Music Review Coke Studio S9 Episode 6: The one with something for everyone!

As the season progresses, I feel like that rookie juggler who doesn't complain having more balls to juggle, but barely manages to keep them afloat as more and more balls are being added each week! This season's good form continues with episode 6 too! Again a collection of some great numbers and I believe this one has something for everyone and I am sure you'll go home liking atleast one of the tracks! There is a good mix of genres experimented in this episode - classical, punjabi, folk, rock, blues and what not! You name it and you'll find it here.

Meri Meri

Sung by Rizwan Butt & Sara Haider, Composed by Shani Arshad

Link to lyrics here

Meri Meri is a collection of three brilliant monolith parts - Rizwan Butt's Sufi portion, Sara Haider's western rendition of the same and the Celtic musical portion clearly 'inspired' from 'Toss the Feathers' by The Corrs! However, it's the fusion that doesn't work for me! Perhaps it was quite ambitious and a stretch to fuse these distinctively different genres. 

The arrangement is quite catchy and it grows on you progressively as the composition proceeds with Rizwan's part. Starting with just the humble acoustic guitar, the maracas and backing vocalists come in at 00.14, Cajon at 00.40, the bass-line 00:57, the drums in full flow at 01:12, banjo at 01:15, keys at 01:18 and finally strings at 01:37. And before you know it a beautiful musical air fills you around Rizwan's vocals. And wait that's not it! There is a beautiful lead guitar solo at 01:56 not to be missed sort of acting as a glue to Sara Haider's western part to follow! Overall Rizwan Butt comes off as a contemporary singer missing the subtle classical elements which I would have loved to see! (One can't help but compare this with Ahmed Jahanzeb from Khaki Banda who too sang one portion of this poetry so soulfully in that composition!) 

Sara brought to the table what she is best in - a western singing style in a blues genre musical arrangement. The arrangement too mellows down from all the grandeur that was built over the last 2 minutes to make way for Sara's enchanting vocals. With an incredibly wonderful debut show in 'Ae Dil' I only hoped that Sara had a better composition to showcase her talent! The composition climaxes with a Celtic musical piece on flute by Sajid Ali which was more than just 'inspired' as I mentioned earlier. But as a consolation, it was brilliantly done with the strings section, keys and backing vocalists accompanying. 

Overall a collection of individual brilliance that didn't add up together for me like it usually does on this platform. But then it's a very personal thing. Won't be surprised if I meet people for whom this song would have clicked just perfectly! So do give it a try and share what you think! :) 

Tera Woh Pyar/ Nawazishein

Sung by Asim Azhar & Momina Mustehsan, Composed by Shuja Haider

Link to lyrics here

Tera Woh Pyar and Nawazishein is a beautiful fusion of two romantic tracks composed and sung by Shuja Haider himself in the past. Interestingly the first track also has a Bollywood version used in the movie Ru-Ba-Ru sung by Shreya Ghoshal! Shuja Haider has been spot-on with his choice of vocalists for this recreation. Both Asim Azhar (remember the dude from Hina Ki Khushboo?) and Momina Mustehsan (does she need any introduction anymore!) bring about the youthfulness, chemistry and the emotions that a breezy romantic number should reflect. 

Melodically both the songs are those quintessential major-scale romantic numbers that one can easily hum and jam in a group! Shuja decided to go with an unplugged arrangement using natural instruments (but for the bass!) to bring the breezy romantic feel very well. The composition starts with a pleasant jugal-bandi between the keys and Sitar accompanied by the flute shortly. Momina's husky voice with a subtle vibrato sounds just perfect for this initial part. Other instruments come in at 01:12 with the mandolin and strings bringing in a very European feel to the mood. Asim comes in with a good vocal range delivering a very enjoyable and an animated performance bringing out the emotions very well. There is a nice huskiness in his lower portions and a noticeable shrillness in the higher portions. 

The musical interlude in between the compositions carries forward the romantic mood beautifully. The combination of flute, sitar, strings, mandolin and vocal harmonies along with light drums create a pleasant aura. Shuja increases the tempo slightly for the next song at 04:09 which in someway adds more energy into the song. The antara of the song also brings in tabla that accompanies the melody beautifully for a brief moment. 

My guess is if you liked both 'Jaane Na Tu' and 'Afreen' from this season, then you'll most likely love this. Not the typical coke studio fusion number that demands a lot of attention from the listener! It's light, breezy and romantic that one relates to instantly! Enjoy! :) 

Lagi Bina/Chal Mele Noon

Sung by Saieen Zahoor & Sanam Marvi, Composed by Jaffer Zaidi

Link to lyrics here

Jaffer Zaidi is on song this season! Have loved all his compositions so far spanning different genres. He tries a fusion of Sindhi and Punjabi folk this time and chooses a great combination of vocalists who reflect the folk element beautifully. While Sanam Marvi sounds like a crisp and polished singer hitting all the notes precisely, Saieen Zahoor sahib comes with his raw, rustic vocals ideal for this folk song. 

Interestingly the entire composition is based on a guitar-keys riff that plays continuously in the background and the arrangement of the two songs, that are melodically on different scales (raags), are constructed over this riff! The arrangement of Lagi Bina is quite contemporary to begin with and the dholak along with harmonium only enters mid-way at 01:35. This composition is on major scale (Bilawal Thaat) and the flute interlude is quite pleasing to hear. Saieen Zahoor sahib's part brings the dhol additionally to give you that Punjabi feel. Otherwise the arrangement as such is not very different from the earlier song. The raag has attributes of Yaman with generous use of 'teevra ma' at places. Harmonium is much more vocal in this portion. There is a beautiful addition of cymbals (or taal, the ones used in bhajans) when Sanam's part resumes 05:32. The composition climaxes with both vocalists coming together singing their portions on the common arrangement. 

Overall not very extravagant and not a lot of experimentation. But sometimes it's just the simplicity and the soul of the singer that matters! And to me this has just the right ingredient make that connection. Will give it many hearings just to listen to more of Sanam Marvi :) 

Anokha Ladla

Sung by Damia Farooq & Basit Ali, Composed by Faakhir Mehmood

Link to lyrics here

Anokha Ladla is a bold experimentation by Faakhir Mehmood as he brings in different moods in the same composition playing with raags recreating an old classic! While the classical purists might raise their eyebrows with this unconventional composition, I definitely enjoyed the fusion of two raags done so beautifully. To ensure continuity in the melody Faakhir, quite intelligently, chose scales having similar chords. So the song starts on a C major scale (Bilawal Thaat) with Damia Farooq's vocals and it beautifully changes raag to Darbari (which is on a minor scale) at 01:00 (when Damia sings Tan sulge bas ek aagan main). For the Darbari part, Faakhir chose A minor scale which has mostly the same chords as C major scale but starts with a different key (A instead of C) and this changes the mood of the song completely (from romantic to devotional)!! Raag Darbari (and Darbari Kanada in particular) is typically used in many of Indian classical based bhajans.

The song starts with a keyboard arpeggio joined by the bass and accordion bringing out the romantic mood. Damia's vocals along with strings extend that mood only to suddenly change that to a devotional song as the raag transforms. The arrangement then shifts to electronic-rock genre as Basit Ali begins with the antara of the composition with just the electric guitar and bass playing. The mukhda follows accompanied with many techno elements on the synth. Strings section too makes its appearance at 02:33. There is also a beautiful Sitar interlude after the mukhda. Overall Basit's part is full of energy owing to the high tempo percussion and the overall rock arrangement.

The musical chair of raag continues as Damia comes back on the major scale after a pause from Basit's part. This time tabla makes its appearance along with Sitar and accordion creating a beautiful musical base for Damia to render her antara. And before one can dissolve in the soulful melody, in comes Basit again after a pause and the arrangement shifts back to Darbari for one last time as the composition climaxes abruptly on a high! Basit is too good with vocals. Hearing him for the first time, I found him singing with great command and control. He has a great throw and also brought in the subtle nuances of the raag (like extending the notes at some places) very beautifully. His performance actually reminded me of 'Kuch Ajab Khail' by Shafqat Amanat Ali in one of the earlier seasons! (perhaps that too is on the same raag!)

Overall really enjoyed this fusion of raags on a contemporary arrangement. Definitely requires hearing more than once! :)

Would love to know your comments and feedback so do let me know!

Prabhu

musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Music Review Coke Studio S9 Episode 5: A Mixed Bag of Surprises!

I would put down episode 5 as a mixed bag of surprises. I must confess that it did take some time for me to sink in some of these compositions, but gradually I have developed a liking for most of the tracks now. I would call this an 'overdose syndrome'! With so much overdose of good music, one is in a mental dilemma on hearing more of such compositions whether to like it to the same degree or not! Perhaps if I had listened to some of these compositions independently I would have developed an instant liking. But with superlative precedents such as Afreen in case of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Man Kunto Maula in case of Javed Bashir, one is reluctant and cautious to cede any more superlative adulations! However the more you listen and dissolve into these compositions, the more you appreciate the effort and the quality of outcome! So perhaps this post is for the ones sitting on the fence to delve a little more into these compositions and appreciate the creativity. In general most of the compositions in this episode have an interesting vocal melody! There is a good experimentation in terms of raag and fusion of contrasting vocal textures.

Jhalliya

Composed by Faakhir Mehmood, Sung by Javed Bashir Masooma Anwar & Shahzad Nawaz

Link to lyrics here

One can be rest assured of some high quality melody rendition when a classical virtuoso like Javed Bashir has his stamp on it. Same is true of Jhalliya! Javed Bashir again comes up with a masterly vocal performance displaying his range, singing style, soulfulness and effortless variations all packaged in a single performance.

While a superlative performance from Javed is not really unexpected, what did come as a pleasant surprise is Masooma Anwar's vocals! Open and bold sounding with a sufiana touch, she managed to give Javed good competition in terms of listeners attention span! Also loved the poetry recitation part. Somehow this concept goes quite well with songs of this genre( remember Mori Araj Suno by Tina Saini?). And Shahzad Nawaz's heavy, bass-filled voice goes so well with the music!

Coming to the arrangement, this composition has a soft rock-sufi feel to it with good fusion of instruments. Faakhir Mehmood has done a great job in putting together this arrangement. The base foundation of the arrangement is on the creative bass line and electric guitars giving the rock-ish feel, while the dholak all throughout and banjo at places bring the classical feel. The Banjo interlude at 04:31 is an interesting addition in between the vocals. Strings section add a beautiful dimension at places especially at the latter half of the composition. (For example the beautiful filler at 02:31 that carries forward the melody from where Javed left). The backing vocalists too do a wonderful job overall. At places they accompany the main vocalist and at another instance they sing in an off-scale harmonising with the main melody subtly.

The composition climaxes beautifully with Masuma and the backing vocalists singing the chorus while Javed does the flawless sargam to end on a high. Overall a very pleasant composition inviting you to listen repeatedly and cherish the various layers Faakhir has very creatively put together!

Shamaan Pai Gayaan/ Kee Dam Da

Composed by Shiraz Uppal, Sung by Kashif Ali & Rachel Viccaji

Link to lyrics here

One thing Coke Studio quite easily manages to do is to bring together vocalists who contrast and complement each other very well. Be it Ali Azmat-Javed Bashir, Rahat-Momina, Ahmed Jahanzeb-Umair Jaswal and the list goes on! Same is true of this composition too! Kashif Ali brings soulfulness while Rachel Viccaji brings power. And Shiraz Uppal with his beautiful arrangement is able to stitch together a musical delight!

Kashif actually reminds me of Mulaazim from last season who too had a husky texture and conveyed emotions (especially the pain) of the composition beautifully thorough his vocals. On the other hand Rachel, the relatively shorter one among the backing vocalist trio, stands tall here with her power packed performance! Her amazing stability and texture at lower notes and energetic throw at the higher pitch sections is indeed a goosebumps-inducing performance!  She also brings in a naughty feel with her western style falsetto vocals at places.

The composition clearly has two distinct arrangements - one for the soulful Kashif's part and the other for rock-ish Rachel's part which alternates beautifully in this wonderfully concocted fusion. Kashif's part is primarily on keys and acoustic guitar which sets the chord structure. Flute interludes every now and then creating a beautiful feel, while the strings and choral section fill the air beautifully. Rachel's part is completely driven my the electric guitars and the bass line aided by the drums and shifts the genre to a rock number. There are many instrumental improvisations in the whole track - the bass-hammering by  at 04:40, the electric guitar intro riff before Rachel's part at 03:25 and the beautiful buildup in end where all instruments come together - flute, strings, guitars and drums.

The melody is incredibly beautiful. Co-incidentally both the tracks have been previously sung by Naseebo Lal. There is slight convergence in the melodic patterns between the two compositions which the composer used to stitch the two pieces cleverly! The first part is primarily on the major scale, but has used 'komal dha' and 'komal ni' beautifully at the end of chorus parts giving a totally different feel which coincides with the second song thus enabling the fusion. Second song uses the komal dha and ni notes beautifully making me guess that it's on raag Charukesi (Would love to know your thoughts on this).

Overall this one is a smart fusion at various levels - melody, genre, instrumentation, vocalist style and energy levels! Rachel is a pleasant revelation in this one and Kashif, a great introduction to this platform. Hope that we see more of them in the coming times. Would definitely advise you to take multiple hearings to digest this fusion!

Sadaa

Composed by Shani Arshad, Sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Link to lyrics here

Sadaa is a delight to classical aficionados and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan makes sure he displays all the text-book classical nuances in a single performance! Be it sargams, taans, a tarana, subtle harkats, alaaps and a beautiful jugal-bandi with the dhol throughout as he synchs to its beat!

The arrangement is quite contemporary with the use of bass, guitars and drums throughout along with the dhol. Strings section show up during interludes and during the antara. There is also a brief sitar portion towards the end. So overall a diverse arrangement which needs to be appreciated carefully underneath Rahat's powerful rendition!

Melodically the composition (originally created by Rahat himself) has beautifully used 'komal ga' and 'komal ni' throughout making me guess that it's from Kaafi thaat in terms of the raag. What is also noteworthy in the arrangement is the creative use of of percussions and nice experimentation with beat time-signatures (Shani Arshad, the composer also mentions this in the BTS video).

Maybe not the kind of song that I can listen on loop anytime of the day, but this will definitely go into my classical-fusion playlist for frequent hearings :-)

Main Raasta

Composed by Noori, Sung by Momina Mustehsan & Junaid Khan

Link to lyrics here

When variety, fusion and experimentation is more the rule than an exception, a one-off attempt to get through with a clichéd pop-rock composition perhaps doesn't seem enough for this platform! That seems to be the problem with Main Raasta. The composition is indeed quite catchy but not the kind you have not heard before. It's on your typical major-scale-four-chord combination. Use of bass-line is quite creative and something I loved instantly. There is also your customary lead guitar interlude which is brilliantly done! I think the brief cameo by Momina appearing to play the lead guitar was unnecessary! :) Personally I felt the composition got somewhat chaotic in the end with many voices making the chorus (reminded me of With or Without You at 04:12! Anyone else?). The starting guitar patch clearly reminded me of Michael Jackson's Black and White (which Ali Noor actually acknowledges in the BTS video). The scale transposition is quite interesting but I would rate the one in 'Jaane Na Tu' higher than this.

Overall a number that'll definitely grow on you if you like this genre. But definitely an average number in relative terms  compared to the other tracks in this episode.

So overall not a disappointing episode for sure and mind you, achieving that is no small feat given some of the masterpieces that have emerged this season! The musical dose should definitely last for a week I hope. Else you can always go back to Afreen or Paar Chanaa De! :)

- Prabhu

musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Music Review Coke Studio S9 Episode 4: The Season is now blooming in full glory and I'm lovin' it..

Can't believe it's episode 4 already! But I can finally sense the season coming to full bloom with all its glory! Somehow the healthy competition between the music directors is working wonderfully for this season! Bringing in good diversity of genres, instruments and musicians, the composers are giving it all to stand out this season. And the competition is not just among the peers, but also the umpteen good quality composers who didn't make the cut this time and are waiting for their 'call' next season! So it's great to see market-forces at work here ultimately benefiting the primary stakeholder - 'the audience'! :)

This episode has Punjabi written all over it! All the four tracks have a strong Punjabi influence in terms of lyrics and arrangement and yet each is one is unique in it's own way.

Uddi Ja

Music Directed by Jaffer Zaidi, Vocals: Mohsin Abbas Hyder

Link to lyrics here

And if you thought Coke Studio Season 9 only gave you Momina, then you are mistaken! Mohsin Abbas Hyder, a yet another coke studio debutant, has gone onto hit a first-ball-sixer as well with Uddi Ja - a song that he wrote, sang and also composed initially! Again like Ali Sethi he too seems to be a recently turned singer (read his wiki) and has dabbled with many hats in his career - RJ, DJ, lyricist, actor! For someone who learnt singing recently, hitting notes of this beautiful melody on raag yaman so beautifully with so much soul and command is a brilliant effort. His technical mastery also comes with an interesting softness just at the right instances of the melody which is very pleasing to the ears!

Coming to the composition, Jaffer Zaidi is on a roll! First Jaane Na Tu, then Man Kunto Maula and now this! Jaffer has spanned different genres with perfection and great creativity! The song starts as a soft Punjabi number primarily on a guitar background, he then progressively introduces light strings and then bass and before you know it, in comes dholak, harmonium and the qawwals and hijack what was a soft number to a qawwali arrangement! And this alternating arrangement continues till the climax with a beautiful cameo in between by Sajaad Ali with his flute. The second half of the song sees the hamnawabs singing the chorus while Mohsin improvises over them hitting some beautiful off notes! The chorus is in raag yaman while the main melody has elements of khamaaj with use of 'komal ni'. While melodically different they fuse beautifully to give a good overall feel ably aided by the arrangement. The song ends with the flute and Mohsin ending again with a unique softness amidst fading instruments!

There are places where you just go wow listening to Mohsin's singing! Mohsin exhibits great control with his voice. The moment he starts (0.20), you feel a pleasing softness in his tone that makes the divine connection. While being soft, he also has a great throw in portions where the pitch is high  and notes are crisp and immaculate (like at 0.34 and also at the ending portion where he actually contrasts with the main melody with off notes! Mind you that's not easy!).

Overall a track that will welcome the weekend for you on a divine note and perhaps you'll be hooked on to this one for quite some time!

Paar Chanaa De

Music directed by Noori, Vocals : Shilpa Rao & Noori

Link to lyrics here

I had been looking forward to Shilpa Rao's performance the moment I got to know that she would be India's first export to this amazing platform! And finally the wait is over and the end product has come out so beautifully! Noori have been very consistent and creative with their tracks this season and it's no different with this composition. This one is apparently a family treasure passed on from their forefathers and Noori chose just the right platform to showcase this in a beautiful way.

The track has 'mitti-di-khushboo' written all over it with the rustic music & Punjabi lyrics. It is actually based on a tragic love story of Sohni Mahiwal (read the wiki). The Ali Hamza naturally has a beautiful vocal texture and has a great expertise with the lower octaves which he displays here yet again and it goes very well with the earthy mood and arrangement. It sets the stage beautifully for Shilpa to follow. Shilpa turned out to be the ideal choice for this composition. Her voice is very soulful and soothing. While being extremely sound technically, she doesn't sound loud or extravagant, which this composition demanded and she seemed to have gelled with the music amazingly! The antara where she goes solo is brilliantly sung. She begins with the alaap on the lower scale hitting all notes perfectly. And suddenly with literally no pause, she shifts onto the next octave with ease and command. Overall a very crisp and flawless performance from her, marking her entry into Coke Studio in bold letters. She also seemed to enjoy the performance getting along with Noori and the band, given that this was her first appearance on this platform. And finally with Ali Noor singing, it feels like Noori of the olden days! And thanks to them for that! Ali Noor has a great ability to sound rockish with his sky high notes and yet vary his notes like any classical vocalist. Loved the part (at 9.00) when the music goes mute with just the acoustic guitar and Ali Noor's vocals. In the end, the Rao-Noor duo do an interesting jugal-bandi of sorts with Noor continuing his rock part, while Shilpa enters displaying her classical prowess singing some beautiful harkats.

The arrangement of this track has everything one can ask for! It begins with a proper folk arrangement with instruments like the banjo, dholak and the matka (pot). The intial melody on the banjo goes with the mood of the song very well as one feels teleported to a typical rural household. Hamza's vocals takes this feel forward. Then comes the beautiful introduction of 'Sagar Veena' by Noor Zehra (mother of Ali Hamza and Ali Noor) and one can't help but just close eyes and appreciate the masterly artwork which adds a beautiful dimension to this already rich arrangement. Ali Noor also gets a guitar solo which is executed very well and precedes Shilpa's verse. Strings section kick in with Shilpa's vocals playing a parallel melody which complements her vocals. The Strings become quite prominent from here till the end giving an awesome structure to the composition especially when the track enters its crescendo. The melody is primarily on the C-major scale, but at places especially in the chorus does slip over to the sharper 'Ma' note giving it a beautiful twist!

Overall a track that deserves multiple hearings for one shot at this won't be enough to understand all the layers and nuances!

Aaya Laariye

Music directed by Shuja Haider, Vocals by Naeem Abbas Rufi & Meesha Shafi

Link to lyrics here

If you like high energy Punjabi wedding songs you would love this number! From the soulful rendition of Aaqa, Shuja Haider experiments with a diametrically opposite genre here! He has been very creative in retaining the original feel, but at the same adding some electronic sounds and make it feel modern. The choice of vocalists too is brilliant with both Naeem Abbas Rufi & Meesha Shafi doing justice with their powerful vocals which the song demanded.

The arrangement is as grand and lively as a typical big-fat Punjabi wedding! The various instruments come together beautifully to give the overall feel. Shuja also uses synth to create the pseudo-brass section that fills the air giving the band-wala feel along with the dhol of-course. The drum-work and bass-line is perfectly done. Loved the brief section at 3.35 when instruments go silent for a while with guitars, dholak and harmonium progressively coming in before the arrangement gets back to the original grandeur. The backing vocalists too do a great job not just joining the main vocalists but also reflecting that festive mood of a wedding!

A great composition and I am sure you would demand this one to be played in the next wedding you attend! :)

Ala Baali

Music directed by Shiraz Uppal, Vocalists: Nirmal Roy & Jabbar Abbas

Link to lyrics here

Listening to Ala Baali is like taking a multi-cultural-flight (if that ever existed!) from Dubai to Punjab as you experience a cocktail of cultures in a single experience on the way - Arabic, Urdu and Punjabi! And like always Coke Studio gets that delicate balance just right while coming up with these fusion numbers. Shiraz Uppal brings in a range of instruments to create this multi-cultural musical! Structurally song is based heavily on the bass-line and the percussions (the one played right at the beginning. Remember Rahman's Zariya in CS India?). Strings section again is creatively used all throughout the song and the way they play it brings forth the arabic feel (Especially the interlude at 1.35). Banjo and flute are also smartly used at interludes. Also the effect of working closely with Rahman kinda shows off on Shiraz Uppal as he uses the Rahman's favourite instrument - fingerboard in one of the interludes (at 3.00).

Both vocalists do a great job holding the song together while hopping between the multi-lingual lyrics. Nirmal Roy (the female vocalist) comes with a beautiful voice that gives you a contemporary, play-back ready feel. She starts with the energetic arabic part and later goes onto the soulful Punjabi portions on the lower notes. Overall she holds onto notes quite well and am sure we'll see more of this 20-year old in days to come! Coming to the male vocalist - Jabbar Abbas, I bet that if you listen to this track without watching the video, you too would mistake him for Sukhwinder Singh! There's an incredible similarity in the voice quality and singing styles! Jabbar Abbas brings the Punjabi elements beautifully with his open voice. The backing vocalists again do a great job supporting the main vocalists.

Overall an infectious composition that would keep your feet tapping and head banging for some time! Enjoy! :)

So full marks to this episode, each song very different and gracing perfection in its own way! It's wonderful to be welcomed with such a musical delicacy on a Friday ensuring that your weekend is sorted! Do read, listen share and comment! Look forward to your thoughts and points.

- Prabhu

musicdilseblog@gmail.com