In the eleventh season of Coke Studio, a number of bands made their debut across the season including Sounds of Kolachi, Khumariyaan, Mughal-e-Funk, Karachi’s very own Lyari Underground and Chand Tara Orchestra. The latter featured seasoned musicians such as Sherry Raza on vocals and chants; multi-instrumentalist Rizwan Ullah Khan on harmonica; Babar Shaikh on bass and analog effects and Omran Shafique on guitar and effects.

Influenced by everything from Pakistan’s traditional folk to American blues, 70s psychedelic rock as well as minimalist industrial tones, they performed a version of ‘Nami Danam’ that is among Amir Khusro’s lasting legacy. Chand Tara Orchestra’s debut album, known as Volume I, is a critically acclaimed record that is a merger of a poetry, literature, traditional folk and to this day, escapes a stereotype. The band’s music video, ‘Rung De’ is among the best music videos from the modern music times. The soundscape that best describes them is one that is not overproduced when a music collective as powerful as the experienced collective comes together. Though they have released just one album, it is a collector’s edition.