Review : Coke Studio Season 3
Author : Rida Rahim ( P M R )
The 6th of june 2010, was a much awaited date ! No, the Iifa awards weren’t to be aired , nor the grand finale of “This is it” in Nadia khan show , instead , the much awaited “Coke studio” 3rd season was to be on aired. It was a highly-charged, highly-intense session of Coke Studio 2010 indeed , to once again explore the depths of music.
The much awaited, much anticipated Coke studio season 3 emerged as a musical fusion platform of exciting elements ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music coming together to form a distinctive sound with a Pakistani touch. Coke Studio is indeed an inspired step by Coca-Cola and Rohait Hyatt for having created a platform where renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream musicians from various genres can collaborate musically and entertain music lovers not only in Pakistan but other parts of the subcontinent as well.
Coke Studio season 3 featured live recordings and performances by renowned artistes like, the iconic Abida Parveen, Arif Lohar, Arieb Azhar, Sanam Marvi , Rizwan and Muazzam who mesmerised the listeners by their intense and unique performances. The very versatile , the doyenne of contemporary ghazal singing, Tina Sani made a come back to studio after 16 years with her vocal cords as fresh and active as ever.
Bands like Noori, Entitiy Paradigm [EP] , Zeb and Haniya, Karavan, Aunty Disco Project [ADP] representing the Pakistani Pop industry at the studio along with Amanat Ali [ making a debut to the Coke Studio ] and Meesha Shafi [ the overload fame ] gave some unforgettible performances ; “Bolo Bolo”, “Aisha” , “Chori chori”, “tan dolay” “sultanat”, “yaadein” and “Nazar eyle” to name just a few. These performances were no doubt the topic of discussion among everyone. Not to forget the surprising collaboration of Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi in “Alif Allah chambay Di booty” which sounded folksy yet funky, traditional yet modern – thus winning away many hearts.
The 3rd season also introduces some new artists: Sanam Saeed and Zoe Viccaji as backing vocalists, and Sikandar Mufti as multi-percussionist. Meanwhile, guest musician and rubab virtuoso Sadiq Sameer lends his sound too. Noor Zehra Kazim [ mother of the Noori brothers ] brings the unique music instrument “sagar veena” to the Coke Studio platform.
In a nut shell, Coke studio is getting better with every new season and this time it has been quite successful in providing a source of clean, decent entertainment to music lovers with both eastern and western flavours of music.
EPISODE 1 :
The first episode opens with Arieb Azhar’s recital of a twelfth century kalam penned by mystic Baba Bulleh Shah. ‘Na Raindee Hai’ with its lounge feel is an attempt to revive the tradition of poetry recitation. Sufic legacy is carried forth in the second track of the episode by none other than the iconic Abida Parveen with a kalam by Hazrat Baidam Shah Warsi titled ‘Ramooz-e-Ishq’. Translated into Urdu, the performance has both the Eastern and Western house band members involved yet very subtly. Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi collaborated and surprised one and all with the chemistry between them in ‘Alif Allah Chambay Di Booty’. The song is folksy yet funky, traditional yet modern – perfect fusion of two distinct identities. Musically, it retains its traditional rhythm but revamped with contemporary instruments. Breaking the Sufic line-up is Karavan, Pakistan’s premier and pioneering rockers. They deliver a melodious pop number ‘Yaadein’ with Omran Shafique a.k.a “momo” joining them on the guitar Javed Iqbal on the violin and Jaffer Ali Zaidi on the keyboard. The last performance of the episode was Zeb & Haniya surprising us with another track this season, ‘Bibi Sanam Janem’. The house band goes into retro mode and gives a groovy-funky syncopation.
The first episode also introduces some new artists this season: Sanam Saeed and Zoe Viccaji as backing vocalists, and Sikandar Mufti as multi-percussionist. Meanwhile, guest musician and rubab virtuoso Sadiq Sameer lends his sound too.
EPISODE 2 :
The five tracks featured in Episode 2 – three distinct contemporary pop-acts, and two intense and unique performances by Pakistan’s treasured artists – symbolize the range and depth of musical influences and inspirations available at Coke studio.
Making his first appearance on the Coke Studio platform is the talented, young singer Amanat Ali with his rendition of ‘Aisha’. Originally written in French and since translated into 12 different languages, Amanat performs the first known Urdu version of this internationally popular track on Coke Studio. Taking the stage next are the Shah Jo Raag Fakirs, accompanied by their unique five-stringed traditional instrument dhamboora. Led by Fakir Juman Shah the Fakirs recreate the mystic aura of the Bhit Shah shrine with a profoundly emotive rendition of ‘Moomal Rano’ from the Shah Jo Risalo. A mutually inspired collaboration between Noori and Zeb & Haniya was much appreciated. This light fusion track, ‘Tann Dolay’, showcases a range of distinct vocals with a signature Noori style music composition. Entity Paradigm [EP] maintains the momentum on the set next, with their funk-rock take on Sajjad Ali’s ‘Bolo Bolo’. Not surprising that the song got a lot of facebook statutes, twitter tweets and videos posted to friends recommending them to give it a listen. The episode ends with Rizwan & Muazzam and their traditional qawwal arrangement, delivering an improvisational ‘Naina De Akhay’, in an evocative tribute to the legendary Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
EPISODE 3 :
Sanam Marvi sets the tone of the third episode ‘Conception’ with ‘Pritam’, a folk song from the deserts of Rajasthan that has been passed down through countless generations. Coke Studio brings ‘Pritam’ to the present time fusing Marvi’s strong and textured vocals with contemporary open-tuned guitars layered over an unmistakable folk groove. The second act is Meesha Shafi paying a tribute to the legendary folk singer Reshma with a rendition of the hugely popular ‘Chori Chori’. Re-emerging on Coke Studio, ‘Chori Chori’ is evolved, edgy, experimental, ambient and organic — all rolled into one. Third in the line-up is the versatile Tina Sani, the doyenne of contemporary ghazal singing. With Coke Studio 2010, Sani returns to a recording studio after a 16-year-long hiatus and is joined in ‘Mori Araj Suno’ by Arieb Azhar, who has etched his mark in poetry recitation this season. The third episode features Aunty Disco Project [ADP] with their original number ‘Sultanat’. Charged with an obvious zest for life and a passion for music, ADP belt out the high-energy ‘Sultanat’ in a performance that is cohesive, aggressive and appealingly sincere. The episode ends with a performance by the iconic Abida Parveen, who sends the senses soaring with the passion of her convictions in ‘Nigah-e-Darwaishaan’, a fusion of kalams by mystics such as Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast and Baba Farid, giving Parveen’s compelling and authoritative vocals ample room to shine.
EPISODE 4 :
Noori opens episode 4 with ‘Hor Vi Neevan Ho’, an evocative tribute to the legendary folk singer Hamid Ali Bela. Inspired from a rare, publicly unheard recording of Bela, the rendition sees the Noori brothers (Ali Noor and Ali Hamza) collaborate with their mother Noor Zehra Kazim as she brings the unique music instrument sagar veena to the Coke Studio platform. In their purest rock avatar, Karavan delivers a thrilling ‘Kaisay Mumkin Hai’ next up. Acoustics are traded with electric guitars on this track, which Karavan is performing live for the first time along with backing vocalists. Re-affirming their repo for bringing in the flavors of exotic lands, Zeb & Haniya maintain the strong currents of folk music in this session with ‘Nazaar Eyle’. A folk story from Turkey, the song stands out for its mirroring of the rich heritage of subcontinent, derived from disparate cultures. Spontaneity, sweetness and verve are all thrown together as Amanat Ali and Sanam Marvi pair up in the fast-paced ‘Haq Maujood’. The kalam by Sachal Sarmast is set to a tune inspired from the traditional Sindhi dhamal rhythm and is unique for featuring a drum solo towards the finale. ‘Form’ concludes with a theatrical performance by Arif Lohar in ‘Mirza Sahibaan’. Based on a tragic love story of the same name, Lohar lends ‘Mirza Sahibaan’ his signature energetic magnetism and infectious glee.
EPISODE 5 :
The episode features five distinct tracks, ranging from profoundly Sufic to movingly patriotic. Amanat Ali performs the patriotic anthem ‘Ae Wattan Kay Sajeelay Jawanon’, a tribute to the legendary Madam Noor Jehan. The pride and sincerity in performing this number is evident across the board during its entirety, and it is hard not to feel moved. Next, Tina Sani’s renders ‘Nawai Ney’, derived from Maulana Rumi’s ‘Masnavi’. She is accompanied by flautist Baqir Abbas, who returns to the sets of Coke Studio and brings the analogy to life with his soothing flute play. For her third performance in Coke Studio sessions, Sufi singer Sanam Marvi renders a Sachal Sarmast work ‘Manzil-e-Sufi’. Brilliantly unique, this improvisational track stands out not only for rhythm and melody but the incorporation of various modern influences. Abida Parveen’s indomitable presence and inimitable style is showcased a final time in this season of Coke Studio with ‘Soz-e-Ishq’. With her soulful strains, Parveen takes us into depths of Sufism and evokes passion, love and spirituality. Rizwan and Muazzam with their qawwal ensemble deliver another exhilarating Sufi number ‘Jana Jogi Dey Naal’, originally penned by mystic Baba Bulleh Shah.
Just two weeks short of Pakistan’s 63rd birth anniversary, Coke Studio also brings special messages by artists featured in Coke Studio 2010.
With the five mind blasting episodes of Coke Studio season 3, the audiences are left with mesmerising music to listen all year round and wait for the next season of Coke studio to began. Looking forward to hear some more great talent in the next session.
Happy Reading –
Rida Rahim ( P M R )
Image Credits :
Captured By : Muhammad Haris
Edited By : Bilal Asif ( P M R )
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