With no brands involved, Shuja Haider is gearing up for a one-of-a-kind singing talent hunt

The Khaki Banda hitmaker has worn many hats but is most known for his stints in Coke Studio, for which he became producer in 2016. Aaqa, performed by Ali Sethi and Abida Parveen from Season 9 of the hit show helmed by Shuja, made waves for its melody and flourishes back in the day, getting nods from the likes of Huffington Post. Prior to this, Shuja proved his mettle as a songwriter, composer, and vocalist for various OSTs and even collaborated with Shoaib Mansoor in Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and Bol (2011). But working in the quietness of soundproof studios is seldom recognized and hardly appreciated.

So, while there are many such accomplishments of his that deserve a mention, it would be wrong to rob Shuja of the opportunity to provide details about his plans for tomorrow. Especially since he has vowed to offer so much more with his upcoming music show and brainchild, Idol Online.

Big vision over big names

“In 2020, I started a programme called Idol Online. It was the pandemic era and everyone was home so I thought why not start an online talent hunt. Within a week, we received over 5,000 auditions and didn’t even have a website or portal that could support that many clips. I was judging the show alongside Ali Zafar, Umair Jaswal and Ahmed Jahanzaib,” Shuja told The Express Tribune over a phone conversation. “The girl who won that talent hunt went on to perform in Kashmir Beats with me. I produced some of her music and today, she is doing pretty well, getting gigs and making a name for herself,” he added in his husky voice.

After that first season, though, Shuja felt exhausted due to the dearth of manpower. Having grasped the scale of things, he decided to make a “proper TV show.” But that would require brands and channels to come on-board – and that changes things. “I’ve realised that in Pakistan, it’s extremely difficult to make something successful without brand support. But even if you look at Coke Studio, Pasoori made the numbers because of its sheer artistry, not because it was marketed better,” reflected the Baghi singer. “The brand pushed all its songs equally and many of them did well, too. But the song the audience resonates with most, will get organic following.”

The singer feels that today, it is “quite easy” to become a star overnight but sheer artistry goes a long way. And while Pakistan has had many one-hit-wonders, “has it seen another Abida Parveen or Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan? It has many stars, yes, but has it witnessed someone like Mehdi Hassan?” he probed. For that very reason, Shuja declared that he wants to make a platform-cum-institution in the form of Idol Online, which would focus on serving artists who are denied the spotlight instead of attracting big names.

“We lack institutions and platforms that make artists. There is no orthodox teaching of music anymore. With Idol Online, I want to provide a platform and an institution which would find and train artists as a means to give back to the community. I want to contribute to the betterment of the youth through music,” he continued. The Sab Jag Soye crooner argued that while music is a “huge business” in India too, the Indian film and music industry follows an orthodox pattern as well. And even if Pakistan thrives on its pop music, “there is not much margin to learn in that.”

Shuja added rather crudely, “One only needs to have good looks and a little spark to become a popstar. But Pakistan needs more artists and less stars.”

To brand or not to brand?

Having said that, the composer doesn’t necessarily loathe branded shows or popstars. Especially since he has associated with and benefitted from them so many times. But he would much rather nurture his baby himself before letting anyone else take the carriage. “Our prime focus right now is to not to let anyone dictate us. Once our product is complete, we’ll get brands on board. I will not approach a brand to make my product, I will approach one to sell my creative labour. I think this will help sustain the creative integrity of the show. The problem in Pakistan is, that the brands get to decide who the artist is. And I’m very much against that. If somebody is famous, it doesn’t mean their work is the best. Brands fail to understand music and its intricacies.”

Getting the recipe right

The Baanware singer received 12,000 clips in two days after announcing his call for auditions this time around. “We are having two stages of auditions. First, we have the online auditions. We will shortlist form those auditions for another set of live auditions that will be held in person in Lahore. There, we will shortlist 20 candidates and train them. We will produce their songs and music videos too. And since I don’t believe in competition in music, all 20 of those shortlisted individuals will be accommodated by our team.”

He went on to clarify that he is not letting anyone upload their personal work on the show’s portal in order to protect it from being exploited. “This season is going to be totally digital. Once a brand is involved then maybe a broadcast on television might be possible. We have an age restriction of 16 to 25 but anyone from anywhere can apply. The artists will be contractually bound for 1 to 2 years. We are planning a February release date with auditions ending on November 10.” As for the judges, Shuja revealed that his brothers will be joining him.

A family affair

“Two of my brothers are also in my team. They have worked with every big pop act there is. It would be safe to say that 80% of pop music from the 90s has been produced by my family. Even most ads we see on the TV. Our family’s contribution to the music cannot be ignored. When we did Nawazish Karam in Coke Studio with Asim Azhar, who is like my younger brother, was Asim as famous before? Our family has always presented artists to the world and hence, I want to carry forward my family’s legacy which spans over 300 years of musical teaching and practice,” Shuja noted proudly.