Daily Times

Pakistan has a rich cultural history that goes back to the ancient times and part of its culture is the music that often connects people hailing from different lingo-ethnic groups.

Pakistan has produced legends such as Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana whose melodious voice continues to echo in the hearts of the lovers of classical music across the globe, and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the renowned Qawwal, who surprised the world with his impressive vocal range and his ability to continue singing high notes for hours at end.

When the first season of Coke Studio was announced it came as a breath of fresh air to the people who cherish the music that has been produced in the country ever since its inception. People gladly accepted Coke Studio as a platform that was devoted to the promotion of Pakistani music.

Initially, Coke Studio supported the local artists by featuring them on the show and had them play different renditions of their famous songs. This went on for a while until Royal Hyatt decided to use foreign musicians to perform together with Pakistani musicians. This transition was not welcomed by the general public but was appreciated by the critics because they hailed it as a strong move to promote Pakistani music in the countries that those artists belonged to.

After Rohail’s departure, the Strings took over and over the years they have produced many great songs. One of them was Piya Dekhan Ko which featured the famous Ustad Hamid Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana. The fusion of classical music with modern music exposed the new generation to the sweet taste of classical music. The greatest achievement of Strings here was in maintaining the feelings that this classical piece evokes in the hearts of its listeners. This proves that fusion, if done properly, does not eliminate the individual feel of the genres involved.

This, however, is not the case with Ali Sethi’s rendition of Mehdi Hassan’s Ranjish Hi Sahi which was aired in the first episode of Season 10. This rendition was mellifluous but more on the lines of a pop ballad than a ghazal. While most appreciated Ali Sethi and Coke Studio for adding a distinctive touch to the late maestro’s ghazal, some of the music-puritans were disappointed by it.

Another track that disappointed the listeners was Muntazir which featured Ali Zafar’s brother Daniyal Zafar and Momina Mustehsan. This track was released amidst the allegations of nepotism on Coke Studio and when it failed to impress the public, the opinion of those who blamed Coke Studio for hiring people based on their links rather than their talents, was further strengthened.

Most of the songs that were released in the first episode failed to impress the listeners and it would not be wrong to say that Ahmed Jahanzeb and Shafqat Amanat Ali’s Allahu Akbar was the only track that rescued the episode from failure.

Coke Studio has to be clear about the direction it is heading in because being a platform that is loved by millions of Pakistanis and music lovers abroad, it has a huge responsibility on its shoulders because now is the time to support the undiscovered talent of this country.

The writer is a student of English Literature at Forman Christian College University in Lahore. He is a staff member at the Daily Times web desk.