Coke Studio’s house band shares their experience of working under Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia
Coke Studio, the sub-continent’s most popular entertainment platform, is an enormous show. Scores of people work hard for months to make musical magic happen year after year. At the forefront of the show are the artists and the musicians who work together to create the music that we have come to love and cherish.
But apart from the featured singers and visiting musicians, Coke Studio is supported by the ever present house band. More or less a permanent fixture throughout any season, the house band is the foundation of the show that ties the entire performance together; these musicians get to work on an average of 30 songs per season. Directing and managing the entire show and the house band are the dynamic duo, Strings who have been steering the wheel at Coke Studio since season 7.
This has us wondering. What kind of directors are Strings? Can Faisal and Bilal be as calm as they look in their public appearances? Or are they the artistic, moody types who rule the sets with an iron rod? Surely the latter, because being a boss is hard work and one is allowed to throw some tantrums and break a cup or two. No?
We caught up with some musicians who will be part of Coke Studio’s house band for season 10 to ask them one simple question. How are Strings as bosses?
“They’re both gems! Being a good musician is a whole different thing but they’re incredible human beings, said Haider Ali adding that Faisal and Bilal have always treated him as their younger sibling. “Most importantly, I’ve been given full liberty to play whatever I want. I’ve worked with so many artists but the moment I joined Strings I knew I could not go anywhere else,” he stated full of admiration for Strings as the boss.
“I’ve been associated with the entertainment industry for over 15-16 years but have worked with Strings for the past 5-6 years. Working with Strings has been really good,” appreciated Asif Nicky adding that they’re easy going and quality conscious at the same time. “To me, quality in work is a priority and that’s why being associated with Strings is special for me,” said Nicky.
“They are angels! Trust me, I’m not exaggerating,” exclaimed Aahad Nahyani. “I am here because of them. There are a lot of people who have talent, but they know how and where to use that talent. Strings show humanity, respect for musicians, valuing artists, and are easy going. They’re like big brothers on the set,” he said.
Why do we not find this praise surprising? All house band musicians, allow us to say, we are a wee bit jealous of your good fortune!
The house band this season includes: Aahad Nayani, Kamran Zafar, Babar Khanna, Aziz Kazi, Imran Akhoond, Haider Ali, Omran Shafique, Shahab Hussain, Rachel Viccaji, Natasha Khan, Joshua, Bradley and Adeel.
Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood – the dynamic duo behind Strings, are inarguably our most consistent musical act, with numerous hits and plenty international experience. Faisal and Bilal have not only produced but also composed their own music, which gives them the perfect vantage point to understand and direct a show of Coke Studio’s scale.
