Senior Singer Jawad Ahmed Criticizes Today’s Artists for Being Money-Minded

ISLAMABAD: Veteran Pakistani singer Jawad Ahmed has criticized modern artists, saying that today’s performers are driven by greed for money rather than connecting with the public.

In an interview, Jawad Ahmed said, “I sacrificed my music career for politics. At the moment, I am not earning much, and I have no desire for money. I fail to understand why our artists are so obsessed with money.”

Reflecting on his own career, he recalled the golden era of music in Pakistan, saying, “There was a market where an ordinary person could listen to you. During our time, cassettes reached every village across the country, and we sold 4 to 6 million cassettes. Daler Mehndi once told me that we sold fewer cassettes in India than in Pakistan.”

He added, “We used to perform in villages and towns, and people would cry just to see the singer perform—it was a beautiful feeling for us.”

Jawad Ahmed urged contemporary artists to lower their fees and make themselves more accessible to the public. “The people of Pakistan made you a superstar. Nowadays, artists sing at weddings, take money from corporates, and only revolve around them, appearing on TV while avoiding the public. This is socially wrong, and this is my personal opinion,” he said.

The singer’s comments highlight his concern that modern music has become more about profit than about creating a meaningful connection with fans.