Headlines

November 11, 2009

A Corporate and State-Controlled Revenue Stream for Music, in the Shadow of the Taliban, Yields Predictable Results in Pakistan...

New York Times | Read Full Story >

The New York Times via @raspberryjones:

Pakistani pop musicians once had two main ways to make money: live concerts and corporate sponsorships. But because of deteriorating security in the last two years, the concert scene — and the revenue that comes with it — has all but vanished.

Musicians are now relegated to televised performances. But in a nation where the West is often the villain, television stations and big businesses have little economic or political incentive to put their name on a musician with an anti-Taliban platform.

The result is a surge of bubble-gum stars who have become increasingly politicized. Some are churning out ambiguous, cheery lyrics urging their young fans to act against the nation’s woes. Others simply vilify the United States.



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