A popular Coke Studio season 3’s song, Alif Allah sung by Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi has been claimed by an unknown company called ‘Bquate SAC’. The producer of season 3, Rohail Hyatt has requested YouTube to help in reclaiming the song on his Twitter.
Hyatt shared the screenshot from his Youtube channel along with his tweet and wrote, “With much controversy over copyright infringement recently, here I am with a claim on YouTube. A company called Bquate SAC has claimed Jugni and even after disputing it, they retain their claim.”
Previously, Hyatt disputed the claim with this song however they again reclaimed the song. It was claimed by this unknown company after 11 years of the song’s release.
Living legends of Pakistan music industry Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal have opened the 14th season of Coke Studio with an extravagant song “Tu Jhoom.” The song has sent excited fans on a listening spree while they have gone crazy about it.
The opening lines are sung by the folk queen Lal, followed by the Sufi maestro Parveen. “As we start on this new journey, we ask you to celebrate life,” read the official caption of the song.
This year, Coke Studio is produced and curated by music composer Xulfi. Written by Adnan Dhool, “Tu Jhoom’s” music is arranged and produced by Xulfi and budding artist Abdullah Siddiqui.
This time, Xulfi (Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan) has also used artists, who are performing on the melodious song and powerful vocals of the music queens Lal and Parveen.
Twitter is flooded with praise and applause for the two veterans.
The superstar of Pakistan Mahira Khan thanked the legendary singers on Twitter.
Taking to Twitter, actor Shaan Shahid wrote: “Well done Coke Studio… the poetry is like journey.. Naseebo lal a traveler.. and Abida jee the Sufi Guide.”
Coke Studio | Season 14 | Tu Jhoom | Naseebo Lal x Abida Parveen https://t.co/0rrqQbYCMu via @YouTube well done coke studio … the poetry is like a journey .. naseebo Lal a traveler .. and abida jee the Sufi guide ♥️
Similarly, singer Hadiqa Kiani took to Twitter and wrote: “Never knew my soul needed the powerhouse duo of Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal together. Absolutely breathtaking. Cannot wait to hear more from this season of@cokestudio.”
Never knew my soul needed the powerhouse duo of Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal together. Absolutely breathtaking. Cannot wait to hear more from this season of @cokestudio
Nani used to say “Phall hamesha neeveen tehni nu lagda aye” The low hanging branch always bears fruit. Seeing video of Abida Parveen meeting Naseebo Laal. The beauty of humility. Surahi sir nagoon hokar bara karti hai paimana
Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal opening #cokestudio14 giving same feels as Pakistan thrashing India by 10 wickets in the opening match of World T20 – Thank you @zulfiqarjkhan@cokestudio#TuJhoom
Coke Studio hits refresh and takes off with vocal powerhouses Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal in perfect sonic harmony. The implications of the lyrics of Tu Jhoom are far and wide and this is a perfect start to #CokeStudio14
‘Mohabbat’ singer is also going to be the first Pakistani artist to be performing at the American art and music festival. The news comes after she revealed that she will make her first Coke Studio appearance this season.
Aftab shared a list of artists who will be performing on the first day of the festival on two weekends including Harry Styles, Lil baby, Daniel Caesar, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Sean.
The music festival has returned after a three-year break due to Covid-19. Coachella is one of the largest, most famous, and most profitable music festivals in the world.
After the announcement, Pakistan celebrities came forwards to congratulate the artist.
Coke Studio has revealed the line-up of December 2021’s Coke Studio season 14 in which the first Pakistani woman Grammy-nominated musician, Arooj Aftab is taking part. Netizens are expressing their excitement after the singer uploaded her coke studio poster on her social media accounts.
While promoting the music show she wrote, “For folks who are phased by this – this is not an advertisement or endorsement. It’s a sponsored music show, the only major music platform in Pakistan. So this one is really for the culture! ❤️”
Arooj Aftab was born in Saudi Arabia where she lived until she turned 11. She then moved to her hometown, Lahore with her family. She described her family as “fiendy music lovers” as they used to sit together and had deep conversations regarding music.
She was raised listening to legendary musician and Qawwali singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and singer-songwriters like Jeff Buckley. She also covered the song, “Hallelujah” during her teenage time in the early 2000s which went viral in Pakistan through email and file-sharing sites like Napster and Limewire.
Last year, The Grammies, the biggest music awards in the world, nominated her in the Best New Artist category and also for the Best Global Performance for her song, Mohabbat which also made it to the Summer playlist 2021 of Former United States (US) President, Barack Obama.
Unfortunately, the Grammy Awards have been postponed indefinitely due to the rapid spread of the Omicron type of coronavirus, according to organisers. It was supposed to be held in a downtown Los Angeles arena on January 31 and broadcast live on the CBS network.
The much awaited next season of Coke Studio is set to be released soon as it has announced its artist line-up this year, providing people a chance to listen and watch their favorite music icons perform.
In a press release, the spokesperson of Coca Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan, Fahad Ashraf said: “The Coke Studio platform has evolved this season. Whereas the values are the same but we are now leaning into the future by including the GenZ sound very deliberately. It is about time that we sync our cords with what the youngsters what. Nostalgia has its place in Season 14 but so does the firepower of a sound never been heard before.”
Coke Studio has announced its line-up for their 14th season. Music composer Xulfi and his team of musicians are all set to be coming up with a new age melody.
As per Express Tribune, there will be 12 songs this year with all different directors for each song.
This time Xulfi is working with a few ‘associate producers’: Abdullah Siddiqui of ‘Resistance’ and Peshawar Zalmi anthem fame, and Zain Ali, who has an extensive catalogue ranging from ‘Red Blood Cat’ to ‘Epiphany Productions’ and touring with Atif Aslam, along with the ‘EDM’ artist Talal Qureshi. Xulfi himself is completely producing only a handful of songs.
There will be rap, there will be qawwali, there will be EDM and no covers at all. Pakistani pop musician Hassan Raheem will be seen along with the music maestros Atif Aslam and Abida Parveen.
Meesha Shafi gets another season but her brother Faris Shafi will be with her this time. It will be the first time that the two siblings will perform on a song together, most likely produced by budding artist Abdullah Siddiqui.
Sajjad Ali and Bohemia were a part of the season initially but both will not be a part of the show, and neither are Shamoon Ismail and Natasha Noorani.
Meanwhile, Coke Studio and Xulfi have made some drastic changes in the show’s overall approach that was usually more Sufi and devotion-driven.
To commemorate Pakistan Resolution Day, Coke Studiohas released a new track Ao Ehad Karain, which presents a concept of peace, hope and celebrates the young and emerging talent of the country.
The track has been produced by Ali Hamza and features a diverse set of musicians from different genres including the Army Brass Band of Pakistan to reinvent the legendary national songs of Pakistan.
“It’s a grand multi-city, multi-producer, 75 artists on board kind of a production and it’s been a 4-month long labour of love putting it together,” says Hamza.
According to a press release, the song has been “envisioned in collaboration with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and begins on an introspective note with Wattan ki Mitti, Gawah Rehna in the voices of Saadat Shafqat, son of legendary singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, and Zaw Ali, daughter of iconic singer Sajjad Ali.”
These powerful verses are followed by a unique recitation of Sir Allama Iqbal’s poetry done by the veteran artist, Ali Hamza, who provides gravitas to the narration.
Talking about the track Hamza, in a statement, said: “Ao Ehad Karain is a journey through time and emotion. It starts introspectively, looking back in time to when the Pakistan Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940.”
“It then moves through ups and downs, like history has and life does: questions, conflicts, resolutions, awakening, rejuvenation and then celebrates a new beginning at the turn of a new decade – 2021,” adds the singer.
Following Hamza’s recitation, the track moves to the Young Stunners, who give yet another out-of-the-box performance in the words of Sir Allama Iqbal. The Young Stunners recently also received praise for their performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) anthem Groove Mera.
Another unique feature in the track is the introduction of the iconic Army Brass Band, which has been the flag bearer of a long-standing tradition in Pakistani culture.
“They have energized this nation for decades with reverberating performances of national songs of Pakistan,” says the press release while talking about the band.
Meanwhile, the choir is provided by Farwa Batool, Rida Batool, Nabiha Saleem, and Zahab Hussain. Ao Ehad Karain also features Shamu Bai & Vishnu – sibling duo from Sindh and Kashif Din, a young singer from Gilgit-Baltistan.
Rohail Hyatt, during a Twitter exchange with a fan, has revealed that he is stepping down as Coke Studio’s (CS) producer.
Responding to a user who asked him about this year’s CS, Rohail said: “I’m sure CS (Coke Studio) is being planned, but not by me.”
I’m sure CS is being planned but not by me.. SM is a great place to figure out if one is neutral or biased in any way. I’m using it as a tool to measure my own imbalances. Seems to be working well for me.
Hyatt joined Coke Studio in 2008 with its first season and stepped down after 6 seasons. He was later brought back for the 12th season in 2019, though it failed to impress audiences. Rohail also produced the latest Season 13, which had only twelve songs due to COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns.
Looks like it’s a good day for Meesha Shafi. After Zoheb Hassan thanked her for paying a beautiful tribute to his late sister Nazia Hassan, Daler Mehndi has praised her and Ali Pervez’s song Gal Sunn from Coke Studio 2020.
The celebrated Indian singer, in a heartfelt video message, praised the singers performance.
“I am ecstatic! Ali Pervez Mehdi has sung an amazing track in Coke Studio. Like Ali, Meesha Shafi has done a brilliant job with Gal Sunn as well,” said Mehndi. “I’ve been waiting for years now for Ali to come out with a song in the music industry. We were always in awe of his father, Ustad Pervez Mehdi and just like me, I’m sure other fans of Ali’s father must be happy today to see how well his son is carrying his name forward. I wish Pervez Sahab was alive today to see his son’s success.”
Mehndi’s video was shared by Ali on social media. Thanking the veteran musician, Mehdi said: “Such an honour Daler Mehndi pa ji! You are family to us! Can’t thank enough for your love and support stay blessed always! Love you!”
Meanwhile, Meesha said that she felt extremely “honoured and humbled” with the praises.
Getting appreciation from the the legendary @dalermehndi for #GalSunn and feeling extremely honoured and humbled
Gal Sunn, which has over 3 million views on YouTube is a catchy, upbeat folk song with a contemporary funk element. According to a press release, the song represents the longing between lovers.
Talking about the song, Ali had said: “In these times, going through [Covid-19], I wanted people to listen to something positive and fun. That is why I created this song. I dance to it and I want everyone else to dance to it too!”
With the first episode of Coke Studio 2020 well-received by both critics and the public alike, Coke Studio dropped Episode 2 on Friday featuring performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Meesha Shafi and Ali Pervez Mehdi among others.
RFAK joined hands with classical singer Zara Madani to perform a beautiful tarana Dil Tarpe, bringing a fusion and Qawwali-like flavour to the track.
In the song, the protagonist is exhibiting distress by emotionally imploring their beloved to have mercy on the heart; longing for the comfort and peace of their beloved’s company.
Talking about the song, Zara said, “This song is about longing with a very special spiritual connotation; a conversation taking place between a person and their inner self where one pleads for help from the Almighty.”
Excited about the new collaboration, Khan said, “I don’t think anyone has ever experimented with a tarana the way that we have tried to in this season.”
In the second song of the episode, newcomer Wajiha Naqvi debuted with a solo performance titled Yaqeen. The song has been written and composed by the artist herself. Carrying a modern pop-rock style, the song has pronounced elements of Indian classical instruments, thus classifying as raga rock, a popular musical genre from the 60s.
With its powerful lyrics, Yaqeen tells the story of a woman showing resilience and self-reliance in the journey of life. Speaking about the song, Naqvi said: “If men and women are not encouraged or taught to rely on themselves or have faith in themselves, this usually leads them not really knowing who they are and what they are truly capable of. If each person is given the opportunity to explore and discover his/her own self and true potential, they can contribute to society in a more informed manner.”
Lastly, Ali Pervez Mehdi and Meesha Shafi came together for a catchy Punjabi folk song Gal Sunn. With a contemporary funk element, the song represents the longing between lovers. The rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves create a toe-tapping and danceable feel.
“In these times, going through [Covid-19], I wanted people to listen to something positive and fun. That is why I created this song,” said Mehdi, adding that the song gave him hope.
“I dance to it and I want everyone else to dance to it too!,” he added.
Meesha, while talking about the song said: “This song has a lovely flirtatious vibe. It is a beautiful composition. Ali has a beautiful voice and his songwriting is really really catchy.”
Along with a groovy bass line, Serbian brass players have also been incorporated playing the trumpet, tenor saxophone and trombone enhancing the funk feel to this desi melody.
Produced by Rohail Hyatt, CS2020 started on December 4 and will have only 12 songs, featuring 13 artists.
