It is August and ‘Azaadi’ Season is in full swing. Amidst the green flags, badges and small caricatures of the national flag, the month also signifies the return of some Coke Studio red. Paying homage to the rampant independence day celebrations, the show previewed the lineup with their take of the Pakistani National Anthem, one that did justice to each artist and the soil which they represent.
The first episode of the new season aired yesterday and was widely acknowledged as a tremendous start by fans and normal viewers alike. The episode featured artists: Ahmad Jahanzeb, Shafqat Amanat, Hina Nasrullah, Amanat Ali, Daniyal Zafar, Momina Mustehsan and finally Ali Sethi who performed alone on his track unlike the other artists.
Allahu Akbar– Ahmed Jahanzeb & Shafqat Amanat
‘Allahu Akbar’ was the opening track for the episodes and many observations could be made from it. In terms of the set design for the production it seemed that Coke Studio was going back to its roots with a more open, airy space for the artists to collaborate, one which echoed the design that was used back in the Season 3, Rohail Hyatt days. The echo was especially evident in the decorations used such as the classic neon coke bottle sign in the background.
As for the song itself was a soulful kalam, one that got richer and richer as a plethora of instruments merged together to bring the lyrics to life. The hamad cited examples of God’s feats and the powerful range of both Shafqat Amanat and Jahanzeb did the subject matter justice.
Chaa Rahi Kali Ghata –Hina Nasrullah & Amanat Ali
The second track was actually originally a traditional song sung by Begum Akhtar, to which Asim Raza from Coke Studio added more lyrics. The song starts very in tune with the original but makes no delay in moving to Coke Studio’s signature multi instrumental sound when Amanat Ali joins in. Amanat Ali’s verses makes the song sound more like a modern love song, though he may sound a little nasal at points.
The song moves from being uplifting to a little sad and moody, this remains as the song progresses in waves. Hina and Amanat’s contrasting vocals guides this shift. The song reaches a climax towards the end when the vocals are passed Amanat one last time, backed by Hina’s extremely impressive vocal range.
Muntazir -Danyal Zafar & Momina Mustehsan.
Coke Studio is famed for reviving old classics with new multi layered and modern instrumentation, and does so by selecting famed artists that the audience expects to see every year, big names such as Abida Parveen and Ataullah Esakhelvi. This does not mean, however, that that Coke Studio denies emerging talent the stage.
On the contrary, Coke Studio provides a platform for younger artists as evidenced by Momina Mustehsan debut last year, who is back with none other than Ali Zafar’s brother Danyal Zafar wherein the duo performed an original song written by strings. The musical arrangement of the song is extremely similar to Lazarus by Porcupine Tree and the song is currently trending #2 on youtube right now. Danyal Zafar separated himself from his brother, especially difficult given their uncanny resemblance, by bringing out his guitar mid song and delivered an exuberant guitar solo that suits the modern touch of the song perfectly.
Ranjish Hi Sahi – Ali Sethi
The video for this track itself begins with a few notes and is basically a tribute to the late ‘Shahenshah-e-Ghazal Mehdi Hassan. The lyrics pay homage to his prior works and a big image of the late artist’s face flashes in the background followed by Ali Sethis appearance.
Arrangement wise, in typical Coke Studio fashion it modernises an old ghazal with keys and acoustic guitar with the tabla retaining some character of the ghazal. The strings and the choir style backing vocalists add a breezy vibe and keeps the listener hooked. Given that it is Coke Studio production, experimentation is a given, They did a good job in keeping it subtle and Sethi lead the show.
All in all the first episode proved a good start for the 10th installment of Coke Studio
