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

Music Review Coke Studio S9: 10 reasons why the unplugged Afreen version connects with the contemporary generation much more than the original classic!

It's been couple of weeks since the unplugged version of the timeless classic 'Afreen Afreen' was released as part of episode 2 of Coke Studio Season 9. And it seemed to have triggered yet another digital-divide which is not so uncommon these days on social media! Recreation of classics performed by maestros is always a tricky affair. For one, it always comes with a baggage of expectations and mental biases that work against anything new! Secondly, listeners would have already exhausted their superlative adulations on the original that it becomes a doubly difficult task to warrant any fresh interest. Notwithstanding this observation, I found a handful of my friends change sides over the course of the week! From "Hmm, the version is good, but nowhere close to the original" to now saying "Wow! On loop since two days!". So that got me thinking and curious to find out the reasons for this shift in perspective. So presenting to you in typical MBA style:

10 reasons why the unplugged Afreen version connects with the contemporary generation much more than the original classic!

Composed by Faakhir Mehmood, Sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Momina Mustehsan

Link to the lyrics here.

1. Rahat, the next best person on the planet to sing this after Nusrat Sahib!

While Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was the king of Qawwali, there were a lucky few who witnessed the maestro from close quarters! Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Nusrat's nephew) happened to be one of them. Rahat also trained under Nusrat and accompanied him at many of his concerts. Blessed with a similar voice texture (thanks to genetics!) and singing style (adaygi), Rahat is indeed the next best person to perform this after Nusrat himself! In fact, one could see a young Rahat (with lot more hair back then) perform alongside Nusrat in this video. His characteristic voice is clearly audible in the backing vocals and he also appears in the video for a short while at 2:44.

Having performed the same classic on stage with Nusrat, he is definitely better placed to retain the essence of the song with all it's vocal subtleties, yet experiment something new and likeable for generation next! 

2. Qawwali to a romantic unplugged number - a welcome genre change!

This romantic number was originally performed as a Qawwali - a genre known for its devotion and praise to the Almighty and typically sung in religious places. Qawwali compositions are completely driven by a high energy vocalist, typically male, who is accompanied by his singing party (Humnawab) with minimal use of instruments (tabla and harmonium). However it would be unfair to call the original version unromantic! Qawwali by definition is adulation of the creator whom one loves and this is reflected in Nusrat sahib's vocals. There is a sense of admiration and yearning in his voice that comes out nicely. The recreated version changes the genre to a soft pop number and is well aided by instruments (acoustic guitar, keys, backing vocalists) to create a breezy romantic mood. The brief female portion is a pleasant addition to the composition.

3. Lyrics are much more prominent to the listener. Javed sahib ka jawab nahin!

Having heard the original as a child, personally, I was more driven by the melody of the composition back then. Perhaps Nusrat sahib's presence and singing style was so prominent that one didn't introspect beyond the singing. The only lyrics I could recall was the title of the song - 'Afreen Afreen'. However, in this new version, thanks to the arrangement, slower tempo and softer singing, the lyrics are much more prominent (the display of subtitles on YouTube also helps!). Javed sahib has written this poetry brilliantly. The whole poetry is some kind of a metaphorical marvel as he describes the beauty of the lady using elements of the nature beautifully. Definitely one of the best poems I have heard from Javed sahib.

4. Unplugged light arrangement on acoustic guitar goes with the romantic lyrics

An unplugged arrangement with just the acoustic guitar and keys always go well with a romantic number! The chords on the acoustic guitar span across the frequency spectrum and fills the air in a pleasant way. This creates the right mood to add the vocal layer on top of it. The composition also has piano and backing vocalists throughout which supplements the acoustic base. The arrangement for me added a whole new dimension to the melody and enhanced my listening experience by several factors.

5. So what if we don't have Lisa Ray, we have a 'beauty with an enchanting voice' - Momina!

Momina's brief vocal portion is a welcome change in the new version. It adds freshness and diversity to the otherwise male monologue from Rahat. Perhaps enchanting is the right word to describe her performance - not just the vocals, but also the body language, the gestures and the screen performance. There is a subtle vibrato which naturally comes with her vocals which is quite unique and sounds great!

6. Awesome backing vocalists add to the breezy romantic feel!

Backing vocalists ironically always end up being 'unsung heroes' of a stage performance! And generally Coke Studio platform always hosts some great background vocalists (remember Sara Haider from Ae Dil last season? Also Rachel Viccaji doubles up as a main vocalist for one of the compositions this time!). The producers (both Rohail and Strings) have incorporated backing vocals very creatively in compositions in-line with the mood and arrangement. In this case too the backing vocalists do a subtle, yet beautiful job with their choral humming that complements the guitar and piano and gives that breezy romantic feel!

7. Rahat sahib ends with the typical Nusrat style sargam

The composition wouldn't have been complete if not for the typical Nusrat style sargam at the end. And Rahat exhibits his virtuosity and lineage beautifully with his immaculate vocals hitting all the right notes. One could actually see him mirror Nusrat's intensity on stage in the sargam part of the composition, thus retaining some characteristic aspects of the original.

8. Slower tempo brings out the emotions beautifully!

Another interesting experiment Faakhir did with this recreation was reduce the tempo slightly. The slower tempo goes well with the reduced intensity of the vocals and simpler arrangement of the instruments. It also reflects in Rahat's vocals beautifully as the emotions are much more evident and the listener is able to comprehend the lyrics, vocals and the underlying emotions very well.

9. Live jam session helps connect with music better

Being a rookie musician, I love watching musicians in action. It's always visually appealing to identify the instruments that is producing the beautiful melody and more so true in an unplugged setup where there is no processing and modulation of the music. It makes the listener an inclusive participant in the arrangement and helps him relate to the music better.

10. Do you really need another reason to hit that replay button?

Yes! If you have come this far reading my blog, I don't see a reason why you need another bullet point to be convinced! So go back to the song, replay it, feel it, experience it and keep doing it all over again! Would also recommend you to watch the behind-the-scenes snippet:

Would love to hear your thoughts and reactions too, so do comment below or drop me a line at musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Music Review: Coke Studio Season 9 Episode 1 & 2 (Bold Beginnings with Multiple Producers!)

The much awaited season 9 boasting of an excellent artist line-up began last week. This season is also unique in the sense that this time Strings (the overall producers of the season) have invited other music collaborators to co-create productions which is unprecedented for the Coke Studio platform! So clearly there has been a gradual transition from the one-man-show days of Rohail Hyatt (until Season 6) to Strings coming over with a rather collaborative approach. This was subtly apparent in the previous seasons in the way Strings engaged with musicians (do check out behind the scenes videos of past seasons) while they jammed. However in this season this has gone a step further in terms of independent musicians producing tracks while Strings have taken a backseat acting as overall mentors. Well logically this makes sense I would say. Creative art forms need to have room for experimentation and new perspectives should always be welcome, otherwise saturation and monotony begins to creep in. On the flip-side too many ideas while ensuring freshness might also be a recipe for cacophony and that's where I hope Strings as overall mentors must ensure consistency and quality. With just two episodes gone by I don't want to pass a judgement just yet on this experiment. However I do hope that the too many cooks in this season do prove the old adage wrong!

Coming to specific compositions, it has been a mixed bag of sorts for me so far - some have clicked right away, while some taking time to sink in!

Talking of first episode what struck me right away was:

Jaane Na Tu

Composed by Jaffer Zaidi, Sung by Ali Khan

Link to Lyrics here

Perhaps this is not a number you would typically attribute with Coke Studio - there is no fusion, not much experimentation with arrangement. It sounds like your typical late 90s/early 2000s English pop number (Actually reminded of Westlife a lot!). Notwithstanding this fact, this breezy number will sure enthrall you if you have liking for this genre. First up Ali Khan is brilliant! Can't believe that he is back after a decade long sabbatical and boy what a comeback (Checkout his single - Saathiya)! This is a genre where you just need to hit straight notes and sustain it and he does it beautifully with a vocal range slightly shriller than average, which goes with the breezy feel and the overall arrangement. What is mention-worthy is also the feeling he brings in. Somehow the bad times he went through that he speaks about (watch the BTS) is reflecting in his voice and one can feel the pain of separation.

I had been keenly waiting for a Jaffer Zaidi production after Strings announced the new format this year. Jaffer is the same guy who used to be on the keys for most Coke Studio songs right from the beginning and who boasted of long hair which alas is history now! He also had given many compositions to this platform earlier as part of Kaavish (remember Neun La Leya?). Jaffer does a brilliant job in putting together the arrangement and does it very creatively while maintaining the simplicity. The first thing you notice is the brilliant use of Strings section and backing vocals all throughout to give the breezy feel, which complements Ali's vocals beautifully. The chord structure is laid out both by the keys and acoustic guitar. The bass-line is quite creative and Mannu bhai does his own improvisations at places. The arrangement also boasts of a brilliantly done lead guitar piece at 2:20. My moment of the composition is at 4:20 when the scale changes from A# major to C major and how smartly they devised it by bringing the melody to a note (G) common to both scales and continued from there with C major scale after a pause!

Overall a beautiful pop number and as long as the expectations are of just that I am sure this won't disappoint you! Enjoy!

Aaja Re Moray Saiyaan

Composed by Noori, Sung by Zeb Bangash

Link to lyrics here.

Seeing Noori on the list of producers had definitely got me excited as I really loved their past compositions on Coke Studio (remember Saari Raat and Jo Meray?). So I was hoping for compositions with some awesome Sitar solos and an animated Ali Noor (the bearded left-handed guitarist stud!) singing in insanely high pitch. And that was alas not to be! So that definitely was a let-down from an expectations point of view, perhaps the reason why I didn't 'love' this one in the first hearing! However a couple of iterations and this started to sink in wonderfully! So notwithstanding the fact that song hardly had elements I used to associate with a Noori composition, the melody of this composition is gripping and beautifully done!

Aaja Re Moray Saiyaan is a beautiful ballad describing the season of spring where love blossoms around as evident in the flowers of various colors, as the lover calls out to his partner to be one with him! The happy mood reflects in all elements of the composition. The choice of instruments give a folk/country feel all throughout. The use of mandolin in the beginning, harmonium in the interlude sections, the mouth percussion and dholak all throughout adds to the rustic feel. The backing vocalists too have done a great job supporting Zeb with their lively, spirited harmony.

Zeb Bangash delivers a pleasant performance that this song demanded. Not overly excited but just enough to give that subtle romantic feel. Ali Hamza chips in with his unique low pitched voice supported by the choral section. The melody does come with a twist in between with interesting raag shifts. Use of komal ni and teevra ma at places is beautiful. Esp. the megha barse part does sound Yaman-ish with use of teevra ma. But these distinct melody elements are seamlessly fused thanks to the beautiful arrangement!

Overall a wonderful happy song to make your day. Do give it a try more than one time and I am sure you'll explore all the beautiful things being described in the song and much more! :)

Aaqa

Composed by Shuja Haider, Sung by Abida Parveen & Ali Sethi

Link to lyrics here.

Aaqa is a soulful Sufi composition at its best! With Abida Parveen's vocals the divine feeling is a given, however the surprise package yet again (remember Umran Langiyaan?) for me was Ali Sethi! This Harvard grad, columnist, writer, poet and what not doesn't cease to surprise me! With a stellar debut in Umran Langiyaan, Ali chose to catapult himself to the next level with Aaqa alongside Abidaji. 

This composition is all about the vocalists and they own it beautifully with their magnificence! Abidaji is brilliant with her adaygi as usual. There is a beautiful laziness in her singing and yet she is always on beat (taal)! The way she delays and extends ending notes slipping in that extra harkat (like the 'sab' in 'yeh sab tumhara karam' at 2.20) is amazing. There is a definite command in her tone which again is an Abida trademark, yet at the same time it also reflects an unassuming voice longing for Almighty's blessings! Ali stepped upto this opportunity beautifully in delivering another crisp masterpiece. Singing out of his comfort scale and adapting to Abidaji's scale, Ali did a great job singing those high pitched introductory verses. Ali too brings in his own effortless improvisations at places matching that of Abidaji's.

Coming to the musical arrangement, Shuja Haider (the producer of this composition) did the right thing by keeping it at bay mostly, giving room for the vocalists to do their magic. He did bring in a few distinct elements to the fore occasionally. Use of Rubab is beautiful. Rubab along with harmonium brings in the devotional feeling. The Humnawas (Qawwals) also do a great job supplementing the main melody.

Overall a beautifully composed prayer which warrants multiple hearings! Just listen to this closing your eyes and you will sense the divine connection happening! :)

Man Kunto Maula

Composed by Jaffer Zaidi, Sung by Javed Bashir & Ali Azmat

Link to lyrics here.

Man Kunto Maula is a beautiful kalaam written by Hazrat Ameer Khusro and one would find umpteen renditions of this online! But this Rock-Qawwali version perhaps is one of its kind! Kudos to Jaffer Zaidi's imagination here for visualizing and writing this fusion arrangement. Choice of Javed Bashir was apt. But the choice that was interesting and worked wonderful for me was Ali Azmat. While Javed Bashir delivered an expected masterclass performance, Ali Azmat's rock prologue helped exaggerate Javed's performance! The point where Ali stops and Javed starts with 'Man Kunto Maula' gives you that 'aha' feeling. The instrumentation too is designed to go with this with a build up of rock music during Ali's part which transitions to dholak and harmonium to go with Javed's qawwali.

I also loved the ending when both Javed and Ali sing the tarana together as the music builds up in both amplitude and tempo. The taan that Javed takes is perfectly done and the intensity actually reminded me of carnatic vocalists! Overall a great experiment from Jaffer and for me it worked very well. Again there would be the purist lot who would loathe this, but then recreating the exact same arrangement with no 'apni cheez' is no fun right! :) As they say in Bengaluru - 'Enjoy maadi'!

Let me list the other compositions from the first 2 episodes which perhaps I liked to some extent but maybe not loved it! (Unfortunately life too works on relative grading! :-( )

Sasu Mangay by Naseebo Lal & Umair Jaswal: A Rajasthani folk number sung beautifully by Naseebo Lal fused with a Rock-Punjabi part performed by Umair Jaswal. It's quite a gripping number as the two parts come together for a grand crescendo.

Bholay Bhalay by Meesha Shafi: A techno song driven by bass and electric guitars. The starting riff brings the rocky feel which is coupled with solos from Sitar. Meesha brings a naughtiness in her vocals which goes with the lyrics. Again not for everyone but quite creative arrangement I must add!

Baliye (Laung Gawacha) by QB & Haroon Shahid: This one is a Punjabi fusion of an original part written by Haroon and the quintessential shaadi song - Laung Gawacha sung by QB. The arrangement is quite catchy for Haroon's part owing to the high tempo. Harmonium and strings section fills the air beautifully. QB's part starts much quieter and gives prominence to the vocals. Overall it's a breezy arrangement on strings and some choral section with dholak providing the structure. Both portions come together in the end nicely. If you are a QB fan you won't be disappointed! :)

And that's all from Episode 1 & 2! Is it? You must be wondering how come I forgot the most important track - Afreen! Well I liked it so much that I really want to write a full blog-post on that. So yes stay tuned for that as well as Episode 3. I am sure you have enough ammunition to sustain yourself until then.

Take care. Keep Listening. Keep Sharing! :)

- Prabhu

musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Coke Studio Season 8 Review - Part 4 | Hare Hare Baans feat. Shazia Manzoor | Khalis Makhan feat. Bakshi Bros | Sammi Meri Waar feat. Umair Jaswal & QB

And here's a last ditch effort to slip in a few more of the remaining gems from Coke Studio Season 8 before Season 9 begins today! Feels like I am playing a 20-20 match here trying to slog it out in the last over!  Before we continue with the last over proceedings, here is a quick look at the highlights of the match so far! So It was Nabeel Shaukat Ali (Blog 1) who opened with a first-ball-six with Bewajah! Then Ali Sethi (Blog 2) joined him for a steady partnership culminating in a classical climax with Umran Langiyaan. It was then the other Ali (Zafar) who romanced with Sara Haider in Ae Dil to add some naughtiness to the innings. It then took a grounded Mulazim Hussain (Blog 3) to steady the ship with a couple of soulful performances. As the match enters its final lap, there are quite a few gems left to uncover which I'll try to bring forth today.

Hare Hare Baans

Vocalists: Shazia Manzoor, Rizwan & Muazzam

To view the lyrics click here

First up is Hare Hare Baans. This one is a Hazrat Amir Khusro written kalam (poetry)! Some quick googling revealed that this is quite a rare poetry and one would see a lot of online debate on what's the exact lyrics and origin of the song. But there is a general consensus on this having an Awadhi (Lucknowi) influence. The literal translation of the lyrics depicts the marriage of one's daughter and all the festivities around it. It narrates the plight of a father who is bidding farewell to his daughter with a heavy heart and this is reflected in the mixed emotions the composition evokes in the listener. Metaphorically this is to be understood as one's soul departing one's body towards the almighty.

Coming to the composition, Strings have conceptualised it beautifully to bring forth the pain of departure with Shazia Manzoor's singing while keeping the liveliness of the composition by concocting a beautiful Qawwali piece of the same song by smart use of instruments and powerful voice of Rizwan & Muazzam duo. The song is primarily on raag Khamaaj and at places you would find similarity with many familiar songs on the same raag. Especially at 5.25 there is an uncanny resemblance to 'Piya tose naina laage re' from Guide. The arrangement is beautifully done by Strings! I urge you to watch the behind-the-scenes video of this composition. The sheer sight of the team coming together on one of their jam sessions and experimenting, disagreeing and coming out with something brilliant is great to see. Definitely made me envious of the life these brilliant musicians lead! Especially loved the part at 0.33, when they discuss the chord structure and trying different patterns to reflect the sad mood of the song. The choice of instruments in this whole season has been fantastic and same holds true of this composition. Baans(uri) is beautifully used throughout the song. Also they used the low-frequency flute which goes with the mood of the song. The composition has two distinct arrangements - one for Shazia Manzoor's soulful part where the music is toned down to let Shazia's deep voice spray all the emotions so beautifully into the air, while the second part is the Qawwali by Rizwan & Muazzam and the music is a tad louder with use of harmonium and dholak (instead of tabla earlier!)

The soul of the song definitely is Shazia Manzoor, haven't seen many singers who can convey the essence of the song so beautifully just by varying one's voice! This is one of those songs which will keep reverberating in your head for a long long time primarily due to Shazia Manzoor. The subtle harkats are a treat to hear with Shazia hitting each note perfectly. Rizwan & Muazzam duo too have done full justice to their qawwali part complementing each other well. The sargam at 5.33 is masterfully done. Also loved the part (at 2.29) when one brother backs the other taking turns to render the alaap. Coming to Shazia's part, it would be really unfair on my part to single out any particular moment. Her performance in totality was a big 'wow' factor of this composition.

I hope this song dissolves you too in its fold like it had me! This is what I call a 'fast-poison', hits you quick, while the kick lurks inside you for a long time! Enjoy and do share your reaction after listening to this. :-)

Khalis Makhan

Vocalists: Bakshi Brothers

To view the lyrics click here

This one is yet another Punjabi folk song from Coke Studio Season 8. Unlike other performances Strings have experimented with a group (Bakshi Brothers) singing the main vocals as a chorus. And their Midas touch seems to have worked wonderfully for them yet again. The song is all about remembering the good ol' childhood days when one experienced many 'pure' things in life giving 'pure happiness' which is absent now. The choral singing does a good job in bringing the nostalgia effectively. 

The arrangement is beautiful. The best part of the whole composition is that no one element dominates the song at any point and it's indeed a team-effort - the vocalists (and don't miss the backing ones!), instrumentalists and the beautiful lyrics. The song begins with a beautiful riff on piano played by Jaffer Zaidi (of the Kaavish fame). Strings introduce matka as a percussion instrument here and it goes well with the nostalgic, rustic theme. The guitar chord-roll along with the bass-line forms the structure of the song. Sajid Ali's flute, Arsalan Ali's harmonium and Tanveer Tafu's Rubab are smartly used at interludes enriching the composition. Tabla forms the base of the percussion and Babar Ali Khanna is at his best again. Strings section adds another layer of beauty and comes much later in the song when the 'Peera-Ho' part starts at 3.34. Incidentally the raag also changes at this part and the violins convey that effectively!

The composition overall gives a happy, lively feel. While primarily on a major scale, off notes are beautifully used at places in the composition like 'komal ni' in the antara and interestingly 'komal ga' in the Peera-Ho part! So do listen to this and feel good remembering those past childhood days. :)

Sammi Meri Waar

Vocalists: Umair Jaswal & Quratulain Balouch (QB)

To view the lyrics click here

With the risk of lengthening this blog further, let me try to squeeze in another one of my favourites here! Sammi Meri Waar is a power packed performance and will keep you on your toes swinging to the beat. Strings constructed a brand new song out of a small folk piece - Sammi Meri Waar (which Quratulain Balouch - QB sings beautifully throughout). The star of the show however is Umair Jaswal! Boy what a powerhouse he is! For starters his voice is so unique and gifted. Has great control to render those vibratos and high scale pieces. He single handedly gave a rockish feel through his vocals to this otherwise pop arrangement! (check the controlled scream at 2.08)

The composition by the way is not as simple as it sounds! There is a continuous transition of scales (and hence raags) all throughout the song with Umair's part on major scale and QB's portion is on the minor scale of the same key. Hence the chords are completely different and bringing together this fusion so seamlessly speaks a lot about the creativity brought in by Strings here. Instrumentation is equally beautiful. This song like in most other compositions of the season starts with a piano riff from Jaffer Zaidi, but the most prominent part is the use of mandolin along with flute which gives a pleasant feel to the air when the song begins, as if one is teleported to a valley full of flowers and sunshine (personal imagination :-) )! This feeling continues with Umair's vocal which is accompanied by rhythm guitar in the background. The mood changes at 1.44 with the onset of strings and the minor scale kicks in beautifully! This sets the stage for QB to come in with the mukhda of the song. QB too, like Umair, has a very different voice. It's so different that it's difficult to stereotype! I believe she has created her own genre of vocals - powerful, thick in a sense yet agile. Drum work by Aahad Nayani is brilliantly done all throughout and helps Umair get the rockish feel. The other percussionist Babar bhai as usual rocked with the Dholak. A beautiful moment in the composition is when the lyrics goes 'dhol baaje' at 3.35 and all of a sudden there is a pause and only the dholak is heard giving it a contextual beauty! The acoustic guitar solo by Imran Akhoond too is brilliantly done at 3.06 which transitions QBs part to the happier sounding Umair's part. Also don't miss the brilliant flute solo by Sajid Ali towards the end at 4.56.

This one is perhaps the most powerful performance of the season and might leave you gasping at the end of it! The composition definitely deserves more than one listening for all the layers to hit you! 

There are a few more tracks from Season 8 which I would have loved to cover in this blog series. However, I don't see that happening in the near future with Season 9 starting today the hope that I get an opportunity to write about some awesome brand-new compositions with the new format this time! However, I definitely recommend you to listen to a few more of my favourites:

1) Man Aamadeh Am by Atif Aslam and a Pashto singer - Gul Pannra (she is brilliant!)

2) Rung Jindri by Arif Lohar - This man comes back after a powerful 'Jugni' performance! (watch-out for the awesome Strings section)

3) Neun La Leya by Kaavish (sung by the piano guy - Jaffer Zaidi, who has an incredibly deep voice!) - Enjoy this amazing track on raag Des

4) Tajdar-e-Haram by Atif Aslam - This one perhaps is the most popular track and one of Atif's better performances at Coke Studio

Would love to write about these ones as well sometime, time and mood permitting! Meanwhile do listen to these from Season 8 and enjoy Season 9! Will hopefully soon share my thoughts on the Season 9 tracks! Until then alvida!

- Prabhu :-)

musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Coke Studio Season 8 Review - Part 3, The one where Mulaazim shines with some Rajasthani folk

So here's part three of my review of top picks from Coke Studio Season 8! And given that the last season was the best among the lot, in my opinion, I am not sure how many more of these to come before I am done with Season 8! But definitely enjoying writing about the songs I love and I hope readers of this blog have something new to discover, relish and share! There's definitely a difficulty in putting a multi-dimensional experience into a few words, I am giving it my best shot nevertheless. :-)

By the way, the quick update is that Coke Studio Season 9 is all set to begin and the first song is already out! Check it out here and the line-up definitely looks promising! That also puts immense pressure on me to wrap this series up quickly, as hopefully I'll have fresh stuff to write about!

This blog is mainly on Mulazim Hussain - a Rawalpindi based singer. Now he too, like Nabeel, was a Sur-Kshetra finalist. The most unique thing about Mulazim is his voice. Listen to him for once and you'll agree that there is a sense of 'mitti-di-khushboo' in his rustic, soulful voice. A husky voice that naturally goes with sufi and folk genre and Strings were bang-on with their song selections for him.

Rabba Ho

Link to the lyrics here.

Rabbo Ho is a Rajasthani folk song penned by Saeed Ali Khan and composed by Mulazim's uncle - Ustaad Aslam Parvaiz. Mulazim's Rajasthani lineage is apparent in the way he sings this song with command and elegance. The song begins with a beautiful piano piece that sets the background melody which is heard in the composition throughout. Mulazim starts with some Urdu lines with minimal music - just a repetitive bass line and light guitars. Dholak is again beautifully used and goes with the vocal melody always giving the folk element. Other traditional instruments are typically used in the interludes - Sitar, Tumba & the violins. Also quite interestingly tabla is only used during the instrumental interludes but for the last antara.

Apart from the masterly vocal rendition, the composition also has a grand arrangement, fusing both modern and traditional elements beautifully. With many distinct elements in the overall composition - like the tumba lead, sitar lead, brief flute pieces and pronounced strings section, the composers also have experimented with melodies from different raags going with the main vocal melody. I saw a great influence of Khamaaj in the main melody.  Also saw use of the unusual 'komal dha' at a couple of ending notes leaving the air with a sense of curiosity and thirst, which is later quenched by the melodious instrumental lead sections that followed! The instrumental interludes are typically in Bilawal thaat (Tumba section - the strange looking mandolin type instrument played by Tanveer bhai, is on Asa Raag as mentioned in BTS).

So all-in-all a collection of superlative performances making up this masterpiece with Mulazim standing out with his honest, soulful voice.

Ve Baneya

Link to the lyrics here.

Ve Baneya is yet another fusion of two folk tracks - one going by the title itself, a song sung typically in marriages and the other - Meri Hamjoliyan which was originally sung by the legendary Reshamji and narrates the tale of a female lover who is being teased by her friends. Unlike Umran Langiyaan, here the two songs are interspersed in the whole composition and Fizza and Mulazim take turns to sing their parts. The fusion is beautifully done and sometimes you can't even make out that they are actually two different songs. Fizza and Mulazim complement each other very well. Fizza has a beautiful throw in her voice displaying command at places while being technically sound with her harkats. On the other hand Mulazim brings out the romantic element so beautifully! He is soft and reflects the emotions of a lady so well, that even shows in his smile throughout. There are so many places I just loved the 'adakari' of Mulazim. (like the subtle extension of 'naam lekar teraa...' at 3.13, similar harkat at at beginning of antara 'Sawan aaye to' at 5.07) 

Like in the previous composition, it's Babar bhai's Dholak again that captures the folk element accompanying the main vocal melody throughout. The arrangement is not as grand as 'Rabba Ho', however the usage of eastern instruments is managed beautifully - like the flute and strings interlude in between Fizza's and Mulazim's part in the beginning. The second interlude has flute and harmonium and the melody resembles 'Vaishnav Janto' closely! Both the compositions have its origin in Khamaaj thaat, while Fizza's part - Ve Baneya is clearly in Raag Des and the 'komal Ni' is conspicuous at places.

Hopefully these two tracks and Mulazim's soulful voice will keep you hooked for a week as you drown in the depth of his voice surrounded by the symphony of beautiful instruments used in these compositions! So until next time cya! :)

- Prabhu :-)
musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Coke Studio Season 8 Review - Part 2 (Umran Langiyaan & Ae Dil)

At the outset, thanks to all readers for the great response to my previous blog. It was a dream come true for Nabeel bhai himself to share it on his official fan page! Served as a shot in the arm for me to write more and often!

Umran Langiyaan

So as promised, I am continuing to discuss a few more of my top picks from CS - Season 8. Let me begin with the other song featuring Nabeel - Umran Langiyaan. Now this one is a beautiful fusion of two very old Punjabi folk songs. One goes by the name of the title itself - Umran Langiyaan. Written in the 1970s by Mazhar Tirmazi and rendered by Asad Amanat Ali (brother of Shafqat Amanat Ali) with poise and command (definitely recommend you to listen to this version). The second one too is an old Punjabi folk rendered by Allah Ditta Lonaywala (link here). While Nabeel has been brilliant with the rendition of the second folk song, it's Ali Sethi who owns this performance from the beginning. Talking of Ali, he is indeed a personal inspiration for me for having done so much in so little time. For starters, he is a Harvard graduate and professionally a writer and columnist. While interested in music since childhood, Ali grew up listening to greats like Nusrat sahib and Abida Parveen.  However the unbelievable fact is that he forayed into classical music only in 2008 when he begun his training under Ustad Naseeruddin Saami! And within such a short span, performing compositions completely on a classical base with such eloquence, is no joke by any means! And hence I say he is a real inspiration for rookie singers like me! (You are invited to read more about him here and watch one of his interview to Tehelka here)

Coming to the composition, the beautiful thing that I noticed is that the folk element is always felt in the entire composition. And seems like Ali had a great role to play in that for insisting on using harmonium and dholak for most of the song! (Watch the behind-the-scenes to know more!). The first song is about separation and yearning of the lover. And Ali's voice perfectly reflects that pain and longing. Without sounding sad, he beautifully brings out the concern yet optimism that the lyrics is wanting to convey. While the intro line and the alap sets the mood of the song, the mukhda at 1.24 brings the harmonium and the dholak into the fore setting the foundation of the song. Modern music elements are heard more in the first antara with bass and drums being more conspicuous owing to the absence of the dholak. The use of Rubab instrument at places specially the interludes by Tanveer bhai is intelligently done. And Ali's virtuosity is apparent all through the song as he hits all the notes perfectly and the subtle harkats are crisply and eloquently executed.

The interlude between the two folk songs is for me the best part of the rendition musically! While the root raag in my opinion is the same (Bilawal That, C major scale), the mood however shifts from separation/concern of the lover to happiness/hope metaphorically represented by the tinkling of bangles of the lady lover in the lyrics. And the heavenly flute piece by Sajid Ali does the transition perfectly exceeding everyone's imaginations. And in comes Nabeel with his soulfulness equally matched by Sajid's flute as he begins the second folk song. Nabeel's voice is much softer and melodious reflecting the happy mood. Post the brief piece, the two stalwarts get together for the final showdown as they literally fuse the two mukhdas at the end in a way that would keep you yearning for more.

I would definitely recommend multiple hearings of this slow-poison for it to hit you and keep you addicted for atleast a few weeks!

Ae Dil

My number 3 pick of this season is Ae Dil and boy what a performance this is from the duo - Ali Zafar and Sara Haider! Now like the other songs, this too is a recreation of an old classic sung by Saleem Raza. This song while can still be argued as a pop number, has many elements of jazz/blues throughout such as the use of melodica, minor chord usage at many places, the vocal style and generous use of vibrato (the on-purpose wavering of vocals by Ali). The arrangement also boasts of a brilliant lead guitar interlude in between by Omran 'Momo' Shafique (Have been following this guitarist since the early seasons and he is too good!).

The song begins with a brief english section which kinda sets the contemporary feel before the main mukhda begins. The melodica throughout the song is a welcome addition and goes with the romantic mood beautifully! The song's foundation is the rhythm set by the chords played on the piano and acoustic guitar. The drum work is just brilliant and really helps in changing the momentum in the interludes and places where there is a transition from one vocalist to the other. My 'aha' moment is the lead guitar section from Momo after Ali Zafar asks him to 'take-it-away'. And he literally does so with his magical fingers and joyful expressions, taking the song to it's zenith and handing over the baton back to the vocalists.

The vocals is a beautiful banter between the boy and girl which Ali and Sara bring out perfectly with their on-screen chemistry. Sara has been the real revelation of this composition. Who knew that the quiet backstage vocalist could deliver such a power packed performance! Sara comes with a sort of 'sophisticated' accent which goes with the contemporary, jazzy feel and she has a beautiful throw in her voice which gives a sense of command at portions where the girl responds to the boy (like at 2.56 when she sings 'Tune kiya tha pyaar kyun'). Also for lack of a better english word, the 'ada' with which she sings - like how she extends 'Ae dil kisi ki yaad main... at 3.06, adds the icing on the cake! Coming to Ali, I believe this is one of his finest performances till date! Perhaps he has exhibited all skills that a contemporary vocalist has in his book, in a single song. His husky voice texture was perfect for this genre and his vocal range was unimaginably sky-rocketing! The stand-out features for me were the vibratos and falsettos! He used the vibrato so beautifully in the English section. And I haven't seen anyone controlling falsettos at that high pitch so perfectly.

The best part of the rendition was the chemistry between the two! Perhaps the probable reason why this song has more than 2.5 million views while Bewajah is still trying to chase the 2 million mark. The expressions, smiles, hand gestures and overall exuberance added to the joyful experience of the performance and also reflected in the vocal feel. Do listen to this and listen again and again, I am sure this will keep you hooked for a while!

Had intended to discuss three songs in this blog, but I thought this level of detailing is required to do justice to these amazing compositions! So in interest of the length, let me leave you hopefully submerged in the awesomeness of these two compositions. Hope I did strike the right chord with you atleast with one of them. Look forward to your thoughts, suggestions and comments! So until my next post, keep listening and sharing. :)

- Prabhu

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