Coke Studio Season 3 Episode 1 goes on air tonight

A dustland fairytale
The first episode from Coke Studio III goes on air tonight.
This opening episode includes performances from Arieb Azhar, Abida Parveen, Arif Lohar with Meesha Shafi, Karavan and Zeb and Haniya. Instep gives you a sneak peak…

By Maheen Sabeeh

[Original Article Published in INSTEP]

Catch all hot stuff of Coke Studio Season 3

Song: ‘Bibi Sanam Janam‘
Artist: Zeb and Haniya with Sadiq Sameer

After last year’s explosive set, the duo of Zeb and Haniya are back. Coke Studio, which celebrates, not just music but history and tradition, was perhaps the best platform for the girls to showcase this tune. As explained by Zeb and Haniya, this song comes from Herat, Afghanistan and is a folk song.

“This is the 2010 version of ‘Bibi Sanam Janam’,” says producer Rohail Hyatt. “When Zeb and Haniya first played it, I instantly felt it had this seventies funk groove to it,” remembers Rohail as he gives Instep a sneak peak into the first episode.

While funk is a sure element in this song, one varied distinction comes in with Sadiq Sameer’s rubab reminding one of Northern provinces…

Sung in Darri, ‘Bibi Sanam Janam’ has rhythm that stays in the head. With more control and confidence in this season, Zeb and Haniya’s tune just adds more dimension to the sounds that come out of Coke Studio. This tune, with all its history and tradition, is very contemporary and has a subtle flirtatious feel that makes it all the more inviting.

Song: ‘Ramooz-e-Ishq‘
Artist: Abida Parveen

Abida Parveen is a musical giant like no other. Her vocal prowess is genius and she can give one goose bumps through her sheer power. At Coke Studio, this maestro brought about one change.

All preconceived notions about what could be expected were dropped. As Rohail told Instep, “None of us, not me or the house band, we’d never worked on something like this before.” In Abida Parveen’s case, everything was free flowing.

“Nothing distracts from the message. With her, it is all about the message. And it is designed to not distract from the message, from leading to the question of deeper meanings. It’s unconventional,” elaborates Rohail.

The message behind this tune remains love, the universal emotion but it isn’t clear cut and that makes it special and edgier.

The only rehearsal done for Abida Parveen was this: the house band, the producer as well as the cameramen, were ready to do anything. But this song is not incoherent. It’s simple and the music forms the backdrop to the virtuoso that is Abida Parveen.

“One cannot condense a song to fit it into a four-minute pop slot,” says Rohail who admitted that even the length of the songs were longer, ‘Ramooz-e-Ishq’ being one example.
“It’s not a formula,” says Rohail. “It’s a journey.” And this journey with Abida Parveen is one that is unforgettable. So watch out.

Song: ‘Alif Allah Chambey Di Booti‘
Artist: Arif Lohar featuring Meesha Shafi

Arif Lohar is a rockstar – in 2005, he was awarded Pride of Performance. The son of singer Alam Lohar, Arif is taking the folk tradition forward with his music. His chimta (tongs) is synonymous with his groove. The man exudes confidence. He is a star of the masses. His debut at Coke Studio is intriguing and makes perfect sense for a show that is as much about heritage as it is about music and bridging divides.

Joining Arif is the uber-talented Overload singer/fashion model Meesha Shafi, who has proven her skills as singer, on Overload’s last record, Pichal Pairee.

On ‘Alif Allah Chambey Di Booti’, Arif Lohar shows off his vocals with ease and flamboyance and what a voice it really is! More striking is the fact that both Meesha and Arif compliment each other throughout. A flavour of Punjab, words that are all about the truth and a groove that penetrates the heart, this has to be one of the most astounding and unthinkable collaborative efforts to be seen and heard in recent music history.

“Imagine Meesha penetrating Arif Lohar’s audience and vice versa. In my opinion, this really is fusion,” explains Rohail. And he is absolutely right. Meesha Shafi represents the urban market and Arif Lohar has his legions of fans and when the two acts come together, so will the audiences. If ‘Aik Alif’ was one of the big collaborations of last year, this year Arif and Meesha grab us with their collective effort!

Song: ‘Na Raindee Hai‘
Artist: Arieb Azhar

Poetry recitation is an art form that has all but disappeared from our environment. This season Coke Studio takes the first step towards bringing this form back.

“Arieb was the first artist I had approached this season. He is unique,” says Rohail.

And this time around, Arieb won’t be singing. Instead he will be seen/heard doing a recitation.
“Poetry recitation is in our history. It would be fabulous to see college kids reciting poetry with some music to it,” says Rohail who points out that poetry recital has died from society.

And this is how ‘Na Raindee Hai’ stands out. Instead of singing, Arieb recites the couplets with backing vocalists Sanam Saeed, Saba Shabbir and Zoe Viccaji singing in subtle, haunting notes and the Coke Studio house band giving it just the right trippy-lounge musical feel with repetitive chants that are soothing yet magnetic. The words require attention and interestingly enough, the message is pertinent to the times we live in. It’s a must-hear for fans of music and poetry. Even Buddha Bar fans won’t be disappointed.

Song: ‘Yaadein‘
Artist: Karavan

Karavan remain one of the most underrated rock acts of this era. The rock act has returned to the foray with a brand new album, Sara Jahaan. And the release couldn’t have come at a better time. Karavan, featuring Tanseer Daar on vocals, Alan Smith on drums, Asad Ahmed on guitars and Sameer Ahmed on bass, join the league of artists featured on Coke Studio. And giving them ample support were certain members of the house band including the brilliant Jaffer Zaidi on keyboards, ever-adaptable Omran ‘Momo’ Shafique on guitars and the majestic Javed Iqbal on violin and how he can make the violin weep and celebrate with grace and style.

“They were very tight as an act and I think it shows,” says Rohail of Karavan.
‘Yaadein’ off their new album, has a classic rock feel to it. It’s not aggressive nor is it rushed. It’s a melodic and soft ballad where Tanseer Daar makes a solid impression as a singer. This is a comeback of sorts for Karavan this year. Their inclusion to this platform is, hence, all the more interesting.

– Coke Studio airs on entertainment
and music channels nationwide tonight at 10 pm.