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When you’re considering today’s music and entertainment industries, “modesty” is most likely not the first descriptor that comes to mind. In itself, that’s fine– the world is made up of all kinds of people, and not everyone has the same values. But when there’s virtually no representation of modesty, children and teenagers seeking a modest role model might feel like outsiders, different from everyone else.
Salwa-Lauren, a singer/songwriter, representative and “voice” of the Ontario, Canada-based streaming platform ICTV Network, and judge on the network’s program IC Star, is hoping to fill in the representation gaps and serve as a positive, modest female role model in a world that’s largely devoid of them.
By virtue of her professional and artistic accomplishments, Salwa-Lauren makes a great role model. She’s a singer/songwriter who’s performed all over the world, sharing a stage with stars like Ed Sheeran and performing for the British government, Prince Charles, and many other esteemed audiences. Her music education is well-rounded, too– she holds an Honors B.A. degree in jazz music, and has studied classical vocals and piano. She also studied pop vocals with Stevie Vann Lange (Blue, Sugababes) and Joshua Alamu (BBC The Voice, The X Factor, Pop Idol, Little Mix, Rita Ora).
Touring as vocal and percussion chair of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Great Britain allowed her to surround herself with talented musicians from a young age, touring all over Europe. She’s also produced soundtracks for blockbuster Bollywood and Asian films and TV advertisements, in addition to writing children’s educational music. In her own words, though, “my main passion was always writing songs with meaningful and thought-provoking lyrics to make people think and feel.”
Salwa-Lauren’s musical résumé makes her more than qualified for her work as a judge on IC Star, along with other internationally-recognized judges Humood Alkhudher, Ilyas Mao, Najam Sheraz, and Mesut Kurtis. Together, the panel represents Kuwait, Canada, Somalia, Pakistan, Macedonia, Turkey, and the UK.
The call for applications for the competition was astounding. The judges were tasked with the long and painstaking process of choosing just 32 finalists from a selection of over sixty thousand applications. The lucky artists they selected are a perfect cross-section of the sort of diversity that IC Star, and ICTV Network in general, values. The 32 contestants on IC Star represent 28 countries, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Canada, Pakistan, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Zanzibar and more.
IC Star manages to be both lighthearted, fun, and genuine– while showcasing the incredible talents of its contestants from all around the world, who provide staggeringly beautiful vocal performances and participate in fun challenges, some of which can be seen on ICTV Network’s official TikTok account.
On the subject of the ICTV Network, Salwa-Lauren explains: “Our vision is to represent and support talents under the umbrella of our international platform for moral-based art…. Our hope is to bring people together and nurture upcoming talent, while maintaining humane and just values for all.”
What exactly is “morals-based art”? She continues: “When we talk about morals, we mean fair treatment for all and upholding ethical standards, while promoting talent. We also mean clean song lyrics and visual content which is suitable for all. The industry is famously cutthroat, artists can get desperate and do anything to sell records. We want to provide a platform that gives talented people a voice to be heard, without them having to compromise their values.”
ICTV Network features all kinds of media: movies, documentaries, music videos, and more. Their recent talent competition show, IC Star, is the perfect representation of what the network is all about. As they continue to grow, giving a voice to people from all over the globe, clean and modest entertainment is sure to gain a foothold within the entertainment industry.
