Sad, very sad. Imagine how true artists are treated in this country. During the NTM days, a music talent show titled Music Challenge gained immense popularity. One thought that anyone who reached the final stages of that programme would by now have been involved in pursuits worth their while, for example, working with a renowned record label. Not to be.

It pained to recently see a video of a certain Master Aslam from Karachi on social media, holding the handlebars of the rickshaw that he drives, singing the famous Bade Ghulam Ali Khan thumri Yaad piya ki aaey. Aslam was one of the finalists of Music Challenge in 1993. Today, he drives a rickshaw to earn a living. There’s nothing wrong in doing that. The point is that in a country where two-bit pop artists (not the good ones, mind you) become rich and famous in the blink of an eye, those who can really sing are left alone to eke out a living.

Interestingly, someone sent the legendary Lata Mangeshkar a clip of Aslam’s performance. Lataji shared it on her social media page, along with a message that he should be in front of the microphone, not riding a rickshaw. That’s greatness and magnanimity for you. Only a true artist can recognise the worth of another artist. I hope that Lataji’s validation will bring some happiness to Aslam’s life, enabling him to display his talent without financial woes.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 17th, 2016