Bilal Maqsood urges government to address music industry woes

The singer-songwriter believes that initiatives to change the general perception towards music should be undertaken

Singer-songwriter and one-half of the band Strings, Bilal Maqsood in a recent video on social media urged the government to improve the infrastructure for the music industry. Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan's most recent go-ahead for the revival of the film industry, Maqsood asked for a similar attitude to be adopted towards the music industry. 

"What is there for the musician in this country? What kind of value to we hold in the social culture fabric of the country? Do we even hold any value? Since the general perception is that we are doing something despicable. If the government agrees with this perception then let us know. If it doesn't agree, which I am sure of, since Imran Khan's mindset I don't think is like that," Maqsood said in the video.

Maqsood talked about how crucial a change in the general perception is for the survival of "Make platforms that change the mindset of the public and musicians don't have to work under fear. We have to face hostility everywhere, be it on social media or our concerts. If the same mindset keeps on prevailing, very soon music would be completely gone from the country," the Mera Bichda Yaar shared. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bilal Maqsood (@bilalxmaqsood) on Sep 19, 2020 at 9:03am PDT

Adding on, the guitarist expressed his disappointment over how the government went about it's relief initiative for artists when the Covid-19 pandemic took flight. "I was saddened to see that the form asked the artists to list the number of awards, concerts, and song they have to their name, on the basis of which they could request the government for Rs 25,000 - 50,0000. If the government thinks that it's doing a great service then I am sorry this is just a shortcut," he said. 

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