MUSIC OF THE PEOPLE

Never has Coke Studio been more entertaining or relevant

- Shreevatsa Nevatia

Still reeling from the effects of Omicron, the world felt gloomy when Coke Studio Pakistan released the first song of its 14th season on January 14. Performed by Abida Parveen and folk artiste Naseebo Lal, ‘Tu Jhoom’ proved to be distraction, yes, but it was also prescription. The song wanted us to rejoice in the face of adversity, to delight despite our despair. For ardent followers, though, the song was also a departure. Gone was the familiar, cosy studio. In its place, we had a plush music video.

Speaking to INDIA TODAY over a Zoom call from Lahore, Coke Studio producer Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (or Xulfi, as he is known) says, “Try and recall the first few frames of ‘Tu Jhoom’. The setting is dark. What you see looks almost like the old Coke Studio, but in the next 30 seconds, it transfers you to the new Coke Studio. The light comes in to reveal the artistry, the imagery, dancers, the theatrics.”

In its 13 earlier avatars, Coke Studio thrived on a kind of musical chemistry which often results only from collective immersion. When trusted with Season 14, Xulfiwanted to take his inheritance a few steps further: “I wanted to capture all of your senses— your intellect, your feelings. It had to be an irresistible spectacle.” Dropped over nine weeks, each of Coke Studio’s 13 songs came to us in a shiny package that gave us the option of seeing the music we were listening to. “There needs to be a visual movement to the story you are telling sonically. That’s what makes a connect,” says Xulfi.