LAHORE - Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has said that Voice of Punjab (VoP) is being launched from March 2 to bring out best talent in singing across the province.

“All the process of hunting best voice from preliminary auditions to Grand Finale would be ensured in a transparent manner. The singing aspirants till 35 years of age, irrespective of male, female and transgender, should upload their best audition at Whatsaps to participate in VoP”, he said after chairing a meeting held in this regard on Thursday.

Renowned figures of arts including Ghulam Mohyuddin, Nisho Begum, Waris Baig, Shahida Mini, Pervaiz Kaleem, Humaira Arshid, besides Executive Director Alhamra Arts Council Athar Ali Khan and MD PTV Arshid Khan attended the meeting.

Talking to the media, the minister said that this forum would explore melodious voices in singing across the province as PTV has been made media partner which would telecast this program. Punjab government, he said, had allocated an amount of Rs. 13 million for this program, under which auditions of aspiring singers would commence from March 2 and continue for three days simultaneously at Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. He said that 20 best singers would be selected from each Division and 80 singers would be selected for four quarter finals.

Giving more details of the singing contest, Chohan said that five singers would be selected from each Division for the quarter final which would be held in Alhamra Arts Council Lahore on March 8, 12, 16 and 20. Around 20 singers would participate in semi-final on March 23 and 26, he said, adding that singers would be given one week training under the auspices of renowned singers and they would be given best facilities of boarding and lodging so that they may exhibit their talent in this art in a befitting manner.

He went to say that ten best singers would be selected for final from two semi-finals which would be held on March 30 at the same venue. The singers achieving first, second and third positions in this grand contest would be given cash awards of Rs. 500,000, Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 100,000 respectively, he said.