchors, the guests and the entire team for their untiring efforts during the production of 55 episodes of LG Awaaz Banaey Star.

Arshad Iqbal also mentioned that BBCL is Mashallah the only company which has been successful in selecting and grooming the talent for music industry in Pakistan from educational institutions across the country. BBCL will continue the mission by further grooming the talent who could not make it to the final. BBCL also pledges to launch one song each for selected participants to encourage them and continue the journey. Conceptualization and production of LG ABS has been very interesting and rewarding for all and we look forward to more opportunities for the students of Pakistan. As it goes without saying that BBCL is all set to produce the album for Muqaddas, Pakistan’s next singing sensation, very soon.

The grand Finale was held at Karachi Expo Centre which was transformed into an arena one seldom experiences. The celebrities and guests including the legendary film & TV star Nadeem to Fatima Suraiyya Bajiya, one of the greatest writers South Asia has produced, Behroze Sabzwari, Shakeel, Qazi Wajid, Badar Khalil, Aisha Umer, Angeline Malik, Asad and Tanseer Dar of Karavan, Khalid of Aaroh and many others started pouring in on time. After an array of arrival drinks for the guests, a multi course dinner was served to the taste delights of the incomers. As they came out of the dining area, a red carpet awaited them, where the celebrities and the corporate guests were being interviewed by two of the brightest stars of contemporary generation of Pakistani TV hosts, Anoushey & Faizan.

Anoushey & Faizan’s light banter and interesting questions kept the red carpet alive. Hundreds of people took advantage of this opportunity and took photos with their stars. As you entered the main arena where the main stage was set, you are immediately struck by the vastness of the performance area, the size of the place and an impressive set design. The lighting effects in the hall gave the atmosphere an amazing aura and the sound system was state of the art. The seating arrangement was immaculately planned out and the audience were extremely enthralled.

Mr. C. S. Kim, LG’s Head of MEA Business Support Team in Mobile Communications Company, acknowledged the effort made by team LG & Team BBCl. He also mentioned that Pakistan is his second homeland. Fatima Suraiyya Bajiya and Pervez Iqbal Managing Director BBCL presented an award to Mr. C. S. Kim on taking the great initiative of launching Pakistan’s first and the biggest student singing competition.

As the film & TV star Nadeem & Behroze Sabzwari took their places on the sofa that was placed on the stage, Tipu & Muzna, who’d taken over from Anoushey & Faizan, asked Muqaddas to come and open the show. Muqaddas chooses to sing ‘Albela Sajan’ from the film ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. Seems like Muqaddas has a thing going on for Raag ‘Ahir Bhairav’ as it’s the second time he chooses to sing a song which is done in Taal ‘Kherava’. Muqaddas, as expected, fabricated the song well. The judges were quick to respond positively and Muqaddas seemed to be one up on Zain. Next up, Zain was called up. Zain’s choice for the night was Shafqat Amanat Ali’s ‘Kheriyan De Naal’. Zain swirled his way through the track but the judges were not impressed and gave Zain an average rating.

Hamza came on stage and performed ‘All Iz Well’ accompanying all the participants and Aima once again dragged the audiences back into the 80’s with her track ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’. A dance performance by ‘Nomi King’ and his group was staged before Nizar Lalani & Hadiqa took the stage. Hadiqa did her track ‘Az Chashme Saaqi’ with Nizar Lalani accompanying her on the piano and whirling dancers to bring a Dervish feel to this sufist track.

Back to the finalists, and Muqaddas takes the mic again. This time round Muqaddas’ choice was ‘Tere Naina’ from the film ‘My Name Is Khan’. Muqaddas goes through the track almost effortlessly and makes the judges nod their heads one more time. For Zain the choice was ‘Tere Naina’ from the film ‘De Dana Dan’. Zain struggled in his earlier performance and failed to impress the judges, this time round though he got applauses from the judges and seemed more at ease both with his voice and the choice of the song.

A few more awards were given away to both Team LG and Team BBCL by Aisha Umer, Shakeel & Angeline Malik before Salamat Ali Khan & Azra Salamat Ali took the stage to render one of their ghazals. And then it was back to the finalists for their last performances in the show.

Muqaddas’ choice was ‘Ae Watan Pak Watan’ by Noor Jehan. The track did wonders for Muqaddas. The audience loved it. You could hear them clapping every time Muqddas closed on the canto and after he finished it, you could hear the audience clapping for a good few seconds, standing up. Was it Muqaddas’ voice or the ignited patriotism through the lyrics of the track, remained a mystery. It is now Zain’s turn and he chooses ‘Deewane’ by Shafqat Amanat Ali. A near disastrous start of the song for Zain as he skips the first line of the track and picks it up from the second one. May have gone unnoticed for some in the audience but judges sure did spot it. Zain didn’t stop there, he again fumbles in the middle of the track and seals this performance as his worst in the entire show. What an occasion to save your worst performance for. The judges obviously were not prepared to buy into anything positive that Zain may have mustered towards the end of his last performance and brought him down.

So there you go, all three performances by the two finalists are out of the way and now it’s time for the judges to reveal who will walk away with a grand prize of Rupees Five Million, an album recording contract and become the country’s first ever ‘LG Star’. The judges come onto the stage and after several suspense filled agonizing moments, they announced that the first ‘LG Star’ to be crowned is: MUQADDAS!

The air filled with confetti, the audience rose from their seats, party music in the background, everyone’s on stage and Muqaddas lifts the ‘LG Star’ trophy in the air.

LG ABS EPISODE 54 - 2nd SEMI FINAL

2010-07-27T02:16:00.000-07:00

The 2nd semifinal started with a startling performance by Muqaddas from Szabist. Muqaddas sang ‘Gulabi Ankhen’ from 1970’s Bollywood classic, ‘The Train’. An R D Burman composition sang by ‘Mohammad Rafi’. Muqaddas as always captured the soul of the track right from the beginning. His soft mellow voice did justice to the tone the song required. You could see faces in the crowd lip synching along with the song and swaying with it. The judges were all eyes as to pick on that moment when Muqaddas falters. But Muqaddas was not in the mood to give it up that easy tonight. He grabbed the song beautifully all the way through and finished it on a powerful note. The judges seemed happy though hey picked on a few minor hiccups and let Muqaddas get away with it.

Next up to take on the stage is ‘Alycia’. Alycia, as we’ve always mentioned, has a rusty sometimes even smoky voice, and if there were one song that really fitted her voice like a perfect piece into a jigsaw or that combination of Rubik’s Cube, it would’ve been ‘Beedi’ from Omkara. Legend has it that the extras in the filming of that song were actual villagers and they were provided with booze and unleashed (as it were) on to the set with Bipasha, you guessed it, later on Bipasha wasn’t the happiest of bunnies. Anyway, Alycia really needed to pull her socks up to get through this beast of a track. A real ‘Mast’ track which could be taken out of context to turn into a rather saucy or even raunchy one. Alycia really had to work her lungs on some parts of this track. Unfortunately she lacked what the original singer of this track, Sunidhi Chauhan, has in abundance, a high pitch. Alycia struggled, to say the least, to get through this track. Hadiqa mentioned she should stick to her forte, which, she elaborated, is rather western. Alycia fails to make an impression. Other judges followed suit.

Next up is Jibran. The song; Shankar Mahadevan’s ‘Breathless’. When this song was recorded it wasn’t actually done in one straight go, it was recorded and sampled in segments. Hence it wasn’t really a breathless song so to speak. So when ‘Jibran’ tries his hands at it tonight with a live version it’s got to be something absolutely spectacular to take the judges breathe away or else he’ll fall flat on his face. Jibran does well to start the song off. Seems as though he’ll manage to keep his breath long enough to get through it. The audiences started appreciating his effort early on with the applause. The judges could be noticed to keenly monitoring Jiran’s breath holding ability. Provided the track was actually done in segments and for Jibran to sing it live in front of the audience, you’ve got to give him marks for the sheer audacity. The judges shared the same view, Nizar Lalani actually mentioned how the song was recorded. Both Hadiqa and Salamat Saheb appreciated Jibran’s effort too.

Next up is Aima. The song she chose for tonight was ‘Barso Re’ from the Mani Ratnum cult endeavour; ‘Guru’. The composer, the maestro himself ‘A R Rahman’, the singer ‘Shreya Ghoshal’. It’s one of those songs which is real easy on the ears and makes itself sound so normally sung. In reality the composition has it’s own hidden parts where a singer really has to pull through. And these were exactly the points during Aima’s performance that the judges must be looking to pick on and surely Aima must be aware of it as well. Aima got the crowd behind her from the start even the judges were seen shaking their heads a couple of times. Aima has that thing in her voice that must make a vocal critic think twice before they deliver a verdict on her. And it’s the same approach that was adopted by the judges when it came down to analyze Aima’s performance for the night. It was a mix bag for Aima this time round. All three judges held their comments a tad bit back. Is Aima on strong footings? Remains to be seen.

Next up is that kid who’s dubbed ‘Simba’ by Hadiqa Kiyani’. It’s Zain, the happy go lucky dude. Always has a smile on his face, comes along and delivers a package forceful enough to push both the audiences and the judges back in their seats. A deceptive trait utilized in a positive but extremely powerful manner. Don’t go by the smile on this beautiful vocalist’s face because when he comes on stage he means business. And business is what Zain meant tonight. He decided to sing a song contrary to his natural pitch and selection, it’s a pop track titled ‘Kohram’ by one of the pop sensations recently produced in sub continent, ‘Amanat Ali’. As usaual Zain has the crowd behind him right from the beginning, more so because the track was hip and fast. The pop nature of the song meant that Zain’s sound box won’t be put under stress hence a below average performance by Zain contrary to what he delivered in his earlier performances. The judges towed the same line. It was carrot and stick for Zain this time round.

Next up is Sajid from Preston University. He sings ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ from 1960’s Bollywood classic ‘Kala Bazar’. The composer, the legendary ‘S D Berman’. Singing classic Bollywood romanticized tracks requires that certain softness and mellowing voice to bring up the true essence of these songs as they were sung then, back in that era. To achieve that mellowness, Sajid repeats the same mistake he made in his 1st performance of the semis. He went overboard trying to bring in that soft touch to this track. The judges seemed not interested right from the beginning. Sajid failed to rope in the audience into the track and struggled to make an impression on the judges. An over all disappointing last performance from Sajid could mean the end of the road for him in the competition.

It’s decision time!

Who goes through to the Grand Finale after all those excruciating and agonizing moments to find out their fates during the elimination process is going to be decided. All the judges accompanied by the semifinalists and the hosts are onto the stage. The judges announce the first grand finalist; it’s ‘Zain’. And the one to battle it out with him onto the stage during the Grand Finale is ‘Muqaddas’.

There we go, more than one year of struggle and facing elimination madness these two have finally made it to the big stage, the grand finale. To see them battle it out on your television sets do tune into GEO Entertainment.

Ciao!

LG ABS EPISODE 53 - 1st SEMI FINAL

2010-07-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

‘Deep Jale Surr Ke Sagar Main, Jab Main Geet Sunaoon’ kind of sums it up for a voice, this generation would be telling their grand kids about, with a certain fervor in their eyes. The name ‘Mehdi Hassan’ has already attained the attribute ‘Legend’ attached to it while he’s still breathing amongst us mortals. Jibran believes he has what it takes to take on Mehadi Hasan, he sings ‘Lagi Re’. Pitching the right notes with precise accuracy was what the song asked for. Jibran tried doing justice to this seemingly nicely flowing song but in true sense a difficult track. Trying to sing a Mehdi Hasan song comes with its own set of merits & demerits and Jibran was no exception to this rule. Jibran mustered an average performance but still gathered a mixed reaction from the judges. Carrot & stick!

Next up is Aima. She sings ‘Mere Dholna Sunn’ from the film ‘Bhool Bhulaiyya’. ‘Devdas’ famed, Sameer did the lyrics for this song. Aima in her trademark style started the song strongly. A few minor hiccups as she reaches mid way through. She manages to execute the Sargam in the middle of the song in a powerful manner and with that came the applause of the audience. Nizar Lalani was seen shaking his head a few times during the song, was he appreciating the song or he was just not happy with Aima not hitting the right notes, remained a mystery. The audience though as always seemed to be enjoying the song. In the end Aima fell short of expectations of the judges as they asked her to practice more and come back stronger in the next round.

Next up is Sajid. Sajid decides to sing the song ‘Aik Pyaar Ka Naghma Hay’ from 1972 Bollywood film ‘Shor’. Music done by an ever experimenting South Asian music maestro ‘Lakshmikant Pyarelal’. The song set records when it was released in early seventies. A soft track ideally suited to Sajid’s mellow voice. Sajid though made a mess of the song as soon as he exercised his vocal chords to begin the song. It was absolutely obvious right from the off set that Sajid was trying to bring in that bass that was required for the song and he was failing miserably. He carried the same approach right throughout the song. Trying to be someone else’s voice cost Sajid. The judges weren’t happy at all. Hadiqa specially mentioned that Sajid shouldn’t try copying others and should stick to his own style. Nizar Lalani said ‘Maza Nahin Aaya!’

Next one to take the stage is ‘Alycia’. Alycia sings the song ‘Aisa Lagta Hay’ from ‘Abhishek Bachchan’s’ debut film; ‘Refugee’. A sentimental track meant ‘Alycia’ won’t have to put in a lot of effort to pull it off as she has that voice which suits it. Alycia manages the track well in the beginning but started to struggle in the middle and never recovered from that point on. Hadiqa mentioned that she has a western touch to her voice and she should stick to it, work more on that and find her own niche and try to excel in it. Salamat Ali Khan Saab joined the wagon by criticizing Alycia for choosing this song. All in all it wasn’t Alycia’s day.

Next one to walk up to the stage was Zain. Donning a traditional ‘Kurta’, wearing a shawl, Zain takes a confident walk up on to the ramp. Zain has expressions on his face contrary to his usual appearance, normally he’s a happy face bunny but tonight there’s something in his eyes. The prelude hits the amps, sounds like a slow song, a few seconds into it Zain starts a magnificent alaap and the audience and judges readjust themselves in their seats and brace themselves for what was about to take place. As Zain starts the song it’s a Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan composition ‘Sanwre’ for the film ‘Bandit Queen’. A haunting track that slowly creeps up on you and drags you within. Zain’s sound box was producing combinations of sounds that played a lingering effect on audiences’ and judges’ neurons. Zain came up with an immaculate performance that made the audiences clap many a times during the song. There was a standing ovation when Zain finished the song. Hadiqa repeated what she said earlier that you should stick to your own niche of music and improve on it. Salamat Ali Khan Saab said daring to sing this song live is in itself a big task and managing to pull of a performance at this caliber deserves to be appreciated. Nizar Lalani didn’t beat about the bush and summed it up in one sentence: ‘Zain! Tum Gayak Ho!’

Next up is Muqaddas. If there’s one person who can put up a fight with Zain’s vocal talents it’s got to be Muqaddas. Muqaddas takes the ramp in his usual calm and confident manner. He’s singing ‘Pyaar Nahin Hay Surr Se Jisko’ a semi classical track sung by the man who knew his music inside out, Ustaad Amanat Ali Khan Saab. Muqaddas starts the song off in pretty much the same manner as Zain did, with a well executed alaap to warm up the audience to a musical treat he was about to serve them with. Muqaddas keeps a strong grip on the song throughout his performance, executing a sargam in the middle as well. Audience loved the performance too and showed their appreciation through putting their hands together for him. At the end of his performance Muqaddas received a positive feedback from the judges. Nizar Lalani appreciated the effort and said the song was a tough choice but Muqaddas did well. Both Hadiqa & Salamat saab appreciated Muqaddas’ effort too.

LG ABS EPISODE 52 - 4th QUARTER FINAL

2010-07-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

The director enters the control room; puts on his headset and stands in front of the sound console. The audiences are packed in, waiting for the show to start. He exchanges a few words with the creative director. ‘Par Cans checked?’ He speaks to the light designer over the radio, ‘All checked sir!’ He gets a reply. ‘Cameras ready?’ He radios his production manager in the OB Van. ‘All checked!’. He then checks with the sound engineer and after getting the nod, he says ‘Bismillah’! as he presses the button to speak to the audiences. And here begins another episode of LG Awaaz Banaey Star.

From lighting to make up, from props to set designing, from sound to wardrobes, from video to still cameras, from getting the taan of the tabla right to making sure the lighting is the right temperature, from getting rid of the unwanted shadows to getting the sound gain right, from composing the right frame onto your television screens to getting that extra bit of zing and from leading people to making sure that each individual is doing their job right, there’s a lot that goes into a live audience musical show. Trust us, there’s blood & sweat in this dough!

To throw the show open it’s Wasi. The song: ‘Lagan Lagi’ from the film ‘Dil Kya Kare’, the singer: ‘Sukhwinder Singh’. Wasi starts the song off in an energetic manner and manages to lift the audience up along. What looked like a track infused with a lightening punch did the trick for Wasi early on, as one could see the judges shaking their heads along with the beat. Wasi carried the initial zing factor all throughout the song. Grabbing the track from the jugular it was as though he’s saying; is that all you got? An impressive looking Wasi almost unleashed his vocal talent to go stray on the stage. He engaged the audience right from the beginning of the song and completely immersed himself into it. The judges appreciated his effort. Salamat Ali Khan saab though had some reservations about couple of things that he thought Wasi could improve on.

Next up, it’s Jibran. Sporting butterfly dark glasses, a chain hanging onto the sides of his chequered trousers, donning a waist coat, sleeves rolled up, Jibran looked all set to take the breath away. The song ‘Banware Banware’, the film ‘Luck By Chance’, the siger ‘Shankar Mahadevan’. A fast paced song that could make or break it for Jibran. Sudden changes of tans and surrs could mean either a disaster for him or an execution well carried out. Jibran not only managed to lift the crowd up with the song and spectacle, he also showed a few dance moves custom made for the in house audience. A ‘Thumka’ here and there did the trick for him as he put a smile or too not oly onto the faces of the audience but the judges too. Jibran deals well with the task he associated himself with. He not only pleased the crowd but it seemed the judges were on his side too. Lady luck was smiling on him. The judges dubbed him a complete package yet again. The word Hadiqa came up with was; Fantastic!

Next up, it’s Ghazal! The song ‘Namak’ from the film ‘Omkara’, the singer ‘Rekha Bhardwaj’. Omkara’s music was a trendsetter in Bollywood. Vishal Bhardwaj’s compositions especially for this film took on critics head on. Vishal’s other half; Rekha’s rusty voice gave that extra flavor to this track. Ghazal really had to pull her socks up to do justice to this song as it demands a rusty execution all through. To start with, Ghazal failed to start off the song with a bang right at the beginning, as she missed on the timings. Plus it felt like she was running after the song all the time trying to catch up with it. The whole thing sounded a bit sluggish to say the least. It was missing that flare and the rustiness that was required here. Ghazal struggled to pull the crowd in despite her efforts to come up with a dance move. The judges caught on the same things that were obvious throughout her performance. The catch up and loose grip on the song took Ghazal down.

Next up, it’s Muqaddas. The song ‘Jhoom Aye Dil’, the film ‘Dil Mera Dhadkan Teri, the singer ‘Masood Rana’. Choosing a Pakistani song in a Pakistani singing competition always works in ones favour. And that did the trick for Muqaddas. He managed to lure the audience in right from the beginning. That sentimental attachment to a Pakistani melody was played upon well by Muqaddas. Psychological mind bending aside, Muqaddas coupled it up with a smooth execution of the song as well. Muqaddas already possesses a silky voice and that adds up whenever he’s performing and it always works in his favor. Keeping a strong grip on the song throughout, Muqaddas managed to break into the fold of positive notes from the judges. Hadiqa said the same that was felt strongly by the in house and that Muqaddas worked his magic with his silky smooth vocals and said choosing a Pakistani song was a good idea. Salamat Ali Khan saab and Nizar Lalani played second fiddle.

Next up, it’s Subata. The song ‘Aaj Dil Gustakh Hay’, the film ‘Blue’, the singer ‘Shreya Ghoshal’. A beautifully worded song by ‘Mayar Puri’ equally well composed with a nice contemporary beat to it, this song is a difficult choice for Subata. But she looks in a defining mood tonight, as she takes the stage, there’s a flare in her eyes. As the music starts, she throws her arm, getting along with the initial beat. Subata looks all set to take on the song head on. In her trademark smooth voice Subata did a decent job with a song that demanded a versatile vocal ability to perform it to its merits. The audience clapped all along, though Subata struggled to bring in that x factor to the song. The judges politely pointed out what areas Subata had to work more upon. Hadiqa said that Subata is full of talents provided she works harder on her weaker points.

To close the show off, it’s Sajid. The song ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche’, the film ‘Brahmachari’ (1968), the singer ‘Mohamad Rafi’. To sing Rafi, like any other great vocalist, is an uphill task. Sajid has that knack required to sing Rafi but with a lot of practice and may be a decade of singing. That said, Sajid does have his moonwalk. Yes, Sajid has this signature dance move where he gets into the ‘Jackson’ mood. But the dance move is not the only thing he has in his repertoire. To go along with the other talent he put on display, he has an impressive vocal capacity. With tonight’s performance he drew the audience into the song. Getting along nicely with his impressive effort he fumbled a bit in the middle but recovered well and made it go unnoticed especially with the audience. The judges appreciated Sajid’s effort and gave him full marks for his moonwalk too!

It’s decision time!

The judges are up on the stage along with all the contestants. The first name Hadiqa announces is ‘Muqaddas’. The second one is ‘Aima’. The third to go to the semi finals is ‘Sajid’. At this point of time Hadiqa announces that there’s a twist in the story and rather than choosing three semifinalists, there’s a tie between three participants and they will all be going to the semis. So rather than having 3 participants, there will now be 6 semi finalists. The next one to go to the semi finals is ‘Jibran’. The fifth lucky participant to qualify for the semis is ‘Alycia’. And last but not the least it’s ‘Zain’.

See ya’ll at the semis!

LG ABS EPISODE 51 - 3rd QUARTER FINAL

2010-07-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

The stage is set; the lights are up, sound checked, audience in, one last glance from the director as he takes his figure eight walk, seems satisfied, all set, here starts the competition!

It’s Sajid! The song: ‘Aa Mere Pyaar Ki Khushboo’, The singer: ‘Amanat Ali Khan’, The task: Crisp execution. As he takes the centre stage, Sajid seems to be embodying The 4 C’s; Cool, Calm, Collected & Composed. After going through the grief of loosing his aunt, Sajid seems unflinching in the face of adversity as he holds the microphone. Behind his visibly humble appearance there hides a soul rich in vocal assets. The song demands a smooth execution, the judges are all ears, and the audience is waiting for their share of treat. Sajid starts the song off with a strikingly well structured alaap. Nizar Lalani already seems to be right into the song from this very moment. And so it begins, Sajid holds the song together and manufactures it to order. He deals with the ups & downs of the track in a skillful manner and manages to draw it till the end. When it came down to the judges to deliver the verdict, Nizar Lalani said he could feel a tear drop inside Sajid. Both Hadiqa & Salamat Ali Khan appreciated Sajid’s effort as well.

1 down, 6 to go! Next up, it’s Zain! The song: ‘Akhiyan’ by ‘Fuzon’. As soon as the prelude hit the speakers the audience knew what song it was and that got them going. A groovy feeling takes over the auditorium. Feet started tapping, hands in the air, hip shaking, its fiesta! Zain, wearing a glittering jet black leather jacket, was contrary to his attire and was in a bright shinning mood. Looking determined to let the judges know what he’s capable of; Zain keeps a strong grip on the song right from the beginning. A perfect package was being delivered by Zain, he got the audience going, the judges were liking what he brought to the stage and Zain himself seem to be enjoying the track. Hadiqa said Zain was like that little kid who’s ‘Mast’ in his own ‘Masti’ and forgets the world around him as he sings. Salamt Ali Saab and Nizar Lalani appreciated Zain’s effort.

Next up is that ‘Smoky’ girl, Alycia! Wearing a Rajasthani Choli, bangles up her arms, sporting a traditional ‘Tika’ on the forehead, she dazzled the stage. The song; ‘Dholna’, a track packed with a pulsating beat of ‘Dhol’. As the thump of the ‘Dhol’ emanates from the sound blasters with an impressive bass, Alycia looks completely in charge of the proceedings. She takes over the whole place. A fast paced beat, an all dolled up girl, the heart pounding sound, what do you expect? An spectacle of song and dance! A broad smile on Nizar Lalani’s face as Alycia gets right into the track. As the song approaches its end, Alycia turns around, puts the mic onto the deck, faces up back to the audience, joins her hands together stretched in front of her and gets into a well choreographed and well synced dance move to finish it off in style. The audience loved it and the judges adored it. Nizar Lalani, still sporting a broad smile, dubbed Alycia a good performer. Both Hadiqa & Salamat Saab followed suit. A dazzling performance from Alycia sets the stage for our next performer.

Next up to pick up the gauntlet is Abdul Ahad. Dressed in a traditional, shiny ‘Kurta’, a red handy tied up to his wrist, Ahad seemed like he had just walked in from a set of ‘Qawwali’. And ‘Qawwali’ indeed he had prepared to render. It’s ‘Tum Se Mil Ke’, a traditional sub continental, musical genre, catered, served and reserved to please South Asian ears and its sheer ear candy. In his trademark manner, Ahad gets into the song. There’s something not quite right. Could be the texture of Ahad’s voice not finding the right match with the one required for this exclusive genre or could it be that Ahad was getting ahead of the track itself. Whatever it was, it didn’t quite do it for Ahad, and for the audience and the judges for that matter. Ahad seemed rushing into the song right from the beginning and that cost him. The judges pointed out the same. Ahad couldn’t make an impression this time round.

Black sunglasses, a suede like jacket, skin kissing T shirt and tightly fitted jeans, three guesses for who it was; it’s M. Ahad. Later it was revealed that the secret behind the sunglasses was not some latest fad but due to an eye infection Ahad had suffered. The song Ahad chooses for tonight is ‘Barso Re’ an almost heavy Metal representing bass guitar runs right through this song making it a bit hard to swallow for the audiences after some lighter performances being served to them. The sound is deafening and M. Ahad seems to be reveling in it. Playing an invisible bass guitar in his hands, Ahad sems occupied by the bassline. It’s noisy and it’s heart pounding. The judges, specially Nizar Lalani suggested Ahad should practice more sophisticated tracks with minimum variations. Salamat Ali saab suggested pretty much along the same lines.

Next up is Hamza, the song; ‘Zoobi Doobi’. Hamza has that certain charisma and that stage presence that’s required to get the crowd on their feet and might we say he utilizes it well. He does exactly the same this time round too. As soon as Hamza appears onto the stage you just know it’s bound to be a song full of performance utilities. However, this time round, Hamza couldn’t quite work his magic onto the audiences and judges alike. Hamza, though managed to impress one person in the hall and it happened to be Ms. Kiyani. Hadiqa appreciated Hamza’s effort while Salamat Saab and Nizar Lalani reserved their best comments on condition that Hamza performed better next time.

To close the show it’s Aima, representing Bahawalpur. As soon as Aima walks in, you’re dragged back into the fashion world of 60’s & 70’s. She’s sporting the looks tonight, wearing jeans and all. Even the make up went along with the attire. The song she chooses for tonight is ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’. There’s something about this song, something that makes you shout out the name ‘Monica’! And that effect took over the host ‘Tipu’ as he grabbed the mic, stood up and went long, screaming ‘Monica’ behind Aima. The interlude seems to be getting hold of the audiences too as they swung to it. Aima manages to outperform her previous performance as she works up the magic required tonight. The judges again dubbed her a versatile performer and singer and foretold the bright future her throat can fetch her.

LG ABS EPISODE 50 - 2nd QUARTER FINAL

2010-06-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

It’s the 2nd Quarter Final!

The show is definitely gathering pace and gaining momentum as it strides towards the Grand Finale’. Only the best 12 are chosen and pitted against each other. As the competitive rivalries grow amongst the participants, the audience are provided with a pinch of excitement alongside nice voices and music to go along with it. It’s a complete package of entertainment, reality TV and musical treat!

Will Wasi be able to find an edge over Muqaddas? Or will Subata be able to out do Ghazal? Or will it be Jibran’s immaculately fabricated performance and package of looks and vocals? Sajid though couldn’t make it to tonight’s episode due to some unfortunate circumstances within his immediate family. But the show must go on! And there’s only one way to find out what unravels when it all kicks off!

The 50th episode of LG ABS started off with Muqadas choosing to sing a famous composition taken from 1963 Raj Kapoor starrer ‘Dil Hi To Hay’. The song is ‘Laaga Chunri Main Daagh’. Muqadas does an astonishing job, the ferocity with which his left hand stirs the air during the high notes, squares up against the fully stretched veins in his throat. The judges and the audience seem captivated by the show of skills this young lad has displayed. He picks up the gauntlet of alaaps thrown at him and turns it into an opportunity to show the judges what they’d been missing all along. All the judges were full of praises for him. Muqadas announces his arrival at the quarter finals and there’s panic in the ranks. Let the battle commence!

Next up is that dolled up girl, Ghazal, from the aptly named school ‘Happy Home’. The song: ‘Bawri Chakori’, the singer: The legendary ‘Noor Jehan’, the task: Uphill; to say the least. The syrupiness in Noor Jehan’s voice made this song undying. To live up to the standards set by the lady who was dubbed ‘The Queen of Melody’ must be a daunting prospect for a girl coming from a school named ‘Happy Home’. Ghazal starts the song off on shaky footings, meets the notes midway through. All throughout her performance she was full of nerves. Right at the beginning of the song she coughed twice during the interlude. A real nervy performance. It was not only felt by the audience but was obviously noticed by the judges. The judges latched on to everything she wasn’t supposed to be doing and gave Ghazal a modest score.

The next song in the line up is an eternally delectable treat for ears, a musical masterpiece. Done in Raag Hameer, Sitar by Ustad Abdul Halim Jafar Khan, rendition of Mukri by Bare Ghulam Ali Khan Saheb, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan on Sarod, Khayal, Tarana & Teentaals… Some heavyweights of music! Wasi is the one who thinks he’s got what it takes to do justice to this masterpiece. Taken from the classic ‘Kohinoor’, the song is ‘Madhuban Mein Radhika Nache’. Wasi steps up to the challenge like a fighter and beautifully lifts the song off. By the time he gets to the Taal bit of the song, he’s warmed up enough to put in everything at it but the kitchen sink. Wasi battles with this gigantic track in an eloquent manner. He made the judges throw their heads around as he executes the taal exactly the way it should’ve been done. And when he exhales his breath after finishing it off, the judges are enthralled by his excellent performance. Wasi manages to do well with a classic masterpiece of South Asian music and gathers praises from the judges. Nizar Lalani though thought it was only a good attempt.

Next up is Subata, the girl with a soothing vocal tone. She sings Lata’s ‘Lag Ja Gale’ from the film ‘Woh Kaun Thi’ (1964) a Madan Mohan composition. Subata’s vocal range impressed the judges every time she transferred it from low to high, all throughout her performances during the entire show. She manages to hold her softish plane even when she hits the high notes and that’s one attribute that’s won accolades for her from the judges. In tonight’s performance, Subata pulls off yet another beautifully rendered Lata Ji’s song with an equally smooth execution. As Subata goes deeper into the song you could see some faces in the audience lip synching along with the song, some nostalgic faces and some in a somber mood. The judges applaud her easy on the ears approach and dub her a future professional singer.

To bring the curtains down on the show, Jibran walks up onto the stage. ‘Layi Vi Na Gayi’ is Jibran’s choice from the film ‘Chalte Chalte’. To match Sukhwinder Singh’s caliber is an overwhelming undertaking and Jibran seems unflinching in the face of trouble as he takes the centre stage. A true tear-jerker from Sukhwinder Singh was surely meant to bring the show to its end in a rather sad manner. Jibran’s voice adds more gloom to the melancholic theme of the track. Expressions aside, Jibran brings resonance to the song by impeccably keeping the song well within its merits. Hadiqa dubs Jibran a complete package and a crowd pleaser. A somber performance by Jibran brings a contrary rather cheerful decision by the judges to bring a smile on his face.

As the show draws closer to the 3rd Quarter Final, it remains to be seen which participant will take the heat and who will tackle their nerves to make it through to the semis. It’s surely turning into that classic music competition where not only your sound box is put to the test but also for the audience it’s that extra bit of excitement and suspense as to who will come up triumphant. It’s a gem of a dose for Pakistani TV which had built up an appetite over a period of time for such competitive competition of music, skills and rivalry. The show has definitely caught on and managed to fetch the viewers’ attention into this final stage as it enters into the cut throat zone!

Remember you get four chances to view the show; Fresh episode on Mondays @ 10pm on GEO Entertainment, Tuesdays @ 4pm (Repeat) on GEO Entertainment, Sundays @ 11am (Repeat) on GEO Entertainment & Sundays @ 9pm (Repeat) on AAG TV!

LG ABS EPISODE 49 - 1st QUARTER FINAL

2010-06-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

It’s the quarter finals!

And to throw the competition wide open, it’s Zain who walks up to the stage.

Contestant No. 01:
‘Bintee Karat Hoon’ is the one that Zain’s settled upon. Sung by Amanat Ali, the song has runnings of alaaps all through out it. Zain starts it off with a beautifully executed alaap, intertwined with audience appreciation. Zain’s folkish voice adds that extra flavor to this already spiced up South Asian melody. As he delves deeper into this gem of a track, he only gets better and better. Better alaaps, more better rhythm and an immaculate control over his pitch. The judges were impressed, an all round performance from Zain earns him both the favor and reward from the judges. This guy is a serious contender for the throne!

Contestant No. 02:
Next up is Abdul Ahad. Fresh from a long break before the quarter finals, Ahad has had enough time to practice and sharpen his tools. He sings ‘Men Tenu Samjhawan Ki’, a track from the latest Pakistani film ‘Virsa’, music for which is composed by ‘Jawad Ahemd’. Such a beautiful track! Ahad’s voice goes along with the nature of this song. Ahad softly & gently lifts the track up and gains control of it. Seems like all that time he’s been away is spent on practicing more and more. The judges response is a mix bag though, carrot and stick. Perhaps he could’ve done more with his body language to blend in a bit further with the track.

Contestant No. 03:
It’s Aima! The girl who rocked her way through to the quarter finals. She sang Hadiqa, she sang difficult Bollywood tracks and saw through tough competition from her peers. And she made it through! Earning high praises from Hadiqa, you could see the stars in her eyes every time she took that stage. This time round she settles upon taking on ‘Zindagi Main Kabhi Koi Aaye Na Rabba’, a song from the Bollywood film ‘Musafir’. ‘Musafir’ was labeled as a not so original film due to its resemblance to the storyline of another Hollywood cult classic but the soundtrack was not short of its own perks. In her trademark style, Aima starts the song off, stretching her left hand up front every now and then. Aima manages the track well and finishes it off with a bang too. The judges, who’re always a bit too kind to her, were not short of praises for her this time round as well.

Contestant No. 04:
It’s that boy with his countless hats! It’s Hamza! And this time round he’s praising a girl by saying ‘Tere Naina Tere Naina’, a track from the Bollywood film ‘My Name Is Khan’, sung by ‘Shafqat’. Hamza always manages to bring in a different flavor to the table and this time round he doesn’t fall short of it either. He engages the audience right from the beginning. A broad smile on his face vanishes away every time the track demands a serious touch to it and as soon as he deals with it, it hops back again. Hamza manages to lighten up the mood with a gentle tone, after Aima’s somber performance. The judges, who always appreciate what pleasant personality Hamza owns, don’t hold back this time either, and blend their constructive criticism along with it.

Contestant No. 05:
It’s that girl with the smoky voice, Alycia! And she sings a beautifully arranged composition by Amit Trivedi, ‘Ik Tara’. Taken from the film ‘Wake Up S!d’, the lyrics of the song gently lift your spirit up and thumps the sadness away. Alycia in her signature move gets right into the song and starts moving the audience with an enchanting voice, custom made for this kind of song. As the other contestants and the audience join her in the chorus, the song travels the sands of time like nothing. The judges kind of tilted towards liking the performance but not without a pinch of salt.

Contestant No. 06:
It’s time for the last contestant on this first quarter finals episode. It’s the ‘Engineer Babu’ – M. Ahad. The film is ‘Baiju Bawra’ (1952), the singer ‘Mohammad Rafi’, the Music Director ‘Naushad’ and the song is ‘Duniya Ke Rakhwale’. Singing Mohammad Rafi is a big deal and i.e. for any given contestant and M. Ahad is no exception. He will have to go through the mill to get this one right and put it in order. M. Ahad starts the song off in his usual soft manner. This song will surely test Ahad’s vocal chords. There is a legend attached to this song about when Mr. Rafi sang it, apparently he had a tough time recording it since it does really put stress on your sound box. M. Ahad musters a mix bag of feedback from the judges.

LG ABS EPISODE 48

2010-06-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

Episode 48 was a special episode. The last one before the quarter finals start. As the show started, there was a stand right in the middle of the stage on that big white star. On that stand there were four envelopes. Muzna & Tipu come up on to the stage and behind them it’s ‘Nomi King’. ‘Nomi King’ performs for the audience for a while and then Tipu & Muzna explain the purpose behind that stand on the stage. The four envelopes on that stand were given to the judges to select those four lucky students who’d move on to the quarter final stage from group four to go and join the other eight lucky ones and complete the line up for quarter finals. There was trepidation in the air as everyone wanted to find out what happens in this last episode before the quarter finals.

Round 1
It started with M Ahad singing ‘Mere Sayyan To Hain Perdes’. Taken from the film ‘Bandit Queen’ it was a difficult choice for Ahad right from the off set. Sung by the Ustaad himself ‘Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’, Ahad must’ve known even before he started singing it, what task he’s trying to accomplish. Ahad fairs well though. The judges: “A decent effort!”

Tayyaba is up next. ‘Mera Babu Chhel Chhabeela’ is the track she decides to have a go at. The cover she sang was only a remixed version of the original song though. She manages to get the crowd up on their feet right from the beginning. By the time she gets half way through she’s more stabilized and seen concentrating more on the technical ups & downs of the song. The judges when delivering the verdict mentioned the fact about her being a bit rocky at the start.

Next up is Arsalan. Arsalan casually walks up to the star, holds the microphone in both hands, and as everybody gets settled down for the music to start and Arsalan to start singing, he starts uttering words instead. He dedicates the song to the entire cast and the crew of LG ABS. The track is Faakhir’s “Kash Hum Juda Na Hote”. A sentimental beat. As Arsalan delves deeper into the track, the lyrics of the song, his perfectly suited voice to the track and the nostalgic theme takes precedence over the environment in the auditorium. And as the song progresses, you could see quite a few wet eyebrows in the hall including that of Muzna – The Co Hostess. By the time the song ended, Muzna had gone in full nostalgic mode, and as she comes back on to the star to say bye to Arsalan she struggles to hold her tears back and says her lines in a shaky voice. Judges appreciated Arsalan’s effort, especially Hadiqa who said that Arsalan really did justice to the tone the track required.

Round 2
M. Ahad gets ready to stand on that big white star yet again. This time round he chooses ‘The Maestro’ A R Rahman’s song ‘Satrangi Re’ from the film ‘Dil Se’. His left hand pointed towards the sky, clenching the microphone tightly in his fist, leaning his body on his right, staring down on to the floor, his vocal veins visibly stretched; with all force and might Ahad puts the song in first gear. With audiences appreciating his effort time after time during the song, by the time he finished it, there was an ovation for him by the crowd. The judges felt the force wrapped around Ahad’s performance and they also encouraged it. An accomplishment for Ahad!

‘Chhaliya Chhaliya’ is the choice of Tayyaba for her second performance of the evening. Again a track well tuned in with moving arrangement of music to blend with it. Tayyaba gets in the groove and manages to indulge her audiences into it too. All seemed to be going well for Tayyaba for her performance until it came down to the judges to deliver the verdict. They again stressed on the fact that much more substance is needed both in her performance and especially in her voice.

It’s Arsalan again. And this time round he chooses ‘Aye Dil Ruba’ by Sonu Nigam. A softish track with an Arabesque touch to its central beat. A hip hopping foot tapping song as Muzna would’ve put it. Arsalan with his already soft voice blends right into the track. Trying to keep up with Sonu Nigam’s mastery, Arsalan manages to muster an average performance for the judges.

It’s decision time!

That stand which was placed right into the centre of the stage at the beginning of the show has been brought back. Only this time round the envelopes it’s carrying are sealed with the names of the next four quarter finalists from group 4.

The stage is filled up with all the participants from group 4, the hosts, the judges and the rest of the quarter finalists from the previous groups. The first envelope is opened…. It’s Hamza! From BVS Parsi High School. The second one is… Ahad! From NED University. The third one to proceed to the quarter finals from group 4 is…. Aima! The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. And the last but not the least, it’s…. Zain! from Pakistan International Education System College Islamabad.

LG ABS EPISODE 47

2010-06-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

It was appropriate to start the 47th installment of LG Awaaz Banaey Star with ‘Ahir Bhairav’. Ahir Bhairav is a Sub Continental classical raga. It is a mixture of Bhairav and the ancient but now rare raga Ahiri or Abhiri. It’s an early morning Raga and characterized by the use of Komol Re and Komol Ni, the lyrics of the songs are often written with morning sequences in mind. The guy who took on this daunting task was none other than ‘Hamza’ himself.

One of the greatest hits of Manna Dey set in Raga Ahir Bhairav – “Puchho na Kaise Maine Rain Bitai” from the blockbuster Bollywood film “Meri Surat Teri Aankhen” in 1963. S.D Barman another legend from Bengal set the tune of the song for Manna Dey.

Round 1
Hamza starts the song off in Taal ‘Kaherava’. The judges will judge him harshly if he mixes it up with any other ‘Raga’. Hamza manages to lift it up elegantly and you could see Nizar Lalani with his eyes closed completely immersing himself into the experience he was going through. Not just your average singing competition, the ‘Taals’ ‘n ‘Raags’ are put to the test and the true fortitude of music justified!

The milieu in the auditorium is still drenched in raags as Hamza leaves the Star. Next up is Sara. The music starts playing. Sara raises her hand in her signature move as she starts the lyrics. She stretches her right hand and clips her index finger with the other like she’s pinching the air. It’s ‘Tujh Se Naraz Nahi’ the song that recently got reborn in the subcontinent by an unlikely candidate. The judges disapprove of it letting Sara know she needs more improvement.

‘Tu Miley Dil Khile’ is what Raza yearned of when he took the stage next. An off track approach in the beginning till he got to the next stanza. He gathered himself back on to the track as he picks up the shredded pieces of the first notes. He manages to finish it off on a rather decent note. Judges picked on exactly what the audiences must’ve felt. Shaky in the beginning, stability towards the end.

Round 2
It’s Hamza’s turn again and this time round he’s proclaiming ‘Desi girl’ is his kind of stuff. Right from the start as the music prelude began the crowd knew what track it was. The hands were raised, the pulses took flight and the atmosphere was fabricated. A full throttle foot tapping got into swing. A real crowd pleaser right the way through. The judges though, as expected, hammered the idea through that it’s a singing competition not a crowd pleasing extravaganza.

It’s Sara again and she’s announcing ‘Sajna Ji Wari Wari’, a fast paced track that needs a flexible voice with an upbeat factor. Sara unfortunately lacked not only the voice factor in it but also the whole persona that would’ve rightly suited the soul of this song. The judges ruthlessly butchered the approach though they all emphasized how pleasing a personality Sara owned.

It’s Raza and the track is Junoon’s ‘Yar Bina’. OK.... There’s a problem here…. Raza had a whole lot of his friends scattered amongst the crowd and he gets visibly carried away as soon as the music hits the amps. In doing so he forgot he was actually singing for a prize rather he acted he was merely there to win accolades from his friends and it cost him dear. He lost the track early on and never recovered. The judges’ response: ‘It was shouting not singing!’

LG ABS EPISODE 46

2010-05-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

Round 1
Raza, the guy who looks like he’s come straight from the gym for the love of the star, walks on and stands right in the middle of it. The music starts playing and everybody knew what audacity Raza had shown to choose such a difficult track. Judges favorite, Raza, tries to show the judges what he’s capable of but judges had other ideas, they pounced on him. Raza chooses ‘Na Kaho’ by ‘Aaroh’ and according to the judges he came close to the original one, more work ahead though.

Marium, the girl who’s having a real tough time with the judges right from day one, takes a nervous walk to the stage. She takes on ‘Akhiyon Ke Jharokon Se’ a difficult task for an already struggling Marium. She tries to impress the judges and ‘Practice More’ was the same mantra unanimously from the judges.

Wajih gets on to the star this time round. He sings ‘Tum Mujhe Yun Bhula Na Pao Ge’ a track that bathes into the reminiscence. And he manages to inflict that nostalgic agony onto the audiences as he does well with this difficult song. Judges verdict: Missing the spark!

Round 2
Raza decided to give a piece of his mind as he sang ‘Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe’. Raza who earlier hadn’t sung a song so diversely indirectly proportional to his entire persona manages to lift the crowd up and fails miserably when it came down to the testing brains of the judges.

Marium gets a go at the last chance to please the judges as she sings ‘Saiyan Dil Mai Aana Re’. Marium seems to be going through a rather rough patch these days. The goddess of luck is not smiling on her any more. She heard the same phrase what she’s been hearing since she entered the competition: ‘Practice More’.

Wajih went ‘De Dhana Dhan’ as he picked one of the tracks from this film ‘Rishte Naate’. He manages to fabricate a good vibe not only with audience but also with the judges who were staring down his throat pretty much all along his performance. Wajih’s been constantly getting mixed reviews from the judges which makes it hard to calculate where exactly he stands in the competition.

LG ABS EPISODE 45

2010-05-31T03:03:00.001-07:00

Episode 45 started with a startling performance by the ‘Punjabi Dude’ who rebranded himself as ‘Nomi King’. Accompanying and spearheading his comrades, he takes the lead as the front man on an extremely well sync performance on the song ‘TWIST’. He gripped the audience with a landing hand from his buddies who were all holding guitars. The laser lights, the smoke and well tuned gobos gave the environment an aura of a dance floor. In the end all three performers flip their guitars to reveal the numbers 3,2,1 to signal the last three episodes before the quarter finals and begin the ultimate countdown.

Round 1
Zain, all the way from Islamabad, not only dealing well with the changed surroundings but also making sure he’s pitching himself well on that LG star. A true competitor by nature, Zain looks all set to give the rest of the participants a real tough dual may be in the final. A true folkish Punjabi ‘SURR’ in his voice makes him stand apart from the crowd. This time round he cooks up ‘Sawal Yar’ done by ‘Mekal Hasan Band’. From the ‘TAAL’ right at the beginning to the soft end, Zain pulled it off real well and left the audiences enchanted. Judges verdict: A difficult song, a good effort but work needs to be done the higher pitch.

Alisha Chinoy’s ‘Tinka Tinka’ was Tayyaba’s choice for the evening, as she walks up to the LG star. She tries immersing herself in the performance and manages it right down to the end. The judges though kinda took her to the task for some not so appropriate uses of the technical aspects that this song apparently required. Hadiqa took on her again saying, it was a good effort but slightly jerky at times.

Ansar, struggling to bring the kind of body language and facial expressions that are required for particular performances picks up ‘Main Ne Poocha Chaand Se’. An other classic that goes to show how rich the spectrum gets on this show. Ansar struggles onece more to bring the impact that’s needed to lift this beautiful track up. Though he manages to get some applause from the audience he fails to get judges approval. Ansar got under the hammer again for not carrying his body language and his facial expressions along with the song.

Round 2
The sensational track with the glitz & glamour ‘Dekha Jo teri Aankhon Main’ really put the audiences on their feet as Zain dives right into the groovy feel of this track. The audiences loved it and the arguably the fan base that Zain had present in the studio really got up and danced to it. A flair in the air went up as Zain taps his feet to the beat and gets real groovy. Judges verdict: A good pop song, nice approach but needs more improvement.

Tayyaba sings ‘Piya Ghar Aaya’, a track that was literally nationalized by the guys on the other side of the Indus. Tayyaba got into the song real early and put in an effort right from the very beginning as she was probably running the visuals in her head as her eyes was shut. That point was picked upon by Hadiqa as she grills Tayyaba for that. Nizar Lalani went critical on her for daring to choose someone as great as the Ustaad!

‘Gustakh Dil’ was Ansar’s choice for his final performance in Group 4. He fairs well in the beginning and gets the crowd behind him as he had considerable support in the form of his family and friends that were present in the audience. He managed the song well but put to the sword by the judges for minor glitches that couldn’t be avoided during his go at this merry yet tricky track. It seems as though Ansar’s failing miserably to listen to the advice being given to him by the judges.

LG ABS EPISODE 44

2010-05-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Pakistan’s first and ONLY Student singing competition surely is turning it on, on the national airwaves. As it edges towards the quarter final stage, it’s gathering momentum and leaving a blazed trail. Nobody could’ve predicted when it lifted off the ground that the road ahead to stand on that LG big white star would be so full of twists and bends.

LG Awaaz Banaey Star surely has squeezed itself in, in the very competitive nature of a plethora of shows around these days on Pakistani airwaves and it’s surely finding the equilibrium and slowly but surely getting the nation hooked up on this unique dose of entertainment.

Today we’ll reflect on how it’s shaped up so far as we can feel the heat to be so near to that shinning star stage. The review of episode 44.

Round 1
M. Ahad, the engineering student from NED takes upon re-engineering A R Rahman’s ‘Dil Se Re’. Another Mani Ratnam song gets owned, only this time round from the other side of the Indus though. Ahad tests the range of his vocal chords by taking on this Goliath of a track. He tries to do justice to this song in his own manufactured way and manages to bring a studentish touch to it. And the judges kind of nudge the same idea upon delivering the verdict.

Next up is Tayyaba, she’s back, whether she’s back with a bang or there’s no more air in the balloon, that’s in her own hands. She sings a classic – ‘Agar Tum Mil Jao’. Tayyaba has a signature hand movement, as do all the other female participants in particular. She waves her hand in the mid air and with that she weaves a decent lyrical piece. Tayyaba was picked upon by the judges and it didn’t take them long to tell her to practice more.

Arsalan decides to throw the gauntlet at THE USTAD of them all – Nusrat Fateh ALI’s ‘Na Ja Ve Dholna’. In his trademark crooning manner he begins the track and you could see how mnay times he must’ve been asked to rehearse this gigantic track. Seemed like all the effort that the director put in came out well as the judges rated him a potential pro singer. The judges needn’t agree with the efforts Arsalan had put in though.ss

Round 2
It’s the student engineer, Asad’s turn to stand on that big white LG star and face the music as it were. He decided to give rebirth to Shankar-Ahsaan-Loy’s ‘Jhoom Barabar Jhoom’ composition. He made the audience jhoom as soon as the track begins. A powerful punch of excitement hits the crowd as Ahad ‘jhooms’ to the beat and leaves the audience on a more relieved mood after some somber performances by his predecessors. The judges verdict: Good for the audience but you’re in for a serious contest.

Tayyaba walks up to the star and this time round she’s planning to put audiences in a nostalgic mood as she chooses ‘Soniya’ by Hadiqa. She starts off well getting through the entire song. Hadiqa catches her off guard after her performance as she serves Tayyaba with a feedback sandwich. Starts off with some positive notes with some negative aspects sandwiched in. Hadiqa said, a good effort but could’ve done better to make it your own.

Arsalan begins his casual walk up the ramp with a serious look on his face as though he’s flapping his wings to take the bull by the horns. He decided to sing ‘Alvida’ by KK from ‘Life in a Metro’. A difficult task that’ll challenge not only his vocal range but also set to put some serious pressure on his gut. Arsalan manages well and ends it on a high. Even Arsalan’s gut effort couldn’t force the judges not to give a split decision.

Season 2 ?

2010-03-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Do you want LG Awaaz Banaey Star - Students Singing Competition to come back for Season 2 ?

Who will be the next quarter-finalists?

2010-03-04T00:59:00.000-08:00

Extraordinary..... Superb... different... new - are those some of the words you would use to describe the next set of quarter-finalists for LG ABS !

The show is now moving towards its third elimination round - Group 3 would have 2 participants moving to the quater-finals. There are four quarter finalists from Group 1 & 2 awaiting the pair to compete for the title of LG Star! The results of Group 3 are soon to come out and we will then know the next 2 quarter-finalists.

Participants of Group 4 beware and start practicing as those who have already moved to the quarter-finals are amazing and the ones about to join them are none the less!

Semi-finals and then the Grand Finale: can you believe what that day would be like...just thinking about it makes me get Goosebumps!

Can't wait for the next episode!

Valentines Special Episode - Aired February 15, 2010

2010-02-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

Love is the most wonderful of all feelings in this world.

Valentines day is celebrated on February 14 each year, this day is perfect to express your true feelings to your loved ones.

It was a special day for many, especially for our audience who watched great performances by M. Ahad, Subata and Afzal on LG ABS. These three were selected by our judges to sing special songs on this day for everyone watching the show live and accross the network. It was a declaration of love and emotions! The choice of songs was right on dot as per the theme 'Valentines Special Episode'.

Elimination Round Coming up for Group 3

2010-02-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

Elimination is a term which scares the majority - the word alienates you from a group or crowd. Makes you stand out from the midst of action! When we were young there used to be games at birthday parties - each game required elimination and each turn one or more would be removed from the game. It was the whole concept which upset us, however this process continues through out life. Well there is yet another elmination round coming up - this time it is group three for the two quarter finalists position!

Who would it be? Which two would move on to join the other 4 quarter-finalists? The audience needs to send their vote so the one who truly deserves to win moves on to the next set of rounds leading to the Grand Finale.

Would it be Annie or Subata from Nixor College?

or Would Shafi representing Government College of Commerce & Economics move forward in the show leaving behind Nazia and Irtiqa behind?

or Can Afzal deliever a performance which removes Abdul Ahad and Jibran from the competition?

or Can the next set of quarter-finalists be Hamza and Arsalan?

or Could it be M.Ahad and Alycia?

Wait and watch our 36th episode to find out who are next set of quarter-finalists and who would remain a part of this show but would now become part of the audience.

We have 4 quarter-finalists!

2010-02-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Four LG Awaaz Banaey Star contestants can stop worrying - For now: they are in the quarter-finals!

The LG Mobile students singing competition on Geo TV now has 4 quarter-finalists and the wait is just for 4 more. The anticipation of the contestants awaiting the quarter-finals to start is immense. These contestants had to go through a very well organized audition - selection - rehearsing processes, which made them where they stand at the show! I am not saying that the others weren't deserving but these six made that extra effort to prove they are the deserving ones and singing is their passion not an obsession!

Thank you LG Mobile! The 4 quarter-finalists have already won 25,000 cash each and LG G200 Mobile phones, with which they are enjoying loud and clear music.

The four quarter-finalists are:

Muqadas of Szabist

Sajid of Preston University

Wasi of Arena Multimedia

Ghazal of Happy Home School

Now is the time to shine tomorrow we will know that you shall deliver! Best of Luck to all the other contestants for being selected to participate at such a great platform, which helped them in shinning like stars already! The wait has started - to find out who out of group 3 would be selected to be the next two participating in the quarter-finals. Let us all just wait and watch how singers prove themselves in front of our three renowned judges and audience.

As they say before a battle or a game - Let the singing begin!

At the auditions!

2010-02-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

There are 29 educational instituitions who become a part of LG ABS, they are:

Arena Multimedia

Asian Institute of Fashion & Design

Beacon House School

BVS Parsi High School

D.J.Sindh Government Science College

District Public College

Foundation Public School

Government College for Commerce & Economics

Government College for Men

Happy Home School

Iqra University

I-Soft College of Commerce & Computer Science

IBA City & University Campus

Johar Degree College

Karachi University

Khatoon-e-Pakistan

Nasara School

NED University

Nixor College

Sadquain Institute of Art

Shiblee College of Commerce

Sindh Medical College

Sir Syed University

St. Josephs College

SZABIST

PAF Kiet

Pakistan Marine Academy

Preston University

TG College

More educational institutions are going to be added to this list!

Best of Luck to those auditioning to participate for LG ABS!

Prizes for Participants of LG ABS

2010-02-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

Who participates in a competition without an incentive?

At LG Awaaz Banaey Star - Students Singing Competition we don't just have one but many incentives of becoming the LG Star. We also have prizes for the runner-up, semi-finalist & quarter-finalist. Other benefits that LG Mobile is offering are scholarships for academically outstanding students from participating educational institutions.

The Winner would receive a grand prize of: Rs.1,000,000 cash, Album prodcution and recording, One music video production, Designing & printing of album inlays, LG high-end Mobile phone, Exposure in media & campaign collateral as well as the opportunity to gain stardom

The Runner-up would receive a prize of: Rs.500,00 cash, LG Mobile Phone worth Rs.20,000, Exposure in media & campaign collateral and the opportunity to appear on television.

The Semi-Finalists would receive a prize of:Rs.50,000 cash, LG Mobile Phone worth Rs.10,000, Exposure in media & campaign collateral with the opportunity to appear on television.

The Quarter-Finalists would receive a prize of: Rs.25,000 cash, LG Mobile Phone worth Rs.5,000, Exposure in media & campaign collateral plus the opportunity to appear on television.

"Kahan hai woh awaaz jiski hai talash?"

2010-02-01T01:49:00.000-08:00

Does that statement excite you?
Is singing your passion?
Do you think you are too young for singing?
Can you think of a future as a singer?
Would you want to be famous with your own album?

You have come to the right place as this is where all of your wishes will be answered!

LG Mobile in Pakistan launched a great concept for a competition. A students singing competition - the first ever in Pakistan! Don't you want to be a part of such a great platform to enhance your skills as a singer. To lead this nation with a voice of a star - the star who would make our country proud!

LG Awaaz Banaey Star is a singing competition for students who are willing to take the step forward as a singer. The overwhelming response recieved from the educational institutions is itself a success for LG ABS and LG Mobile in Pakistan.

This country has talent and we all know it, then why should we shy away from such a great oppourtunity. Educationational institutions that have joined the spirit of this competition are the leading ones in Pakistan.

LG ABS ROCKS!