Interview with ‘Asian Beats Chart’ presenters
The first ever Asian music chart show on mainstream TV hits Kiss TV this week.
BizAsia.co.uk caught up with presenting duo MawaanRizwan and Amira Kai of the ‘Asian Beats Chart’ to find out more about the much talked about programme.
How does it feel to be a part of the Asian Beats Chart ��� a first for UK mainstream TV?
We are big fans of music with Asian heritage. There is a preconception that all Asian music is about Bollywood. This is just not the case and the Asian Beat Chart will showcase the best of Asian talent. Ultimately, we are fans of new music generally, so to be involved bringing Asian music to the mainstream is a great honour.
How did you both bag the presenting parts on Asian Beats Chart?
We literally answered advertisements put out there by one of the show co-ordinators, Terry Mardi via his Facebook messages and Tweets. We were selected for the auditions by Terry, Aadil Rasheed and Simon Sadler then won through when auditioned by the production team.
How different is the show to existing Asian music shows on other channels?
We like to think that the Asian Beats Chart is similar to other shows. The important point to this show is the fact that it is being broadcast on mainstream TV, allowing a wider audience to see exactly what Asian music is all about. The songs in the countdown feature Asia’s answer to Tinie Tempah and Rihanna. We know the majority of people will be surprised with the type of music shown.
Will the ‘Asian Beats Chart’ focus on just new and upcoming artists or will it also showcase current a-listers?
It will focus on whoever makes good enough music be they new or established.
How do you think the ‘Asian Beats Chart’ show change the dynamics in the Asian music sector?
We think this show is a large step in the right direction to raising the awareness of Asian music and its artists. We hope it will open a lot of doors for a lot of artists.
What do you think of the UK Asian music scene at the moment?Enthusiastic, fresh and talented but rudderless/lacking in direction. With a show like the “abc” it hopefully builds a platform that radio will follow in order to break more Asian artists into mainstream success long term.
Is it a good time to be promoting current UK Asian music to a mainstream audience?
It�۪s long overdue! Sonna Rele, Raxstar, Arjun, and the likes of Menis work hard in the scene and many others who will hopefully feature in future shows if we get this off the ground like Jernade, will benefit from mainstream exposure.
Kiss is a popular TV channel amongst Asians who enjoy viewing RnB and Dance music videos, do you think ‘Asians Beat Chart’ be well accepted on the channel?
Kiss is well known for playing new emerging artists in RnB, Hip Hop and Dance. The music that is featured on the Asian Beats Chart isn�۪t too far removed from this style – the only difference is it comes from Asian artists. The best thing about Kiss is that it has a strong and loyal following, so we are really looking forward to seeing how the show performs.
Do you think this show will path the way for other mainstream channels to pick up Asian music shows?
Possibly. To be honest, we are happy that Kiss TV and 4Music are playing it. 4Music is the most watched music TV channel in the UK and Kiss has such as strong following – we probably wouldn�۪t want the show being broadcast anywhere else.
What can we expect from the first episode of Asian Beats Chart?
Well we�۪re not going give the game away just like that, are we now, It�۪s all about surprises!
The ‘Asian Beats Chart’ will air on Wednesday 18th January at 18:00 on Kiss TV and on 4Music on Friday 3rd February at 21:30.
