January 16, 2025 - Judging at the BTSC Idol
Absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been invited to adjudicate at the BTSC Idol. I must admit I was profoundly impressed and overwhelmed with every single performance and the level of competition among all contestants. Deciding on the medalists had rather been a commission no less than an onerous encounter for us - myself, Sir Raja Ishaq, Shabnam Majeed & Dildar Mustafa. Our judging
criteria included vocal technique, rhythm, tempo, expression and, just as importantly, showmanship. All performers efficaciously managed to leave a lasting mark on our hearts in their own way. From our standpoint, all of them are winners! Having said that, there were around 26 aspirants with only one trophy sitting on the table on stage lying in wait for only one of the contenders. If we shouted 'Go!' and all of them ran over to seize it as fast as they possibly could, it would be mathematically inevitable that only one of them would emerge with it in their hands. So, yes, they are all winners, just for trying to win and for winning our hearts and love! I am sure all of them are going to have an extremely bright future in music given that they get their heads down and continue to practise. I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr Saleem Kashmiri (Principal, BTSC,
and Former Headmaster, Senior School, Aitchison College, Lahore), his entire team, particularly Miss Syeda Tauseef Fatima and Miss Tahira Malik, and all contest organizers for inviting me, and congratulate them on getting such an exquisite event off the ground. Well done!