Daily Times

With Episode 1 of ‘Coke Studio 2020’ being well received by both critics and the public alike, ‘Coke Studio’ launched Episode 2 on Friday.

The second episode featured the legendary Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing a Tarana with classical singer Zara Madani, Wajiha Naqvi performing her solo debut with a song about having faith in one’s self and Ali Pervez Mehdi coming together with Meesha Shafi for a catchy Punjabi folk song.

The first song for the second episode, Dil Tarpe, features Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Zara Madani coming together to perform a Tarana 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 Madani 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, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said, “I don’t think anyone has ever experimented with a tarana the way that we have tried to in this season,” said Khan.

The second song for the episode is Wajiha Naqvi’s solo debut on Coke Studio performing Yaqeen, a song 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. “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”, said Naqvi.

Gal Sunn, a catchy, upbeat folk song with a contemporary funk element is the last song for episode 2. Performed by Ali Pervez Mehdi and Meesha Shafi, 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, I wanted people to listen to something positive and fun. That is why I created this song,” said Ali Pervez Mehdi, adding that the song gave him hope, he said, “I dance to it and I want everyone else to dance to it too!”

“This song has a lovely flirtatious vibe,” said Meesha Shafi, adding that, “It is a beautiful composition, he has a beautiful voice and his songwriting is 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.

Producer Rohail Hyatt, who is at the helm of the national music platform once again, has ensured that not only will this be a season featuring purely original songs, the focus for this year has been on content and social messaging which included an all-female anthem presented in the first episode called Na Tutteya Ve; the song, which featured all the female artists of the season singing together, was lauded by members of the international community, the political fraternity, fans and musicians alike.

Coke Studio 2020 also marks the return of the house-band, with Asad Ahmed on the electric guitar, Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar on bass, Babar Khanna on eastern percussions, Shehroze Hussain on the sitar, Nawazish Nasri on rabab, and Abier ‘Veeru’ Shaan on percussions. On backing vocals, this season will feature Nimra Rafiq, Wajiha Naqvi, Kumail Jaffery, Shahab Hussain and Zara Madani. Given the new format and advantages of technology, this season has also collaborated with international musicians from across the world including Turkey, Nepal, Lebanon and Serbia. In fact, Turkish artist, Volkan Öktem, has also joined the house-band this season featuring on the drums.

Coke Studio 2020 was administered under a careful management and maintenance of COVID-19 SOPs which resulted in both singers and musicians being recorded separately. Despite these challenges, Coke Studio was committed to releasing a season as an opportunity to keep hope alive amidst difficult times.