We kick off Afghan Star's 9th season with our host Mustafa Azizyar, our panel of esteemed judges, and over 1600 aspiring singers lining up for auditions in Kabul. Each of this year’s judges comes with a wealth of experience, achievements, and renown reputations that span Afghanistan and beyond. QasemRameshgar – the legendary guitarist joins us again. WaliFathullah Khan – the youngest of the group - is a master of the ghazal. ShahlaZalan – who hails from a family of famous musicians – also returns with her incredible voice. But, there just might be one more addition to the panel…

[Mr. Behzad], first up for auditions, was slightly nervous about UstadQasemRameshgar who is known for his sternness. Nonetheless, he advanced and was encouraged with a few words from Rameshgar: “Never be afraid”. Next up we meet [KhoshboAhmadi], a lifelong fan of the show who practices singing while she cooks (and once even caught fire as she sang). Minutes later, none other than TaherShabab makes a surprise entrance and joins the judges. His storied career in music began under the tutelage of the country’s greatest masters and has been celebrated from Germany to Japan.

Our other hopefuls came from all corners of Kabul. Some boasted repertoires of over 70 songs. Some rapped. Others battled and overcame all manner of challenges to reach the audition stage: addiction, blindness, and oppression. And, as always, some were lucky and others will try again next year.
A number of very talented young women advanced to the next stage from Kabul and our judges are eager to see how they fare as the pool of contestants grows. We’ll see what Mazar-e-Sharif has in store for us next week. Until then!