International Idols

[mainer]

Not about American Idol but about the World Idol phenomenon -- thought some Claymates might find this (from Netscape) of interest--

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 24 August 2005, 18:05 GMT 19:05 UK
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Iraqis cheered by Pop Idol show
Twelve-year-old Bilal turned a moving poem in a powerful song
Iraq's hottest new singing talent has begun competing for the country's inaugural Pop Idol crown.

About 2,000 hopefuls have auditioned for a show that viewers and contestants alike see as an escape from their troubled lives.

For security reasons, the final will be held in the Lebanese capital Beirut, and there is no studio audience.

Nevertheless the show's creators have found themselves with a hit on their hands.

"We've lived through many wars," said director Wadia Nader.

"We're trying to help ease the burden and troubles of our people."

But taking part is a nerve-wracking experience for Iraq's would-be stars.

They have often braved bullets and bombs just to reach the studio, only to have their egos badly bruised when they are bluntly told to go home and practice more often.

Young star

Yet no-one has doubted the commitment of the boy tipped to come out on top.

Twelve year-old Bilal, from the northern city of Mosul, dedicated his song to a broken homeland and to its crying streets.

   
I felt he was sending a message to the people, singing for the people of Iraq
Laith Ali
BBC Baghdad bureau
He was not the only person in the studio who broke down as he performed. Even the hardest judges were moved to tears.

Laith Ali, an Iraqi who works for the BBC's bureau in Baghdad, described the importance of Bilal's emotional performance.

"When this 12-year-old boy on Pop Idol came along, he sang a song which made us feel for our nation.

"He sang his song with incredible emotion. And the way he sang was as though he was a professional."

Moving performance

Bilal chose the verses of an Iraqi poem for his performance, and sang in standard Arabic, a more difficult tongue to master than the colloquial language of everyday life.

"The words he used were not ordinary words, and they were very effective in conveying strong emotions," said Laith Ali.

"They were so powerful. I was very moved by the performance.

"I felt he was sending a message to the people, singing for the people of Iraq. He wasn't singing for himself, he wanted to send a message out to the people."

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[mainer]

  more on same topic ---
    
Iraq "Pop Idol" offers escape from daily grind

By Andrew Hammond

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When their electricity isn't zapped by daily power cuts, Iraqis can pretend they live in a normal country with a normal cultural life by tuning into the Iraqi version of "Pop Idol."

Despite collapsing public services and the constant threat of death, more than 2,000 young Iraqis signed up for the talent show when al-Sumeria TV announced the venture earlier this year.

Many Iraqis already obsessively watch "American Idol," a version of the original British "Pop Idol" franchise, and a glitzy Lebanese copy called "Arab Superstar" on free-to-air Arabic satellite channels.

But "Iraq Star" is a brave indigenous effort to perk up the spirits of a depressed nation. The studio set is spartan and drab, and there is no studio audience, though viewers are being promised tinseltown touches when the finale is held in Beirut.

    
Friday, Sep. 2
   
•    
12-Year-Old Boy Gives Moving Performance [BBC News]
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In Pictures: Arab Pop Idol Finale [BBC News]
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Guide to Becoming a Pop Star [Student Now]
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As 'American Idol' Turns--Accusations, Refutations and Ratings [CNN]
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How Well Do You Know Your 'American Idol' Trivia? [Fun Trivia]
 

    

Discuss 'American Idol' With Other Fanatics [Blog: American Idol]
    

What Characteristics Make an Idol Shine? [Blog: American Idol Blog]
   
 
"We are trying to lighten the load and problems Iraqis are going through," said director Wadia Nader during recording of an episode this weekend in a Baghdad hotel.

"We had shows like this in the 1960s when people were discovered on television. But since then, with so many wars, Iraqis couldn't see this kind of thing," he added.

Drawing on a rich native heritage, the show takes Iraqis back to the era before Saddam Hussein and the successive traumas of war, domestic repression and international sanctions.

Most contestants choose well-known melancholy numbers about unrequited love, sung in an old classical style viewed as the piece-de-resistance of high culture in the Arab world.

"You just want the wounded lover to run after you; I know you and your nature," croons one young man called Hossam. He looks non-plussed as one of the three judges tells him he has pronounced some Arabic letters in far too nasal a fashion.

HARSH JUDGES

Another singer is upbraided for making a grammatical mistake in a metaphorical tale about a dead bird.

"You didn't prepare the song well. 'Slaughtered bird' is masculine, but you kept saying it in the feminine!" the judge gripes like a grammar teacher.

They all run numerous risks in arriving at the TV station, whose name reflects the pride of a nation whose history stretches back 5,000 years. It was the Sumerian civilization of Iraq that first invented writing.

Suicide bombs, assassinations, kidnappings, shootings by nervous soldiers in the U.S. or Iraqi army -- all have become daily fare in Iraq since the invasion put an end to Saddam's rule, which offered stability despite the oppression.

Most Iraqi pop stars have given up or fled the country because of the security situation and threats by Islamist extremists who frown upon singing.

"I don't regret it at all. Even if I lose, it's still a chance to be seen and do something without fear or hesitation," said young hopeful Lu'ay Hazem after singing before the panel.

Only a handful of women take part, reflecting the conservative nature of Iraq today and its Islamist-leaning government. Decades ago, Iraq had many famous female singers.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the public are lapping the show up, and it has become the stuff of daily conversation.

"Most of the singers aren't that good but maybe a few of them will go somewhere, if they get enough support," said Seif Makki, watching from his living room.
08/21/05 09:12

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[Pamela]

Very interesting mainer, thanks!  It makes me very curious to hear Bilal and his song.  I'm sure there will someday be a link to do just that!

Music can be a soothing balm on a rash of a day, a warm blanket when it's freezing, a cool breeze in the hot sun.  A beautiful voice, meaningful words and a moving melody can sometimes change people, from the inside.

But then we already knew that. 

[mainer]

Once I had put the sentence about American Idol, above post,  in green, to make it stand out, it virtually disappeared from view -- and I couldn't figure out how to make it white again or print up in some other more visible color.  If anyone missed it, it was that many Iraquis obsessively watch American Idol (also Britain's Pop Idol).  How similar we all are, inspite of our differences.  Wouldn't it be exciting for an Iraqui Idol to participate in the World Idol competition -- although I don't know if they still hold that competition (or if we just haven't had it shown on American TV here).

[claynadian]

sthweet!

[Rayline]

That's really nice. The country has experienced so many nasty things, the people deserve to watch a show to make them smile and forget about their worries.