Spotify Talks Reflects on the Experiences of Pakistani Women in Music With EQUAL Ambassadors, Momina Mustehsan, Natasha Baig and Zoha Zuberi
“EQUAL Pakistan gives women creators 20 times more chances of being discovered by a new fan”- Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify’s Music Manager
Karachi: Today,
Spotify launched the first episode of its digital series Spotify Talks,
dedicated to women in music. Hosted by Anoushey Ashraf and featuring Momina Mustehsan, EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador
for September, alongside previous EQUAL Ambassadors Natasha Baig and Zoha Zuberi, the episode sheds light on
the journeys women creators embark on when pursuing a career in music.
From
the lack of social support for their career choices to having limited
opportunities in the music industry, the panelists discussed the resistance
they faced and how they persisted. Creating a path for themselves in a
male-dominated industry requires hard work and personal drive to find the right
avenues for their work to be seen and heard.
“For
me, the reason that I ever made music is because I feel like it’s a tool of
storytelling. So, I never even imagined a scenario where anyone would really be
paying much attention to it,” tells Momina on why she started making music.
“I
think everything comes with a cost. And yes, it was very hard to deal with the
attention that I was getting initially, but looking back at it, I think every
learning experience comes with some kind of process. And either you are able to
deal with it or it takes you a little longer to try and figure it out,” she
added while sharing her experience of going viral overnight.
Speaking
of her experience as a woman hailing from Hunza Valley and choosing a career
that is still not considered appropriate widely, Natasha shared how her choice
impacted her relationship with her father. “My father never believed in my
dreams. Although I was the first Hunzai girl coming all the way from the North
who was dreaming about going into this commercial scene, I was quite confident
about myself and so, I just told my father that I really want to do this.”
“I
grew up with two brothers and what frustrated me the most was why all the rules
were made for me and not for them. Just because I didn’t get to choose my gender
does not mean that I give up all my dreams,” added Natasha.
The
episode, spanning 60 minutes, also highlights how Spotify is leveling the
playing field for women in audio through its music program EQUAL Pakistan which is opening doors for
women, regardless of their career stage or genre, to have their music
discovered across the globe.
"Women artists added to our EQUAL Pakistan playlist are 20
times more likely to get discovered by a new fan. We are seeing fans listening
to EQUAL Pakistan from the US, UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and India," shared
Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify's Music Manager for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Despite
barriers surrounding music careers, many young creators find comfort in it,
including Zoha Zuberi, who talked about how music empowered her to express
herself.
“For
me, music was always about how I felt, and it was nothing else. So I wrote down
my feelings, composed what I wrote, and I just wanted to share that with the
world like a personal diary that you are putting out there. Because as an
introverted child, I had nothing else to communicate with. I only had music,”
said Zoha.
Towards
the session's conclusion, the panelists highlighted the importance of
educational avenues for the younger generation of Pakistani musicians while
also discussing the value of collaboration between artists and how it fosters
creativity.
Acknowledging
the importance of collaborations Anoushey Ahsraf added, “This generation of
musicians is more open to collaboration. It's amazing to see Meesha Shafi and
Atif Aslam collaborating with younger generations of musicians. They've decided
to evolve instead of rejecting the idea of collaboration.”
As a close to the insightful and lively discussion, Natasha Baig
performed a soulful rendition of her song, Wajood-e-Zan.
To
watch the entire “Women in Music” episode, head to the Spotify Talks Ep 1 Session Link.
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