With its third episode – the strongest one released thus far – Coke Studio 12 finally sounds like its older, wiser self
From the offset, it became clear that the minute Mr. Rohail Hyatt’s name was confirmed as producer, expectations skyrocketed. People wanted to hear what the Coke Studio co-founder would do 12 years since the ship began sailing.
You can’t please everyone is a truism that certainly applies to Coke Studio that became bigger than anyone had anticipated.
In season 12, the massive expectations unfortunately dropped. It wasn’t a return to form but a follow-up to what had been set as standard by previous producers. In earlier seasons, episodes released, not season openers.
The season opener by Atif (‘Wohi Khuda Hai’) sounded a little like Atif Aslam gone solo but the wording of the song, if you listen carefully, will make you realize that in these myopic years, it was not the best choice in retrospect. But it was Atif and the song flew high and will continue to do so.
What followed was a complete letdown. I mean, why did Abrar-ul-Haq have to cover his own song? This wasn’t season one where covering your own song by a mainstream artist gave the show the audience it needed.
This year, two episodes and one season opener later, we’ve been scratching our heads while listening to the songs. Only one exception had stood out: ‘Maahi Diyaan Jhokaan’ by Barkat Jamal Fakir Troupe.
The show’s reconfigured house-band with new members also couldn’t save artists from themselves.
Episode 3 heals some of those wounds by getting all three numbers right; the latest episode comprises one collaboration with a folk act, one contemporary original song and one qawwali.
Banur’s Band (featuring Chakar Baloch, SM Baloch and Usman Withd) and Atif Aslam’s ‘Mubarik Mubarik‘ is the best song in the episode: an amalgamation of two cultures within one song – it’s how Coke Studio found its roots.
As for the song, within Balochi culture, it is a mix of two genres, Balochi poetry and music – naazek and halo – while the song is sung to a bride and groom by relatives who pray for a life filled with joy.
“This is my favourite composition of the season and when I heard it, I immediately said I have to do this,” Atif Aslam said about the song. “I think this is an instinct that one has that says, ‘I want this, I want to do this and I think I can add value to it’.”
Atif Aslam added his own Punjabi lyrics akin to the theme of the song and the result is beautiful, majestic, irresistible. Both artists have even dressed for the occasion and as they sing, they complement each other.
Then there’s Umair Jaswal, who is working on a solo album but instead of going for a cover as has become the norm, he presented an original song called ‘Chal Raha Hoon’ – a track shaped by his experiences, a break-up, the feelings of grief, lessons learnt and the belief in a brighter tomorrow. For this particular rock singer, this is a vulnerable effort, which makes it very interesting.
The third and final act, Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad – sons of Ustad Munshi Raziuddin, who belong to the Qawaal-Bachcha gharana of Delhi – (with Humnawa) need no introduction. The qawwali group – that first appeared on Coke Studio in season four and became mainstream names with ‘Kangna’ have since then appeared on the music series multiple times. This year they return with ‘Aadam’, a qawwali, that – according to the press release – “tells us the story of Aadam, joining it with couplets that celebrate the Chishti Order and the famed musical gatherings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the tarana is often considered to draw one into a trance like state.”
It is the divine, spiritual element in a balanced episode that has room for traditional folk, qawwali (interpreted as it may be) and a song that comes from various stages of grief in contemporary form by a contemporary singer. The only reason Coke Studio loses points is once again, only the folk act is new to the show. The rest of the artists have appeared quite a few times, and that creates resentment within the music industry and artists who have not been given a shot, 12 years later.
That said, if all episodes could manage the right balance, we might forgive the first two episodes and the letdown they have been.
– Photography Credits: Kohi Marri for Coke Studio Season 12
