For Sitara Magazine
By Khalida Sarwari
Let’s face it: Hosting an award show is no small task. It took me two hours just getting myself ready for it, and I wasn’t even involved with the show! As one can imagine, preparation for an event the magnitude of an award show is arduous and time-consuming. Not to mention that the realm is uncharted territory for any entity in the Afghan-American entertainment industry. Those were the odds that Noor TV, a relatively new Afghan satellite television station, took the chance of defying by staging their first award show on April 4 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. The result: an exciting evening of glamour, great music and… celebrity spotting! Musicians, comedians, television personalities and community leaders aplenty showed up to present and accept awards, and in between, they mingled with their fans and peers. For many attendees, seeing their favorites in a setting outside of a concert or wedding was thrilling and new.
As much as attendees were hyped to hear the backstage sounds of Naghma practicing her hit Mohabbat and Afghan United winning the award for Best Soccer Team, they took their appreciation to a new level for a certain Afghan-German sensation: Valy. And no one caused a bigger stir. At every turn, his name was called or shouted by an ecstatic fan eager to meet or take a photo with the musician. The attention he garnered was superstar-status, but the young artist seemed almost overwhelmed by it all, graciously accepting the accolades with a beaming smiles on his face. The Bia Tu crooner won the award for Best New Male Artist and his 2007 hit also won the award for Song of the Year.
Another highlight of the evening was the performances. Faiz Qaderi, Habib Qaderi and Naghma each performed sets and were also presented with awards for their respective contributions to the field of music. Between the two of them, the Qaderi brothers collected three awards. Faiz received the award for Best Music Video. Habib won the award for Best Influential Singer and his song Ya Ali was credited with the award for Best Islamic Song. Naghma was given the award for Best Female Vocalist.
The evening was a success with attendees and was equally praised by organizers of the event. One Fremont resident remarked about the “Hollywood feel” of the show. “It was very glamorous how people showed up dressed nicely,” Sunita A. said.
A Union City resident enjoyed the show but said that there was room for improvement. “I liked the show, but I thought the performances were too long,” Zohra S. said.
Farima Wassel, host of 7Khazana on Noor TV, said that the event exceeded her expectations. “Our honored guests, musicians and attendees really made the night a success and an historic night for all of us,” Wassel said. Hoping to build on the program’s success, Noor TV plans to make the show an annual event. ‘We welcome any comments and suggestions to improve the quality of the show next year,” Wassel said.
The winners:
Best Local Poet: Mohammad Yosuf Kohzad
Song of the Year: Valy – Bia Tu
Best Arts & Literature Show: De Adab Ghotay – Asheq Fana
Best Music Show: AMTV – Khalid Omar
Best Educational Show: Superior Health – Rona Rashid
Best Youth Show: Teaching Islam for Children – Tariq Mojaddidi
Best Religious Show: Dr. Younos Show – Dr. Farid Younos
Best Islamic Song: Habib Qaderi – Ya Ali
Best Maihanee Song: Jawad Ghazyar
Best Female Vocalist: Naghma
Leadership Award: Abdul Rashid Benish
Leadership Award: Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi
Lifetime Achievement: Ustad Zaland
Lifetime Achievement: Ustad Khyal
Business Award: Hashmat Ansari
Lifetime Musical Achievement Award: Farhad Darya
Best Ghazal: Ahmad Wali
Best Music Composer: Wahid Qasemi
Best Soccer Team: Afghan United – Fremont
Best Comedy Play: Timbo & OP Show – Talabgaar
Best Influential Singer: Habib Qaderi
Best Music Video: Faiz Qaderi – Majnoon
Best Tabla Performer: Siar Hashimi (Germany)
Best New Male Artist: Valy
Best New Female Artist: Mozhdah Jamalzadah
