John Legend To Host ‘Afghan Star’ Podcast About Revolutionary Music Talent Format

Peter White
·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Afghan Star is a music talent format that ran for 15 seasons in Afghanistan and shephered in a cultural revolution in the country. Launched four years after the fall of the Taliban, the series searched for talented singers before it was canceled when the Taliban regained power and banned music.

The story of the show and the revolution that it ushered in is now the subject of a new podcast documentary series hosted by John Legend.

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Legend has teamed with iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope, the company behind The Last Soviet podcast, on Afghan Star, which will premiere on May 15.

The eight-part series tells the story of Afghanistan’s cultural revolution told through the lens of the country’s first musical talent show. The series will explore how the talent competition inspired women singing without hijabs, the country’s first rapper, people of warring ethnic groups hugging and cheering for each other on stage and how a ragtag team scrambled to make the show every week, and the dangers they faced.

Check out the trailer below.

Legend, who runs his own Get Lifted production company, is currently a coach on music talent format The Voice.

“I was immediately drawn to this story, with its many heroes and heroines, moments of tragedy, triumph and suspense. Afghan Star is a true celebration of the power of music and showcases how, even in exile, courageous teams are working around the clock to save our music and bring a little joy back to our communities,” said Legend.

“We are thrilled to have John Legend on board for this extraordinary series,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “His voice, along with his commitment to social impact and uplifting communities through music has helped bring this show together. We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Kaleidoscope and excited to match extraordinary artists like John Legend with meaningful storytelling.”

“Working with John Legend on this show is a gift. As a coach on The Voice and a champion of voices less heard, he’s the perfect person to guide listeners through this fascinating story about how music can move mountains” added Oz Woloshyn, Kaleidoscope co-founder.

“Afghan Star is a perfect example of the kind of series Kaleidoscope creates. We aim to tell stories that make sense of the world around us, and bring our listeners on voyages of discovery. We’re excited to continue to partner with iHeartPodcasts to get the word out to the largest audience possible,” added Mangesh Hattikudur, Kaleidoscope co-founder.

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