Forced fusions greatly disturb Coke Studios second episode
Lack of chemistry, forced fusions, ill-structured music and over innovation led to the downfall.
(WebDesk) – Coke Studio kicked off after a wait of almost a year and in the process introduced its latest strategy; telling unknown Pakistani stories to the rest of the world. Coke Studio’s Think Tank pulled off the theme quite well by giving chances to two transgender singers, Lucky and Naghma. In addition, they managed to voice a strong message to the world by releasing a song completely based on women empowerment (‘Main Iraada’) and finally introduced the rap culture to the world of Coke Studio through ‘Rap Hai Saara’.
Also Read: ‘Shikwa Allah Se Khaakam Badahan Hai Mujhko‘; Coke Studio drops jaws with breathtaking rendition
Episode one, as expected, was more a success story than a disappointment. With episode two however, things were different. When the lineup for the second episode was introduced, almost everyone were surprised at the number of big names being featured so early on, hence the excitement.
The phrase “great expectations lead to greater disappointments” was affirmed in episode two as the bigwigs failed to leave a good impression. Lack of chemistry, forceful fusions, ill-structured music and unintelligent innovations led to the downfall of episode two.
Also Read: Coke Studio: Enthralling Promo Songs keep fans hooked
Here is a lineup of the songs that were released on Friday night and where exactly each of them went wrong.
“Runaway” (Krewella, Riaz and Ghulam Ali Qadri)
World-renowned duo, “Krewella” made their Coke Stuido debut in what was being termed as one of the most exciting projects of the season thus far. The American duo of Jahaan and Yasmine Yousaf joined voices with the ever classical Riaz and Ghulam Ali Qadri in the eagerly awaited melody.
On paper, everything seemed perfect and the members tried their best to live up to the expectations, however, something still lacked big time. In the song,
Krewella was flawless and the Qadris were obviously very vocally powerful themselves but when the time came to fuse both the East and the West, the result was disappointing to say the least
Even though Coke Studio is known for its masterclass fusions, this one seemed very off since the two sounds contradicted each other musically.
Rasha Mama (Zarsanga, Gul Panra and Khumariyaan)
The classic Pashtun folklore featuring an all Pashtun lineup promised a flawless performance but what was served on the plate was different to what the music hungry fans ordered.
Even though the Pashto track featured the queen of Pashtun folklore, Zarsanga, in her true colors, it seriously lacked the x-factor that was required to pull the piece together. The track starts with Khumaariyaan’s vintage Rubab playing to the classic vocals of Zarsanga.
This continues till the third minute before which everything seems satisfactory but what happens afterwards really makes one wonder “What were they thinking?”
Gul Panra continues the exact same lyrics but with a faster and an upbeat mix of music playing in the background. Listening to Gul’s modern rendition of the folklore, refreshing feeling oozes through the entire soul but then again, it is perfect as a separate composition. Collectively, the song seems as though two very unnatural compositions have been tried to gel together on gunpoint.
Gaddiyay (Asrar and Attaullah Esakhelvi)
Two powerhouses in the form of Asrar and Attaullah display their signature music in Coke Studio’s Gaddiyay, one of the better tracks released on Friday. The song features Attaullah Esakhelvi in all his glory singing heart wrenching Punjabi lyrics in his unique style. Couple with Asrar’s violent and equally powerful vocals, the duo gels well to come up with a catchy melody.
‘Saaday Yaar Da Vera Door Bara, Sunn Gaddiyay Daer Na La Tu’ is one line sung by the maestro which displays Attaullah in all his glory; dark, gloomy, overwhelming and enthralling at the same time
Unlike the other songs, it is safe to say that the producers did a fairly good job with Asrar and Attaullah’s fusion.
Ghoom Charakhra (Abida Perveen and Ali Azmat)
Pakistan’s most decorated singers in the form of the great Abida Perveen and the evergreen Ali Azmar came together to compose one of Coke Studio’s better songs over the years.
Not only does Ghoom Charakhra contains powerful lyrics, but also the beautifully intoxicating voice of Abida Perveen really kicks up a notch. Apart from this, the structure of the song was very well thought out. The melody begins gloomily with Ali Azmat continuously repeating the trance “Allah Haq” before Abida Perveen blends in with her classic ‘Aalaap’.
The only confusing thing with the song, however, was that there was absolutely no need of Ali Azmat anywhere
Any good singer could have done the job Ali did. Had Ali’s amazing aura and vocals been used more effectively, this track had the potential of becoming one of Coke Studio’s best.
By: Raacikh Asghar
