[VIDEOS] The Coke Studio phenomena

[Waseem]

Exclusive: Coke Studio 10's line-up will leave you starstruck

KARACHI: For a show that singlehandedly changed the course of Pakistani music, the completion of 10 years is a huge milestone. Not only because anything remotely related to Pakistani music lasts that long but also because these 10 years mean as much to the Pakistani music scene.

Like it or not, you have to accept that Pakistani music is not the same since Coke Studio arrived with a band. For many, it came like a blessing – for others, it came like a curse that made corporate control of the music industry the only way out of its crises. Other corporations were quick to jump the bandwagon, though mostly not proving to be as successful.

This time around, the expectations are even higher. If its 10 years for Coke Studio, its 70 years for Pakistan and both complement each other quite organically. The show, since its inception under Rohail Hyatt’s tutelage has been interwoven with the multicultural spirit of the Pakistani identity hence their famous tagline: Sound of the Nation.

Since Strings took over the show in 2014, it was rumoured that Coke Studio was a 10-year deal to begin with, and after String’s third, Rohail will come back and give a great grand farewell to fans with season 10. That has just proven to be another rumour as Strings gear up for the biggest season in the show’s history with nine different producers and various tributes to the stalwarts of the industry.

Faakhir is out, so is Sheraz Uppal and Noori, as Salman Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Mekaal Hasan, Ali Hamza (as solo artist), Sahir Ali Bagga and Strings join the remaining producers of last year’s lineup. In our previous analysis we had mentioned a Junaid Jamshed tribute but it seems like he’s not the only one being acknowledged this year.

Sources inform The Express Tribune that each producer’s set will feature at least one tribute song, and the tributes range from an ode to Faiz Ahmed Faiz in the form of Bol Kay Lab Azaad Hain ft Shafqat Amanat Ali to Dum Mast Qalandar ft Umair Jaswal and a Qawwal party as one to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sehwan Sharif.

Ali Sethi will remember Mehdi Hasan by singing Ranjish Hi Sahi while Ali Zafar, Ali Hamza and Strings will join forces in Us Rah Par to remember Junaid Jamshed. More tributes are to follow with a wider roster of producers and the songs, like always, songs will mostly be covers and folk tunes with every producer giving a minimum of one original song each.

People are terming Ahmed Jehanzeb and Shafqat Amanat Ali’s original number with Shuja Haider as the next Khaaki Banda while Ali Zafar is all set to bring something very similar to Rockstar to the table. Apart from featuring separately, Danyal Zafar will play the guitar in one of Ali Zafar’s song, making it the first time the two brothers will be seen in a song together.

Sajjad Ali’s daughter Zau Ali, who was so far known for her skills as a videographer will also feature in an English song being produced by her father. Rahat and most likely Ali Noor will join Salman Ahmed in a new rendition of Sayonee after what has been termed as a second fall out between Salman and Ali Azmat.

Apparently there was an actual Junoon reunion on the cards and Ali Azmat was also on board but things didn’t work out at the eleventh hour. We will share the details of this in our upcoming write-up on Coke Studio 10. Aamir Zaki will play on a track being produced by Jaffar Zaidi in what will prove to be his farewell performance.

With so much nostalgia and so many scattered emotions at play, Coke Studio 10 is bound to give us the feels. Especially when so many young and unknown faces are also set to partake in it. The show will kick off on August 14 with a collaborative rendition of Pakistan’s national anthem.

Here are all the artists involved this time around:

Producers

Shuja Haider

Shaani

Sahir Ali Bagga

Salman Ahmed

Ali Hamza

Jaffar Zaidi

Strings

Sajjad Ali

Mekaal Hasan



Artists we know so far

Humaira Channa

Rahat Fateh Ali

Amanat Ali

Zau Ali ( Sajjad Ali’s daughter)

Ali Zafar

Daniyal Zafar

Strings

Farhan Saeed

Momina Mustehsan

Untitled girl’s chorus

Salman Ahmed

Ataullah Eesakhelvi

Shafqat Amanat Ali

Aima Baig

Ahmed Jehanzeb

Umair Jaswal

Ali Sethi

Humaira Arshad

QB

Nabeel Shaukat

Jabbar Abbas

Natasha Khan



Songs to look forward to

Us Rah Par

Qaumi Tarana

Dam Mast Qalandar

Asan Yaar Manana Ae

Ranjish Hee Sahi

Lathay Dee Chadar

Sayonee

Mujhse Pehli See Mohabbat

Jaanay Baharaaan

https://tribune.com.pk/story/144937...ed-epic-collaborations-heartwarming-tributes/

 

[Nostalgic]

Every year, I contribute heavily to the Coke Studio thread, and every year, I vow to be the one to create the thread. Yet every year, someone beats me to it

Delighted to see Mekaal coming in as a producer. He's not an easy person to work with, but he's a perfectionist, and takes great pride in his work. On the flip side, I'm not happy to see Salman Ahmad there. He's past it, and if his post-Junoon compositions are anything to go by, his CS output will be hackneyed. Nevertheless, I would love to be proven wrong. There still is no Shahi Hasan, the wait continues for another year.

With Junaid Jamshed's and Amir Zaki's untimely deaths, this could've been that one season where Rohail was brought back, because he has expressed the desire to do one more season. There is a lot of complicated personal history between him and JJ and Zaki, and it would've been fascinating to observe the emotions in the Behind the Scenes as he revisited some of the old Vital Signs material. But it wasn't to be I guess. At least not this year.

 

[Red Devil]

They better give QB a solo song this time around.

 

[Waseem]

Every year, I contribute heavily to the Coke Studio thread, and every year, I vow to be the one to create the thread. Yet every year, someone beats me to it

Delighted to see Mekaal coming in as a producer. He's not an easy person to work with, but he's a perfectionist, and takes great pride in his work. On the flip side, I'm not happy to see Salman Ahmad there. He's past it, and if his post-Junoon compositions are anything to go by, his CS output will be hackneyed. Nevertheless, I would love to be proven wrong. There still is no Shahi Hasan, the wait continues for another year.

With Junaid Jamshed's and Amir Zaki's untimely deaths, this could've been that one season where Rohail was brought back, because he has expressed the desire to do one more season. There is a lot of complicated personal history between him and JJ and Zaki, and it would've been fascinating to observe the emotions in the Behind the Scenes as he revisited some of the old Vital Signs material. But it wasn't to be I guess. At least not this year.

Sorry bro, i have done the honours last few years but the thread belongs to you without a doubt as your contribution is most vital

 

[Nostalgic]

Sorry bro, i have done the honours last few years but the thread belongs to you without a doubt as your contribution is most vital

No problem! The show is a celebration of Pakistan, and Pakistani music, so we're all on the same team, so to speak.

 

[Nostalgic]

They better give QB a solo song this time around.

Absolutely. Every year she ends up being saddled with a duet of one sort or the other.

 

[WebGuru]

Every year, I contribute heavily to the Coke Studio thread, and every year, I vow to be the one to create the thread. Yet every year, someone beats me to it

Delighted to see Mekaal coming in as a producer. He's not an easy person to work with, but he's a perfectionist, and takes great pride in his work. On the flip side, I'm not happy to see Salman Ahmad there. He's past it, and if his post-Junoon compositions are anything to go by, his CS output will be hackneyed. Nevertheless, I would love to be proven wrong. There still is no Shahi Hasan, the wait continues for another year.

With Junaid Jamshed's and Amir Zaki's untimely deaths, this could've been that one season where Rohail was brought back, because he has expressed the desire to do one more season. There is a lot of complicated personal history between him and JJ and Zaki, and it would've been fascinating to observe the emotions in the Behind the Scenes as he revisited some of the old Vital Signs material. But it wasn't to be I guess. At least not this year.

Don't know they are not giving Shahi Hassan a chance? He is very active these days coming up with OSTs. JJ/Salman last song Ik Chand ik sitara was also done at Shahi's studio.

 

[WebGuru]

They should ask Jaffer to request Nayyara Noor for one last performance just like Frida ji...

 

[ExpressPacer]

Disappointed that no new fresh faces are being introduced apart from those that would have made the industry anyway.

 

[super hitter]

Another qawali from Atif Aslam can make the records break

 

[saadibaba]

I have been ambivalent about the last few CK seasons. Ever since Rohail left, I feel CK has lost its soul. The big names were still there, so was the musicianship and talent at display, but that special spark, that song that gets stuck in your head and completely takes you over, the magic, for a lack of a better term was gone.

I am not sure if its all Strings fault. They were never knows to be experimental or of the pioneering variety. They know melody and they have learned along the way to keep it simple. I often thought while listening to the songs under their tutelage that those songs could have been given another dimension or does not necessarily have to be dictated by mainstream tastes.

Yes, its good to be popular but CK was not started to create hit songs but rather to create a space where artists are given an open platform to experiment with sounds, moods and instruments. Its popularity among masses ultimately became its liability. As its audience grew wider, the corporate master's demands probably got larger as well. The last season by Rohail was a flop by mainstream standard. They were probably thinking of replacing him anyways but when his marriage fell apart, it was writing on the wall.

Strings, known for their mainstream tastes and the ability to connect with younger audiences were brought in and judging from the responses, looks like they have managed to do what they were tasked with. But the old hardcore fan like me who was with CK from season 1 became disillusioned. Alas, it was too good to last that long anyways.

That set aside, the new season's lineup, producers and themes does like promising. I am particularly excited about the tribute to JJ and Zaki and the Sayonee remake. Hope they don't mess that up. Still waiting for the return of the elusive Rohail Hayat. He embodies CK in my opinion and without him, nothing will ever be the same.

 

[saadibaba]

I have been ambivalent about the last few CK seasons. Ever since Rohail left, I feel CK has lost its soul. The big names were still there, so was the musicianship and talent at display, but that special spark, that song that gets stuck in your head and completely takes you over, the magic, for a lack of a better term was gone.

I am not sure if its all Strings fault. They were never knows to be experimental or of the pioneering variety. They know melody and they have learned along the way to keep it simple. I often thought while listening to the songs under their tutelage that those songs could have been given another dimension or does not necessarily have to be dictated by mainstream tastes.

Yes, its good to be popular but CK was not started to create hit songs but rather to create a space where artists are given an open platform to experiment with sounds, moods and instruments. Its popularity among masses ultimately became its liability. As its audience grew wider, the corporate master's demands probably got larger as well. The last season by Rohail was a flop by mainstream standard. They were probably thinking of replacing him anyways but when his marriage fell apart, it was writing on the wall.

Strings, known for their mainstream tastes and the ability to connect with younger audiences were brought in and judging from the responses, looks like they have managed to do what they were tasked with. But the old hardcore fan like me who was with CK from season 1 became disillusioned. Alas, it was too good to last that long anyways.

That set aside, the new season's lineup, producers and themes does like promising. I am particularly excited about the tribute to JJ and Zaki and the Sayonee remake. Hope they don't mess that up. Still waiting for the return of the elusive Rohail Hayat. He embodies CK in my opinion and without him, nothing will ever be the same.

Not sure why I keep writing Coke Studio (CS) as CK. Old age I guess....dementia finally setting in.

 

[Da_Future_Knick]

Only thing I care about is that Momina is there.

 

[Nostalgic]

The website has been updated. There isn't much there yet, but it means its that time of the year again. A month to go.

 

[waqar goraya]

Coke Studio 10

For a show that singlehandedly changed the course of Pakistani music, the completion of 10 years is a huge milestone. Not only because anything remotely related to Pakistani music lasts that long but also because these 10 years mean as much to the Pakistani music scene.

Like it or not, you have to accept that Pakistani music is not the same since Coke Studio arrived with a band. For many, it came like a blessing – for others, it came like a curse that made corporate control of the music industry the only way out of its crises. Other corporations were quick to jump the bandwagon, though mostly not proving to be as successful.

This time around, the expectations are even higher. If its 10 years for Coke Studio, its 70 years for Pakistan and both complement each other quite organically. The show, since its inception under Rohail Hyatt’s tutelage has been interwoven with the multicultural spirit of the Pakistani identity hence their famous tagline: Sound of the Nation.

Since Strings took over the show in 2014, it was rumoured that Coke Studio was a 10-year deal to begin with, and after String’s third, Rohail will come back and give a great grand farewell to fans with season 10. That has just proven to be another rumour as Strings gear up for the biggest season in the show’s history with nine different producers and various tributes to the stalwarts of the industry.

Faakhir is out, so is Sheraz Uppal and Noori, as Salman Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Mekaal Hasan, Ali Hamza (as solo artist), Sahir Ali Bagga and Strings join the remaining producers of last year’s lineup. In our previous analysis we had mentioned a Junaid Jamshed tribute but it seems like he’s not the only one being acknowledged this year.


Sources inform The Express Tribune that each producer’s set will feature at least one tribute song, and the tributes range from an ode to Faiz Ahmed Faiz in the form of Bol Kay Lab Azaad Hain ft Shafqat Amanat Ali to Dum Mast Qalandar ft Umair Jaswal and a Qawwal party as one to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sehwan Sharif.

Ali Sethi will remember Mehdi Hasan by singing Ranjish Hi Sahi while Ali Zafar, Ali Hamza and Strings will join forces in Us Rah Par to remember Junaid Jamshed. More tributes are to follow with a wider roster of producers and the songs, like always, songs will mostly be covers and folk tunes with every producer giving a minimum of one original song each.

People are terming Ahmed Jehanzeb and Shafqat Amanat Ali’s original number with Shuja Haider as the next Khaaki Banda while Ali Zafar is all set to bring something very similar to Rockstar to the table. Apart from featuring separately, Danyal Zafar will play the guitar in one of Ali Zafar’s song, making it the first time the two brothers will be seen in a song together.

KARACHI: For a show that singlehandedly changed the course of Pakistani music, the completion of 10 years is a huge milestone. Not only because anything remotely related to Pakistani music lasts that long but also because these 10 years mean as much to the Pakistani music scene.

Like it or not, you have to accept that Pakistani music is not the same since Coke Studio arrived with a band. For many, it came like a blessing – for others, it came like a curse that made corporate control of the music industry the only way out of its crises. Other corporations were quick to jump the bandwagon, though mostly not proving to be as successful.


This time around, the expectations are even higher. If its 10 years for Coke Studio, its 70 years for Pakistan and both complement each other quite organically. The show, since its inception under Rohail Hyatt’s tutelage has been interwoven with the multicultural spirit of the Pakistani identity hence their famous tagline: Sound of the Nation.

Since Strings took over the show in 2014, it was rumoured that Coke Studio was a 10-year deal to begin with, and after String’s third, Rohail will come back and give a great grand farewell to fans with season 10. That has just proven to be another rumour as Strings gear up for the biggest season in the show’s history with nine different producers and various tributes to the stalwarts of the industry.

Faakhir is out, so is Sheraz Uppal and Noori, as Salman Ahmed, Sajjad Ali, Mekaal Hasan, Ali Hamza (as solo artist), Sahir Ali Bagga and Strings join the remaining producers of last year’s lineup. In our previous analysis we had mentioned a Junaid Jamshed tribute but it seems like he’s not the only one being acknowledged this year.


Sources inform The Express Tribune that each producer’s set will feature at least one tribute song, and the tributes range from an ode to Faiz Ahmed Faiz in the form of Bol Kay Lab Azaad Hain ft Shafqat Amanat Ali to Dum Mast Qalandar ft Umair Jaswal and a Qawwal party as one to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Sehwan Sharif.

Ali Sethi will remember Mehdi Hasan by singing Ranjish Hi Sahi while Ali Zafar, Ali Hamza and Strings will join forces in Us Rah Par to remember Junaid Jamshed. More tributes are to follow with a wider roster of producers and the songs, like always, songs will mostly be covers and folk tunes with every producer giving a minimum of one original song each.

People are terming Ahmed Jehanzeb and Shafqat Amanat Ali’s original number with Shuja Haider as the next Khaaki Banda while Ali Zafar is all set to bring something very similar to Rockstar to the table. Apart from featuring separately, Danyal Zafar will play the guitar in one of Ali Zafar’s song, making it the first time the two brothers will be seen in a song together.


Sajjad Ali’s daughter Zau Ali, who was so far known for her skills as a videographer will also feature in an English song being produced by her father. Rahat and most likely Ali Noor will join Salman Ahmed in a new rendition of Sayonee after what has been termed as a second fall out between Salman and Ali Azmat.

Apparently there was an actual Junoon reunion on the cards and Ali Azmat was also on board but things didn’t work out at the eleventh hour. We will share the details of this in our upcoming write-up on Coke Studio 10. Aamir Zaki will play on a track being produced by Jaffar Zaidi in what will prove to be his farewell performance.

Producers :

Shuja Haider

Shaani

Sahir Ali Bagga

Salman Ahmed

Ali Hamza

Jaffar Zaidi

Strings

Sajjad Ali

Mekaal Hasan

Artists we know so far :

Humaira Channa

Rahat Fateh Ali

Amanat Ali

Zau Ali ( Sajjad Ali’s daughter)

Ali Zafar

Daniyal Zafar

Strings

Farhan Saeed

Momina Mustehsan

Untitled girl’s chorus

Salman Ahmed

Ataullah Eesakhelvi

Shafqat Amanat Ali

Aima Baig

Ahmed Jehanzeb

Umair Jaswal

Ali Sethi

Humaira Arshad

QB

Nabeel Shaukat

Jabbar Abbas

Natasha Khan

Songs to look forward to : Us Rah Par

Qaumi Tarana

Dam Mast Qalandar

Asan Yaar Manana Ae

Ranjish Hee Sahi

Lathay Dee Chadar

Sayonee

Mujhse Pehli See Mohabbat

Jaanay Baharaaan

https://tribune.com.pk/story/144937...ed-epic-collaborations-heartwarming-tributes/

 

[waqar goraya]

Faiza Mujahid, Faraz Anwar, Sanwal Eesakhelvi and Waqar Ehsin are also included in the artist list.

http://www.cokestudio.com.pk/season10/artists.html?WT.cl=1&WT.mn=Artists

So, no Meesha Shafi and Aabida Parveen this time around.

 

[Waseem]

I downloaded whole season 9 and listened to all songs multiple times so just to refresh memories for the purpose of comparison with season 10, following were the songs and what i thought about them:

My favourite
Uddi Ja Mohsin Abbas
Lagi Bina (Sanam Marvi/Saieen Zahoor)
Maula e Kul (Abida Perveen)
Aaya Laariye (Meesha Shafi/Naeem Abbas Rufi)
Afreen Afreen (Rahat/Momina)
Tu hi tu (Shiraz Uppal/Mehvish Hayat)

Very nice list
Shamaan Pai gayian/Ki Dam da Bharosa (Kashif Ali/Rachel Viccaji)
Ala Baali (Nirmal Roy/Jabbar Abbas)
Meri meri (Rizwan Butt/Sara Haider)
Tu Kuja Man Kuja (Shiraz Uppal/Rafaqat Ali Khan)
Khaki Banda (Ahemed Jehanzaib/Umair Jaswal)
Paar Chanaa De (Noori/Shilpa Rao)
Aaj Rang (Rahat/Amjad Sabri)
Anokha Ladla (Daima Farooq/Basit Ali)
Aaqa (Abida Perveen/Ali Sethi)
Baliye (Laung Gawacha) (QB/Haroon Shahid)
Man Kuntu Maula (Ali Azmat/Javed Bashir)
Tera Who Pyar (Asim Azhar/Momina)

I think last season was brilliant and they will have to do extremely well to beat last season.

 

[waqar goraya]

CURTAIN RAISER: ENTER THE MILLENNIALS

The Coke Studio omnibus completes a decade this year. As is the case with all great journeys, the show has gone through its share of ups and downs, musical peaks and jarring lows. Critics may have qualms about the project having corporatised the artistic process of music-making, awash with the MNC giant Coke’s red-and-black hues, yet, one can’t deny that Coke Studio (CS) has played a pivotal role in providing a platform to the country’s perpetually struggling music industry. And to complete 10 years of an experimental project where other contenders have made forays into the music scene only to fade out is certainly an achievement to be lauded.

CS has churned out music that has persistently won rave reviews and incisive critiques, becoming a topic of heated debates. In all cases it has proved itself to be one of Pakistan’s own musical brand, creating memories and magic. There’s also no denying that the nation awaits every CS season, enthusiastically applauding the patriotic element it brings in every year on Independence Day with a national song sung by a mix of the year’s selected artists. This year CS will be starting off with a dramatic rendition of the national anthem with the historic Minar-i-Pakistan as its backdrop.

This season’s artists include many of the usual suspects such as Ali Zafar, Ali Sethi, Umair Jaswal, Ali Hamza, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Humaira Channa, Amanat Ali, Strings, Momina Mustehsan, Ataullah Eesakhelvi, Ahmed Jehanzeb, Quratulain Baloch and Nabeel Shaukat. The show will also feature Aamir Zaki in what was the late guitarist’s last recorded performance. Ironically, last year, the show had Amjad Sabri in its entourage. The singer died shortly before the season began airing.

The music on the show will be the usual mix of original songs and revamped hits but additionally, every episode will pay homage to one music or literary legend: Shafqat Amanat Ali paying tribute to Faiz, Umair Jaswal joining a band of qawwals to remember Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Ali Hamza, Ali Zafar and Strings singing Us Rah Par in memory of Junaid Jamshed, among others. Like Season Nine, different producers will be coming on board including Shaani, Salman Ahmed, Ali Hamza, Strings and Mekaal Hasan.

More significantly, CS in its tenth year is not just primed to honour the country’s musical past but also welcome its future. Debuting on the platform will be a batch of newbies from musical gharanas (schools): Zaw Ali, Sajjad Ali’s daughter, will sing a romantic ballad with her father; Danyal Zafar, Ali Zafar’s younger brother — and uncanny lookalike — will sing with his brother as well as a duet with Momina Mustehsan; Ataullah Eesakhelvi’s son Sanwal Eesakhelvi will be performing a medley with his father; Salman Ahmed’s son Sherjan Ahmed will play the acoustic guitar to his father’s vocals, classical singer Javed Bashir’s brother Akbar Ali will be in the limelight and house band member violinist Javed Iqbal is excited to share the stage with his son Ghulam Muhammed on the cello this year.

Was it a conscious decision by the show’s executive producers Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia (of Strings) to take on board younger artists from musical families? “We didn’t even realise it until after we had completed the recordings,” says Bilal. “All of these young musicians are actually very good at what they do. It was just by chance that Season 10 will end up featuring so many of them.”

For music aficionados, it may be interesting to observe how the progeny of some of the country’s most popular musicians or their siblings perform. One wonders, though, if these artists would have easy access to a platform as prestigious as CS had it not been for their family connections?

“We have high hopes from all of them. Danyal Zafar, for instance, is a very good singer and we had listened to his demo recording even last year,” he continues. “Sanwal Eesakhelvi is very talented. Akbar Ali is an artist of considerable stature in the classical music genre and he has done a brilliant job. Sajjad Ali had composed a song that required a female vocalist and he suggested that his daughter should sing with him. We listened to her and her voice complements the song very well.”


Faisal adds, “For Salman Ahmed’s composition, we needed more guitarists and Salman suggested that since Sherjan had already been playing for him at concerts we could take him on board. We heard Sherjan play and decided to go with him.”

Ali Zafar says, “A lot of my zeal for my career comes from the struggles that I have gone through. I feel that the struggle is very important and Danyal needs to experience it in order to move ahead.”

The song that they are singing together is called Julie and it was composed while they were in the kitchen one day. Danyal was strumming the guitar and Ali was singing along. It was to be the lead song for Ali’s new album, but when Coke Studio’s producer Shuja Haider heard it he loved it. Ali says that if Danyal hadn’t been good at what he does, Strings wouldn’t have allowed him on to the platform. But while Ali may believe Danyal is an exceptional singer, songwriter and guitarist, let’s see how the audience feels.

Sajjad Ali has similar faith in his daughter’s singing prowess, recounting how she has always sung in tune. “This is probably one of the rare times that a father and daughter will be singing together,” he says. “She hasn’t formally learnt music, but I do think that singing talent is God-gifted.” Sajjad points out here that he too never received any formal training in singing but he recorded his first album when he was just 11 years old.

Sanwal Eesakhelvi talks about how Bilal Maqsood’s father, writer Anwar Maqsood, heard him sing and he was subsequently encouraged by Bilal. Sanwal also released his debut album Tere Khayal Mein earlier this year. “Coke Studio is exciting for me because my father and I will be singing a mash-up together that has mostly been composed by him with some additions by me.” It mostly comprises folk music but is also inspired by other genres.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether CS has truly selected these new artists on the basis of pure merit. The show can be credited for umpteen memorable music hits but at the same time, there have been instances in the past when famous names — certain musically-challenged actresses come to mind — have been questionable additions to the artist entourage, making one question why they were selected at all.

One must also remember that most of music’s young stars have initiated their careers via CS, such as Ali Sethi and Momina Mustehsan. Others like Meesha Shafi, owe some of their biggest hits to the show. Even veterans such as Noori, Ali Zafar, Shafqat Amanat Ali and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan keep returning to the CS stage — no other show in Pakistan wields similar musical clout.

Of course, the world over, artists’ children tend to follow their parents’ professions. A musician’s progeny is likely to grow up with a keen know-how of the industry and the art of music-making. It makes sense that this next generation will sing well, play instruments and have a hold over song composition. Case in point: Shafqat Amanat Ali and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, two of the country’s finest musical talents, continuing on with the tradition oh qawwali and ghazal that has long been part of their families.

But will Coke Studio’s particular batch of second-generation artists deliver? Or will their family associations end up giving them unfair advantage, allowing them to perform on a platform that they do not deserve? We shall listen to their music first before we pass any judgments.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1346704/curtain-raiser-enter-the-millennials

 

[Nostalgic]

I've seen videos of Sherjan Ahmed jamming with Ali Azmat at the latter's academy. I wonder if that means Salman and Ali have buried the hatchet, or at least one hatchet out of the many they have between each other. In any case, the article proves my worst fears were true: Salman will be singing.

There are YouTube videos of Javed Bashir singing qawwalis with his brothers, who are all classically trained, so Akbar Ali should do just fine.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I'm extremely disappointed this time around. Don't expect a lot of good music to come out. CS needs to have new people every time around.

 

[saadibaba]

I've seen videos of Sherjan Ahmed jamming with Ali Azmat at the latter's academy. I wonder if that means Salman and Ali have buried the hatchet, or at least one hatchet out of the many they have between each other. In any case, the article proves my worst fears were true: Salman will be singing.

There are YouTube videos of Javed Bashir singing qawwalis with his brothers, who are all classically trained, so Akbar Ali should do just fine.

I don't think Salman and Ali will ever bury the hatchet. Too much ego on both sides. If Salman gets to sing than it will the death of CS. Someone needs to tell him straight up, "Salman bhai, please...aap na kal singer the, na aaj singer hain or na kal honge".

His last song, ode to Imran is painful to hear and song before that, "Dur, bohat dur, much jaana hai" in which Wasim bhai and Gori bhabhi are featured in the video was horrible as well.

 

[Nostalgic]

I don't think Salman and Ali will ever bury the hatchet. Too much ego on both sides. If Salman gets to sing than it will the death of CS. Someone needs to tell him straight up, "Salman bhai, please...aap na kal singer the, na aaj singer hain or na kal honge".

His last song, ode to Imran is painful to hear and song before that, "Dur, bohat dur, much jaana hai" in which Wasim bhai and Gori bhabhi are featured in the video was horrible as well.

Oh I'm sure more than one person has told him he can't sing. He has been mocked for it, ridiculed for it, there have been articles written, the works. That's the thing with ego though, it makes you blind.

Remember when Imran Khan fell down that lifter thingie in the run-up to the 2013 elections? Salman showed up outside the hospital, insisted on being interviewed instead of their party leaders, and the interview consisted of shameless self-promotion. He casually mentioned that he had already talked to Imran at his bedside, casually mentioned that he was a doctor so he could tell the audience about what happened (even though he never ever practiced medicine after graduating), casually mentioned that Imran had addressed him as "Logie," which is supposedly Salman's "cricketing name," and then claimed that Imran had insisted to him that the people gathered outside sing Jazba-e-Junoon in chorus. A chorus that Salman led, naturally.

 

[saadibaba]

Oh I'm sure more than one person has told him he can't sing. He has been mocked for it, ridiculed for it, there have been articles written, the works. That's the thing with ego though, it makes you blind.

Remember when Imran Khan fell down that lifter thingie in the run-up to the 2013 elections? Salman showed up outside the hospital, insisted on being interviewed instead of their party leaders, and the interview consisted of shameless self-promotion. He casually mentioned that he had already talked to Imran at his bedside, casually mentioned that he was a doctor so he could tell the audience about what happened (even though he never ever practiced medicine after graduating), casually mentioned that Imran had addressed him as "Logie," which is supposedly Salman's "cricketing name," and then claimed that Imran had insisted to him that the people gathered outside sing Jazba-e-Junoon in chorus. A chorus that Salman led, naturally.

Shameful. What an ego maniac.

Logie is a strange name to have. Wonder how he got that. Is this a Punjabi word or commonly used nick in Punjab ?

 

[Nostalgic]

Shameful. What an ego maniac.

Logie is a strange name to have. Wonder how he got that. Is this a Punjabi word or commonly used nick in Punjab ?

Logie, as in Gus Logie, the former West Indian player. Apparently Salman's batting resembles Logie's.

 

[saadibaba]

Logie, as in Gus Logie, the former West Indian player. Apparently Salman's batting resembles Logie's.

Oh yeah...I remember now. Back in the 80's. He was in the team with Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall etc. That was some team. Kaali aandhi...I think Fifty fifty made a parody on them. The song is escaping me now but it had Kaali or Kaale or Kall'e or some variation of the word Black in the main chorus. Would be considered racist now.

 

[Pakistanian]

Coke Studio has destroyed the Pakistani music industry.

 

[Nostalgic]

Coke Studio has destroyed the Pakistani music industry.

Intriguing comment. Please explain in detail.

 

[khiska]

Coke Studio has destroyed the Pakistani music industry.

Interesting views, care to elaborate? I am guessing all the other music that is being churned out on massive scale is having to take a back seat to CS?

 

[Nostalgic]

It has its faults, and I for one have always been uncomfortable with the corporate angle, especially since the corporation in question is a global behemoth churning out (if cola could be churned) a disgusting and unhealthy sugary concoction inextricably linked to the obesity epidemic.

That said, it isn't as if the "industry," such as it is, is in such rude health that it can survive without this show. While the show can be formulaic, the corporations, not just Coke, have learnt from their heavy handed approach to creativity and censorship in the nascent years of the popular music scene in the late 80s and early 90s, and have, ironically enough, gone in the completely opposite direction. Hence the incongruity of an occasional ten minute plus corporate-sponsored jam-based song, instead of the radio-friendly four minute ditty one would've expected back in the day.

The Pakistani music industry needs the show, warts and all. In many ways, it is propping up the industry, not destroying it.

 

[saadibaba]

This reminds of those horrible Pepsi ads back in the day when Vital Sings came out with their first album and Dil dil Pakistan was a huge hit. Those ads with JJ and Co. in their white T's with the Pepsi logo on it, swinging to "Dil Dil Pakistan, Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan" was cringeworthy stuff. Can't blame Vital Signs much. Despite having a huge hit on their hands, because of lack of any copyright laws or its enforcement, they were struggling to make ends meet.

At least with CS, Rohail didn't had to play a Coke jingle every week or turn some classic song into a jingle for Coke. Plus, CS has introduced us with some really good singers and bands, folk and pop. For example, how many people will know of Saeen Zahoor today if not for CS. Just imagine never hearing or knowing the phenomenon called Saeen Zahoor. Just for that I give CS a lot of credit.

 

[Nostalgic]

This reminds of those horrible Pepsi ads back in the day when Vital Sings came out with their first album and Dil dil Pakistan was a huge hit. Those ads with JJ and Co. in their white T's with the Pepsi logo on it, swinging to "Dil Dil Pakistan, Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan" was cringeworthy stuff. Can't blame Vital Signs much. Despite having a huge hit on their hands, because of lack of any copyright laws or its enforcement, they were struggling to make ends meet.

At least with CS, Rohail didn't had to play a Coke jingle every week or turn some classic song into a jingle for Coke. Plus, CS has introduced us with some really good singers and bands, folk and pop. For example, how many people will know of Saeen Zahoor today if not for CS. Just imagine never hearing or knowing the phenomenon called Saeen Zahoor. Just for that I give CS a lot of credit.

It went beyond the Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan jingle. You may remember Geetar '93, an otherwise terrific show, marred by blatant and tasteless product placement. Each and every episode had at least one song featuring a Pepsi bottle. Off the top of my head, G-o-r-a-y Rang ka Zamana (from Vol 1) stars Rohail, wooing a Kalash girl. While they're sitting by a river, he offers her a Pepsi. Woh Kon Thee (from Aitebaar) shows the band ogling an unseen girl, and Rizwan is so distracted, he tries to pour a Pepsi into a glass, and misses. In fact, each episode began with the band fighting over a bottle, or offering it to a Karachi shipyard worker in one episode, a Punjabi peasant in another, and so on and so forth.

Nescafe Basement still suffers from this ailment. While they've given Xulfi complete artistic freedom, and musically I love the show, half of the screen is taken up by Nescafe ads.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

It went beyond the Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan jingle. You may remember Geetar '93, an otherwise terrific show, marred by blatant and tasteless product placement. Each and every episode had at least one song featuring a Pepsi bottle. Off the top of my head, G-o-r-a-y Rang ka Zamana (from Vol 1) stars Rohail, wooing a Kalash girl. While they're sitting by a river, he offers her a Pepsi. Woh Kon Thee (from Aitebaar) shows the band ogling an unseen girl, and Rizwan is so distracted, he tries to pour a Pepsi into a glass, and misses. In fact, each episode began with the band fighting over a bottle, or offering it to a Karachi shipyard worker in one episode, a Punjabi peasant in another, and so on and so forth.

Nescafe Basement still suffers from this ailment. While they've given Xulfi complete artistic freedom, and musically I love the show, half of the screen is taken up by Nescafe ads.

i've seen guitar 93'.

and in my opinion, it is still one of the best music shows ever created. product placement aside, it remains a masterpiece.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

It went beyond the Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan jingle. You may remember Geetar '93, an otherwise terrific show, marred by blatant and tasteless product placement. Each and every episode had at least one song featuring a Pepsi bottle. Off the top of my head, G-o-r-a-y Rang ka Zamana (from Vol 1) stars Rohail, wooing a Kalash girl. While they're sitting by a river, he offers her a Pepsi. Woh Kon Thee (from Aitebaar) shows the band ogling an unseen girl, and Rizwan is so distracted, he tries to pour a Pepsi into a glass, and misses. In fact, each episode began with the band fighting over a bottle, or offering it to a Karachi shipyard worker in one episode, a Punjabi peasant in another, and so on and so forth.

Nescafe Basement still suffers from this ailment. While they've given Xulfi complete artistic freedom, and musically I love the show, half of the screen is taken up by Nescafe ads.

Pepsi is back in the music scene.They have a new gimmick now,called 'Battle of the Bands'.

Atif Aslam,Meesha Shafi and Fawad Khan are their new face.They will supposedly travel all around the country looking for new bands.

I suppose that is why Meesha and Atif are no longer part of CS.

 

[Nostalgic]

Pepsi is back in the music scene.They have a new gimmick now,called 'Battle of the Bands'.

Atif Aslam,Meesha Shafi and Fawad Khan are their new face.They will supposedly travel all around the country looking for new bands.

I suppose that is why Meesha and Atif are no longer part of CS.

Its been done before. There was a Pepsi Battle of the Bands in 2002. The final saw Aaroh beat eP. Other contestants included Mekaal Hasan Band, back when they still had Riaz Ali Khan as vocalist, and the short-lived but very promising Shehzad Hameed Project, who sadly never carried on as a band, even though Shehzad Hameed himself did record quite a bit of music.

 

[saadibaba]

It went beyond the Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan jingle. You may remember Geetar '93, an otherwise terrific show, marred by blatant and tasteless product placement. Each and every episode had at least one song featuring a Pepsi bottle. Off the top of my head, G-o-r-a-y Rang ka Zamana (from Vol 1) stars Rohail, wooing a Kalash girl. While they're sitting by a river, he offers her a Pepsi. Woh Kon Thee (from Aitebaar) shows the band ogling an unseen girl, and Rizwan is so distracted, he tries to pour a Pepsi into a glass, and misses. In fact, each episode began with the band fighting over a bottle, or offering it to a Karachi shipyard worker in one episode, a Punjabi peasant in another, and so on and so forth.

Nescafe Basement still suffers from this ailment. While they've given Xulfi complete artistic freedom, and musically I love the show, half of the screen is taken up by Nescafe ads.

Yaad-e-mazi azab hai yarab
Cheen le mujh se hafeza mera


Geetar '93. What memories. My favorite video was "Hum door the"...how in one scene JJ and the girl supposedly his wife are riding in a convertible. She puts her hand on his hand while he is holding the gear shift and he quickly withdraws it. One other highlight was the video of "Musaafir". They are exploring some ancient ruins, a metaphor for the loneliness and feeling of despair expressed so poignantly in the song.

The show had some flashes of brilliance but overall it was marred by MTV wanna-be videos with over the top acting by the group. Especially Rizwan's facial expressions in some of the videos are hilarious and stomach-churning at the same time. The product placement aspect was nauseating as well.

Shoaib Mansoor was the 5th Vital Signs and contributed immensely to its success but his approach to the music videos appeared formulaic and contrived at times. Vital Signs were so much more than a bunch of pretty boys.

 

[WebGuru]

[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] no chance of Shahi joining CS anytime soon...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Presenting the iconic composer and guitarist <a href="https://twitter.com/shahihasan">@shahihasan</a>, from Vital Signs on our judges panel for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PepsiBattleoftheBands?src=hash">#PepsiBattleoftheBands</a> <a href="https://t.co/wkGwpHznBo">pic.twitter.com/wkGwpHznBo</a></p>— Pepsi Pakistan (@pepsipakistan) <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsipakistan/status/890584586253717504">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Nostalgic]

[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] no chance of Shahi joining CS anytime soon...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Presenting the iconic composer and guitarist <a href="https://twitter.com/shahihasan">@shahihasan</a>, from Vital Signs on our judges panel for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PepsiBattleoftheBands?src=hash">#PepsiBattleoftheBands</a> <a href="https://t.co/wkGwpHznBo">pic.twitter.com/wkGwpHznBo</a></p>— Pepsi Pakistan (@pepsipakistan) <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsipakistan/status/890584586253717504">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He was on the panel for the 2002 competition too. The panel was him, Rohail, occasionally Junaid, and Arshad Mehmood.

One never knows with these things. There was the short-lived Pepsi smash just a few years ago, featuring former and future Coke Studio participants, including Farhad Humayun, Noori, Symt, Strings and Siege. Strings went on to run CS, Noori returned as producers and performers, and Siege participated, after they were all on Pepsi Smash. But yes, it may take a year or so if Shahi is to ever be on CS.

 

[Nostalgic]

As a matter of fact, for Strings the turnaround was swift. They have run Seasons 7 through 9 of CS so far. Season 7 was in 2014, only a year after they were on Pepsi Smash.

So there's hope yet of seeing Shahi too.

 

[Nostalgic]

i've seen guitar 93'.

and in my opinion, it is still one of the best music shows ever created. product placement aside, it remains a masterpiece.

Yaad-e-mazi azab hai yarab
Cheen le mujh se hafeza mera


Geetar '93. What memories. My favorite video was "Hum door the"...how in one scene JJ and the girl supposedly his wife are riding in a convertible. She puts her hand on his hand while he is holding the gear shift and he quickly withdraws it. One other highlight was the video of "Musaafir". They are exploring some ancient ruins, a metaphor for the loneliness and feeling of despair expressed so poignantly in the song.

The show had some flashes of brilliance but overall it was marred by MTV wanna-be videos with over the top acting by the group. Especially Rizwan's facial expressions in some of the videos are hilarious and stomach-churning at the same time. The product placement aspect was nauseating as well.

Shoaib Mansoor was the 5th Vital Signs and contributed immensely to its success but his approach to the music videos appeared formulaic and contrived at times. Vital Signs were so much more than a bunch of pretty boys.

One saving grace of Geetar '93 was that we got to see all of Pakistan, from the sandy deserts of the far south (featured in Sanwali Saloni) to the icy desert of the far north (Yaad Kerna) and everything in between. In fact, the final song, Yehi Zameen, shows bits of everywhere they went to shoot the various videos.

Rohail talked about it years later on an interview, and said it was a privilege to have gone on such a journey, and every Pakistani should do so at least once in their lifetime. Now if only I could get someone to pay for mine...

 

[saadibaba]

[MENTION=22846]Nostalgic[/MENTION] no chance of Shahi joining CS anytime soon...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Presenting the iconic composer and guitarist <a href="https://twitter.com/shahihasan">@shahihasan</a>, from Vital Signs on our judges panel for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PepsiBattleoftheBands?src=hash">#PepsiBattleoftheBands</a> <a href="https://t.co/wkGwpHznBo">pic.twitter.com/wkGwpHznBo</a></p>

— Pepsi Pakistan (@pepsipakistan) <a href="https://twitter.com/pepsipakistan/status/890584586253717504">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Bald Shahi looks scary...he needs to get a hair transplant or put a cap on. Used to have such lovely dreads, Michael Boltonish....

 

[Nostalgic]

Bald Shahi looks scary...he needs to get a hair transplant or put a cap on. Used to have such lovely dreads, Michael Boltonish....

He never had dreads, just a curly quasi mullet, which was all the rage back then.

In my opinion, he is still beautiful as ever, and the shaven head suits him. Of course, given how I have the exact same hairdo (or lack thereof), I may be biased.

 

[saadibaba]

He never had dreads, just a curly quasi mullet, which was all the rage back then.

In my opinion, he is still beautiful as ever, and the shaven head suits him. Of course, given how I have the exact same hairdo (or lack thereof), I may be biased.

Some people can carry the shaved bald look like Bruce Willis, Andre Agassi and Mr.Clean among others.

Shahi's head is too wide and big compared to his face. He looks more like those aliens with extra large heads.



But as the saying goes, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[saadibaba]

Found this on Youtube...if someone cares to relive the memories...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5WgpsN1W8yo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Nostalgic]

Found this on Youtube...if someone cares to relive the memories...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5WgpsN1W8yo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanks, I watched bits and pieces of it again, and it was gratifying to note that I still remember all the lyrics of all the songs, and much of the lines delivered by the Signs. Yet again, nostalgia trumps dementia.

Also Rizwan's acting is as cringeworthy today as it was 24 years ago.

 

[saadibaba]

I had the misfortune of watching parts of Pepsi's "Battle of the Bands" 1st episode. Really feel sad about Pakistan's current rock scene if this show is truly a representation of the up and coming bands. Never heard such baisure singers, such lame and empty rock tunes and such poor live performances. Local garage bands sound better than the bands on display in that show.

Have to give it to the judges who were trying very hard to keep their faces from painful contortions or out right laughing out loud at the pathetic display at hand. No wonder CS, even with all its faults is so revered and admired by all. Its miles apart in quality and content.

What happened to Pakistani pop and rock scene if this is what they have to show for it. Such unoriginality and blatant mediocrity is hard to digest from a country that gave us the likes of Vital Signs and Junoon. What are the reasons of this decay and malaise. I am really at a loss. How did we become so uninspiring and prosaic.

 

[Nostalgic]

I had the misfortune of watching parts of Pepsi's "Battle of the Bands" 1st episode. Really feel sad about Pakistan's current rock scene if this show is truly a representation of the up and coming bands. Never heard such baisure singers, such lame and empty rock tunes and such poor live performances. Local garage bands sound better than the bands on display in that show.

Have to give it to the judges who were trying very hard to keep their faces from painful contortions or out right laughing out loud at the pathetic display at hand. No wonder CS, even with all its faults is so revered and admired by all. Its miles apart in quality and content.

What happened to Pakistani pop and rock scene if this is what they have to show for it. Such unoriginality and blatant mediocrity is hard to digest from a country that gave us the likes of Vital Signs and Junoon. What are the reasons of this decay and malaise. I am really at a loss. How did we become so uninspiring and prosaic.

I didn't watch it, but did listen to it on Patari. It was certainly a letdown, and if this show were the sole evidence of musical talent, or lack thereof, in the country, I would be concerned too.

But then, there's Nescafe Basement. The house band is entirely made up of young people, and the skills on display are stellar for the most part. There are also plenty of "overground" acts (somewhat of a middle ground between underground and commercial) who are turning out great music.

I think for some reason or the other, the bands that auditioned for this year's Pepsi Battle of the Bands just weren't the top tier of acts waiting in the wings.

 

[Nostalgic]

I'm not sure if this will embed correctly, but here's one of my favorite Pakistani acts. I posted about them in the Last Song You Heard thread too, and this is actually their first Urdu song. The video is the epitome of camp, and intentionally so.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1450908941654121

 

[saadibaba]

I didn't watch it, but did listen to it on Patari. It was certainly a letdown, and if this show were the sole evidence of musical talent, or lack thereof, in the country, I would be concerned too.

But then, there's Nescafe Basement. The house band is entirely made up of young people, and the skills on display are stellar for the most part. There are also plenty of "overground" acts (somewhat of a middle ground between underground and commercial) who are turning out great music.

I think for some reason or the other, the bands that auditioned for this year's Pepsi Battle of the Bands just weren't the top tier of acts waiting in the wings.

Overground...interesting term. What about "Below surface". In any case, I'm glad to know that not all shows are this bad. Still, has there been a band like Vitals or Junoon. High standards I know but we should have gotten better. Can't think of one song Ive been hooked to by a pop/rock band from Pakistan in a long time. Last one being" Aadat" by Jal.

 

[Nostalgic]

Overground...interesting term. What about "Below surface". In any case, I'm glad to know that not all shows are this bad. Still, has there been a band like Vitals or Junoon. High standards I know but we should have gotten better. Can't think of one song Ive been hooked to by a pop/rock band from Pakistan in a long time. Last one being" Aadat" by Jal.

Mekaal Hasan Band comes to mind. These days they are 3/5ths Indian and only 2/5ths Pakistani, but the first two albums, 2003's Sampooran and 2009's Saptak, were entirely Pakistani, and for months I listened to nothing else.

"Overground" was actually a term coined by NFP. He used it quite frequently.

 

[saadibaba]

I'm not sure if this will embed correctly, but here's one of my favorite Pakistani acts. I posted about them in the Last Song You Heard thread too, and this is actually their first Urdu song. The video is the epitome of camp, and intentionally so.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1450908941654121

More than the song, I loved the video. A complication of the most iconic and hilarious moments of Pakistan's history captured of tape. The interposition of old seminal PTV ads and current affairs shots was brilliant. Nice bluesy number and the vocalist has the Amir Zakiesque fleeting and casual impromptu humming quality to his voice.

 

[Nostalgic]

More than the song, I loved the video. A complication of the most iconic and hilarious moments of Pakistan's history captured of tape. The interposition of old seminal PTV ads and current affairs shots was brilliant. Nice bluesy number and the vocalist has the Amir Zakiesque fleeting and casual impromptu humming quality to his voice.

The vocalist goes by "Duck." His vocals always project an aura of vulnerability, and I believe he is the main lyricist too.

Here's another of their songs I really like:

They were actually invited to the US a few years back:

I really like them for the lyrics. Cryptic, yet articulate, and open to interpretation.

 

[Nostalgic]

It's August! Which means there are two weeks or so to go.

They've updated the website to show a few artistes that weren't in the list released in early July. There's Kaavish, which is Jaffer Zaidi's duo with Maaz Maudud. They sang a lullaby in Season 5. The "Untitled Girl Chorus" is actually called Irteassh. Arieb Azhar returns. He was in Season 2 with Husn-e-Haqiqi, and Season 3 with a solo poetry recitation and the duet with Tina Sani, doing Faiz's Rabba Saccheya.

 

[Nostalgic]

And so it begins, with the now-traditional national song by the entire cast. This time it is the ultimate national song, i.e. the national anthem.

 

[WebGuru]

And so it begins, with the now-traditional national song by the entire cast. This time it is the ultimate national song, i.e. the national anthem.

Good but tbh not really at the level of Sohni Dherti and Aye Raah-e-Haq

 

[Nostalgic]

Good but tbh not really at the level of Sohni Dherti and Aye Raah-e-Haq

Yup, after a few listens, I didn't like it much. The national songs in the last two seasons left me bawling my eyes out. This one didn't move me in the same manner.

There's too much music, overwhelming the vocals. Mekaal's guitar bit is drowned out by the other instruments, and again, like last year when Meesha mispronounced Fizaa'en as Fazaa'en, here there's an error too in pronunciation: the word kishwar is supposed to be closer to keeshwar. Ali Sethi, Jafer Zaidi and Natasha Khan say it wrong.

There are some good parts, such as the slight tempo changes. Overall though, it was a disappointment.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

And so it begins, with the now-traditional national song by the entire cast. This time it is the ultimate national song, i.e. the national anthem.

When Shafqat Amanat Ali made that sorry attempt at singing the National Anthem during the WT20 I was like, this will probably be the worst National Anthem recitation ever. Nope.....A year and half later Coke Studio has most definitely topped that

 

[Arham_PakFan]

And so it begins, with the now-traditional national song by the entire cast. This time it is the ultimate national song, i.e. the national anthem.

Not good tbh.

 

[waqar goraya]

And so it begins, with the now-traditional national song by the entire cast. This time it is the ultimate national song, i.e. the national anthem.

Ruined the original composition. Right after few seconds you get the idea that it is going to be bad.

Anyways, you could not start the thread but you have managed to start the action here, although with a horrible effort. After all that wait you get this

 

[saadibaba]

Meh, not a tearjerker like Sohni Dharti but emotive enough.

I wonder, what if we could change our anthem to Sohni Dharti. That song made up of simple words understandable by all with a sweet and heartwarming melody instead of a classical stanza composition in Persian language, even though grand and majestic in its range falls short of tugging at ones heartstrings like Sohni Dharti does.

Still, I have deep affection for Pak Sar Zameen, it reminds me of my childhood. Grew up singing it everyday at school.

 

[WebGuru]

Coke Studio loses its fizz with flat National Anthem

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1474710/coke-studio-loses-fizz-flat-national-anthem/

 

[Nostalgic]

I watched bits of Pepsi Battle of the Bands Episode 2... not for the music, but the judges. I just realized what they had done: they had got Fawad Khan and Farooq Ahmed as judges because they were each part of the finalist bands in the original 2002 version.

I was delighted to see Farooq there, because he was one of the first classically-trained vocalists on the local rock scene. Aaroh were a big part of the scene too, before they first lost two founding members to an intra-band feud, and then the replacement guitarist, Haider Hashmi, passed away from a brain tumor. It got worse, because Farooq ended up running a dollar store in Pennsylvania:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/854293...he-music-less-story-of-a-pakistani-rock-star/

The voice is still there. At the end of the episode, Aaroh perform the title song from their 2007 album, Raag Neela. Three of the four members from the last lineup are there, with Kashan Admani (who was on Coke Studio last year, including on Afreen Afreen) filling in for the deceased Haider Hashmi.

Farooq should consider giving it another go. I'm sure it beats operating a dollar store.

 

[saadibaba]

I was delighted to see Farooq there, because he was one of the first classically-trained vocalists on the local rock scene. Aaroh were a big part of the scene too, before they first lost two founding members to an intra-band feud, and then the replacement guitarist, Haider Hashmi, passed away from a brain tumor. It got worse, because Farooq ended up running a dollar store in Pennsylvania:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/854293...he-music-less-story-of-a-pakistani-rock-star/

Farooq should consider giving it another go. I'm sure it beats operating a dollar store.

I remember reading about this in the NYT few years back. Felt bad for the guy but he seemed happy in the picture they posted. I thanked my father in my heart at that moment as I had longed to pursue a career in the nascent Pop music industry in Pakistan. I was a good student in school but hated going into any kind of profession. Just wanted to make a band, play guitar and be a rock/pop star. Of course, Abbu would have none of that.

I got close to my dream by making a rock band in college with some college mates. We were a cover band playing anything from Junoon to Sound Garden. We performed at a few avenues, got some respect from our colleagues, even got offered to make an album by some music producer. I wrote 2-3 decent songs. We even visited a local recording studio to check out the process and how much it will cost us (thats where I met Haroon and Faakhir from Awaz).

But then college got over, the singer lost interest and fell out, we couldn't find a good replacement and after sometime everyone went their merry way. I was disheartened at that time but at least didn't end up running a gas station or working at a dollar store, though I did end up working at my Dad's gas station briefly.

 

[Nostalgic]

I remember reading about this in the NYT few years back. Felt bad for the guy but he seemed happy in the picture they posted. I thanked my father in my heart at that moment as I had longed to pursue a career in the nascent Pop music industry in Pakistan. I was a good student in school but hated going into any kind of profession. Just wanted to make a band, play guitar and be a rock/pop star. Of course, Abbu would have none of that.

I got close to my dream by making a rock band in college with some college mates. We were a cover band playing anything from Junoon to Sound Garden. We performed at a few avenues, got some respect from our colleagues, even got offered to make an album by some music producer. I wrote 2-3 decent songs. We even visited a local recording studio to check out the process and how much it will cost us (thats where I met Haroon and Faakhir from Awaz).

But then college got over, the singer lost interest and fell out, we couldn't find a good replacement and after sometime everyone went their merry way. I was disheartened at that time but at least didn't end up running a gas station or working at a dollar store, though I did end up working at my Dad's gas station briefly.

I was initially very upset, because the Pakistani media reported that he was "working" at a dollar store. I pictured him being an undocumented immigrant working there on minimum wage. He actually owns the place, which isn't too bad, truth be told. Not glamorous, but owning such a store requires quite an investment, and it makes a good living for the owner.

I only managed to really indulge my musical side when I started working here and could afford the sort of acoustic instruments I wanted, i.e. Larrivees, Taylors, Martins et al. I did play at a few open mics here. In Pakistan, I had a no-name guitar, made of plywood, with an action an inch high, from a place called Qadeer Flute located in a filthy back alley in Saddar Rawalpindi. I used to buy Karuna brand strings for it. Karuna was/is an Indian manufacturer, apparently, and the strings were as bad as the guitar. That guitar is still somewhere in the family, I'm guessing one of my younger cousins took it. I hope they manage to get themselves a better instrument before that guitar shatters their soul into a thousand pieces and makes them loathe music.

 

[saadibaba]

I was initially very upset, because the Pakistani media reported that he was "working" at a dollar store. I pictured him being an undocumented immigrant working there on minimum wage. He actually owns the place, which isn't too bad, truth be told. Not glamorous, but owning such a store requires quite an investment, and it makes a good living for the owner.

I only managed to really indulge my musical side when I started working here and could afford the sort of acoustic instruments I wanted, i.e. Larrivees, Taylors, Martins et al. I did play at a few open mics here. In Pakistan, I had a no-name guitar, made of plywood, with an action an inch high, from a place called Qadeer Flute located in a filthy back alley in Saddar Rawalpindi. I used to buy Karuna brand strings for it. Karuna was/is an Indian manufacturer, apparently, and the strings were as bad as the guitar. That guitar is still somewhere in the family, I'm guessing one of my younger cousins took it. I hope they manage to get themselves a better instrument before that guitar shatters their soul into a thousand pieces and makes them loathe music.

Owning a gas station or a Dollar store for an immigrant with limited opportunities in US is like buying themselves a job. One usually ends up taking a bank loan or loan money from relatives and then have to run the damn thing at such low over head as to make any sort of profit after paying loan payments, taxes etc. to live decently. The low overhead basically comes from working nonstop and never taking a break and having as many of your family members work there so you don't have to pay them any wages. Its adding up nickels and dimes. Tedious, painstaking and laborious. I hope Farooq was doing better than that.

As for my first guitar, I had an imitation Black (with white scratch pad) Fender Stratocaster. The whammy bar used to dangle loosely instead of being fixed in place. It was decent though. That guitar was a gift. I sold stuff or worked to earn myself other accessories. I started out with a simple 3 knob Boss distortion pedal and later on got myself a used Crybaby wah wah padel, that was during my Jimi Hendrix phase. I think my amp was by a company called Rogue. It was pretty cheap too but sturdy and reliable.

While in US I got myself a used Ibanez, I always had a crush on Ibanez after watching Steve Vai make magical sounds out of it. I also have a Yamaha acoustic. I'm thinking of getting a Gibson Les Paul some day. I'm really into Jazz guitar nowadays. The likes of Pat Metheny and Nels Cline (Wilco's guitarist). Or maybe I'll stick to the traditional rock guitar and get a Washburn. I was in love with Extreme's Nuno Betterncourt's playing.

 

[Nostalgic]

Owning a gas station or a Dollar store for an immigrant with limited opportunities in US is like buying themselves a job. One usually ends up taking a bank loan or loan money from relatives and then have to run the damn thing at such low over head as to make any sort of profit after paying loan payments, taxes etc. to live decently. The low overhead basically comes from working nonstop and never taking a break and having as many of your family members work there so you don't have to pay them any wages. Its adding up nickels and dimes. Tedious, painstaking and laborious. I hope Farooq was doing better than that.

As for my first guitar, I had an imitation Black (with white scratch pad) Fender Stratocaster. The whammy bar used to dangle loosely instead of being fixed in place. It was decent though. That guitar was a gift. I sold stuff or worked to earn myself other accessories. I started out with a simple 3 knob Boss distortion pedal and later on got myself a used Crybaby wah wah padel, that was during my Jimi Hendrix phase. I think my amp was by a company called Rogue. It was pretty cheap too but sturdy and reliable.

While in US I got myself a used Ibanez, I always had a crush on Ibanez after watching Steve Vai make magical sounds out of it. I also have a Yamaha acoustic. I'm thinking of getting a Gibson Les Paul some day. I'm really into Jazz guitar nowadays. The likes of Pat Metheny and Nels Cline (Wilco's guitarist). Or maybe I'll stick to the traditional rock guitar and get a Washburn. I was in love with Extreme's Nuno Betterncourt's playing.

Hmm, I wasn't aware of the finer details of owning a dollar store, it sounds like quite the slog. I have relatives who own one, and they live better than I do, as do the ones who run 7/11's, or so it appeared to me. I guess its true what they say in Urdu, one always overestimates one's own intelligence and the other guy's bank account.

I didn't ever go through an electric phase, for me it has always been about high-end acoustics and obsessing about the minute details of the tonewoods, body shape and dimensions, top thickness, bracing pattern, scale length, nut and saddle width et al. Sadly I don't play anymore. My eldest does though, another example of the baton being passed and the circle of life and all that.

 

[saadibaba]

Tried watching Pepsi Battle of the bands episode 2. I now think its not the bands that are so bad, but the sound. The bass/kick drum hardly have any base, sounds flat and shrill. The amplified guitar sound has no weight to them, comes across as shrieks. And that's with every band. The bands which play acoustic, sound better as their sound does not require any base. Maybe these bands are not that bad if one gets to hear them live. Pepsi needs to work on sound quality and production.

I also feel some bands are going way too far into bringing folk or Sufi music into their sound. It doesn't even sound natural, it seems like they are just doing it to sound different. They seem a little confused about their identity. Prime example was band Darvesh. Trying to merge too many genres. Junoon's ascent after Aazadi probably have a lot to do this with trend. Need to keep it simple at times.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Tried watching Pepsi Battle of the bands episode 2. I now think its not the bands that are so bad, but the sound. The bass/kick drum hardly have any base, sounds flat and shrill. The amplified guitar sound has no weight to them, comes across as shrieks. And that's with every band. The bands which play acoustic, sound better as their sound does not require any base. Maybe these bands are not that bad if one gets to hear them live. Pepsi needs to work on sound quality and production.

I also feel some bands are going way too far into bringing folk or Sufi music into their sound. It doesn't even sound natural, it seems like they are just doing it to sound different. They seem a little confused about their identity. Prime example was band Darvesh. Trying to merge too many genres. Junoon's ascent after Aazadi probably have a lot to do this with trend. Need to keep it simple at times.

I liked Ehl-e-Rock. Everything was perfect, except the vocalist.

 

[khiska]

What happened to Atif Aslam, he was heavily featured in the adverts of Battle of the band's as one of the judges

 

[Nostalgic]

Its on! Two songs have been uploaded.

... and I'm at work.

Could you guys do the honors, link the videos, give them a good listen (and a good watch) and discuss them?

 

[Hamza_]

They should get in Zeeshan (Hor disda from Nescafe Basement) as artist, Boy has wonderful voice.

 

[saadibaba]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pba_YmWDAIU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Mehdi Hasan sahab

Ali Sethi

 

[Nostalgic]

And Hina Nasrullah! What a voice, what impeccable control, what perfect pitch.

Back in 2010, Yousaf Salahuddin (Mian Salli), he of the famous haveli, Iqbal's grandson, patron of the arts extraordinaire, was hosting Heritage Revived, a show highlighting, well, our musical heritage. He was promoting Sanam Marvi, Sara Raza Khan, and Hina Nasrullah. Sanam of course became a Coke Studio mainstay, and Sara Raza Khan has made one appearance on CS. It took seven years for Hina Nasrullah to finally get the chance.

Amanat Ali wasn't all that impressive. His voice just isn't the same from when he was a teenager ten years ago and expected to rule the roost for years to come. He was on Season 3 too, back in 2010, and it was clear even then that the voice hadn't matured as it was hoped to have.

 

[Nostalgic]

I thought the hamd by Shafqat Amanat Ali and Ahmed Jehanzeb had the best, carefully crafted music of the episode.

I don't know if we've had an out-and-out hamd on Coke Studio before. There have been many, many Sufi songs and qawwalis, even two na'ats, but no hamd, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Nostalgic]

They should get in Zeeshan (Hor disda from Nescafe Basement) as artist, Boy has wonderful voice.

There are many Nescafe Basement alumni who deserve a go. There have been some seriously talented kids on that show.

 

[Nostalgic]

After a few listens, the last song of the episode wasn't too bad either, sort of a decent filler. I thought the highlight was Danyal's laid back guitar solo, and the two vocalists have enough chemistry to set the tongues wagging a bit.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

After a few listens, the last song of the episode wasn't too bad either, sort of a decent filler. I thought the highlight was Danyal's laid back guitar solo, and the two vocalists have enough chemistry to set the tongues wagging a bit.

kinda felt that both of the singers aren't powerful vocalist. the song gave them the opportunity but they just couldn't reach that level.

 

[ExpressPacer]

After a few listens, the last song of the episode wasn't too bad either, sort of a decent filler. I thought the highlight was Danyal's laid back guitar solo, and the two vocalists have enough chemistry to set the tongues wagging a bit.

They're clearly in love.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I like Ali Sethi, he seems like a good, talented and hardworking bloke however, I feel like he tries too much with his vocal range and usually overdoes things. For example, he's trying to find 'sur' in places it isn't even needed and it just sounds weird considering he isn't even professionally trained.

He's blessed to have a good voice but he needs to realise that you can't become a qawwal or Ghazal singer primarily on the basis of God gifted talent and voice. Thousands of artists work hard and riaz their entire life and still don't make it. He just sounds weird frankly

 

[Nostalgic]

I like Ali Sethi, he seems like a good, talented and hardworking bloke however, I feel like he tries too much with his vocal range and usually overdoes things. For example, he's trying to find 'sur' in places it isn't even needed and it just sounds weird considering he isn't even professionally trained.

He's blessed to have a good voice but he needs to realise that you can't become a qawwal or Ghazal singer primarily on the basis of God gifted talent and voice. Thousands of artists work hard and riaz their entire life and still don't make it. He just sounds weird frankly

Isn't he professionally trained? He spent years training with Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami (who appeared in Season 4), and if I'm not mistaken, still learns from him.

 

[waqar goraya]

Isn't he professionally trained? He spent years training with Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami (who appeared in Season 4), and if I'm not mistaken, still learns from him.

Yes, i remember he has training. It is just that he makes awful facial expressions while singing.