Music Review Coke Studio S10 Episode 4: Where strings weave magic, literally!

This season is full of compositions that takes time to sink in! There are atleast 3-4 songs where I changed my opinion from disappointment to immense liking in the matter of a few days. Going by that trend, episode 4 was a surprise as I liked most of the songs in the first instant! String instruments dominate this episode with brilliant performances by the guitarist duo of Imran Akhoond and Omran Shafique. Composers have also used traditional instruments like banjo and mandolin intelligently. Occasionally the electric guitar too has appeared, but largely the episode was an acoustic delight!

Naina Moray

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

This rendition has pretty much everything a fusion lover looks forward to! It was a fusion at multiple levels - a fusion of raags, compositions, genres, singing styles and not to mention instruments! And despite the multitude of dimensions to explore in a single composition, it flows into each other beautifully, non-abruptly keeping the listener engrossed. This is the second composition this season after Allahu Akbar which features a couple of classical virtuosos teaming up to deliver a piece of magnificence. And in both cases, a Jehnazeb and an Akbari Ali who are slightly lesser known than a Shafqat or a Javed Bashir, have gone on to equal if not outshine their more popular partners.

Like in Allahu Akbar, vocalists dominate the rendition for most times. Both the compositions are quite well known and rendered previously by the likes of Nusrat sahib and others. While Naina Moray is a thurmi in raag Bhairavi (and co-incidentally this sibling-duo from Naalan Gharana have sung it earlier as well. Checkout a YouTube video from 2011), Man atkeya is a kalam of Shah Hussain (if you recall man atkeya has the same lyrics as Neun La Leya from season 8! Just that it's rendered in a different raag - desh!). There are so many wow moments all throughout the composition that it's difficult to list them! While mastering a rendition is nothing new for Javed on this platform, Akbar was a total revelation for me with his flawless, crisp rendition. Perhaps he could visualize each note subtly, smile at them and improvise further realtime! :) . Do check out: 02:20, and the way he says balam pardes at 03:08, it's nothing short of aural treat! And you could also see trademark Javed Bashir at places for instance at 01:26 when he says mujhse mila de.

Arrangement is what binds this all together! And while this raag is quite complex with all its subtle nuances in rendition, it's just a 3-chord riff that plays all throughout and forms the structure of the arrangement along with accompanying bass-line and drums. Acoustic guitars are beautifully used throughout. Like at 03:30 the brief lead piece with keys leads to the Sarangi interlude that further leads to Javed's rendition of Man Atkeya. Tabla comes in as well to bring in the qawwali flavour. The second interlude brings in the electric guitar lead by Aamir Zaki which takes over from the Sarangi and gives a modern touch to the composition.

Overall a perfect package that you would hope doesn't end so quickly. Definitely deserves multiple rounds of listening and I am sure you'll discover new layers and dimensions each time! :)

Dekh Tera Kya/Latthay Di Chaadar

Composed by Shani Arshad, Sung by Quratulain Balouch & Farhan Saeed

Dekh tera kya has romance written all over it as it teleports you to a world full of flowers, sunshine and happiness in the month of colourful spring! Shani Arshad gives us a wonderful arrangement with apt choice of instruments to create this fusion of this pop+folk number. Dekh Tera Kya as sung by yesteryear popstar - Alamgir is a typical pop song, while Lathay Di Chaadar is your traditional punjabi wedding folk song (also heard in a few movie songs as well!) and the music binds these two so very well!

Both the compositions are on the major scale and hence helped the seamless fusion of the melodies. There is occasional use of 'komal ni' in Dekh Tera Kya which adds colour to this already colourful composition! :) The structure of the song is on a pronounced bass-line, classical electric keys and a simple 2-note riff on the electric guitar. A combination of drums and dholak gives the fusion feel very well. Also, they are used very subtly overall to keep the composition light and happy for the listener. While the soul of the composition lies in the flute melody which appears all throughout and gives you that feel-good all throughout. Banjo too is very beautifully used as the composition transitions from pop to the folk number with QB aptly taking up the folk portion with her strong, stable voice.

The vocalists are perfect not just with their vocals but also the subtle chemistry. They look animated at times and are also seen shaking a leg which adds to the overall feel to the listener. Vocals wise Farhan and QB complement each other so very well. Farhan keeps it subtle and soft and some of his variations sound so perfect (like the one at 01:32)! QB on the other hand is quite conspicuous owing to her distinct voice. At times, she sounds lazy as she stretches the Latthay Di portion almost teasing the listener who is yearning for more! Towards the end the two portions fuse as the flute melody gives it a rightful happy ending!

Overall a subtle, beautiful fusion and a great dose to cheer you up on any day.

Jindjaani

Composed by Ali Hamza, Sung by Ali Hamza & Nirmal Roy

Jindjaani in one phrase is an acoustic bliss! String instruments create a pleasing aura all throughout the composition that would make you like it the moment it starts! Despite all the experimentations using contemporary instruments, the composition still carries a strong sense of 'mitti-di-khushboo' thus retaining its rustic, folk character.  The song is an original by Ali Hamza describing heartbreak and then later ventures to a classical folk song - Jhanjar Phabdina sung by Tahira Syed.

Arrangement wise the composition is completely unplugged and based on the acoustic guitars and percussions - a combination of drums and dholak. Mandolin and flute add to the rustic feel. Raag wise, my guess is that the composition is anchored on Khamaaj as I see the liberal use of 'komal ni' in the composition (Any thoughts?). The composition starts with a beautiful intro by the mandolin accompanied by the guitarist duo who complement each other so well! Aahad Nayani as usual is excellent behind the drums and makes his presence felt. Flute accompanies Nirmal and adds to the sweetness of her vocals as the tempo picks up with dholak kicking-in full swing at 01:24. Mandolin interludes beautifully at places and binds the song. The taal changes at 02:05 in the first antara. Some kind of strings-brass hybrid patch comes in during the antara (at 02:15) playing a parallel melody adding a subtle dimension. Also watch out for the amazing flute interlude at 02:56 which heralds the start of the folk song by Nirmal from where Ali Hamza leaves the earlier song. The beat pattern (taal) keeps changing during this part keeping the listener engaged and building up the song for a beautiful climax where both Ali Hamza and Nirmal engage in a sort of jugal bandi before the song ends.

Coming to vocals, let me put it this way - Ali Hamza brings in the elements of 'mitti', while Nirmal adds the 'khushboo' thus giving it that 'mitti-di-khushboo' character :)

Ali Hamza with his strong lower notes anchors the composition well leaving room for Nirmal to improvise and excel! Nirmal's talent shouldn't be a surprise to those who have heard her in the last season, however this was a different genre and she's come out with a magnificent performance! She's soft and subtle in the initial part and then opens up her vocals in the folk part. One can't help but sense a great resemblance of her voice texture to melody queen Shreya's! Perhaps Nirmal's texture is slightly shriller and crisper because of her young age (random observation: just observe Ali Hamza appreciating Nirmal's vocals at 0:58). Overall a great enjoyable song with everyone participating in the fun and enjoyment during the jam. I definitely hope to see more of Nirmal in days and years to come :)

Julie

Composed by Ali Zafar, Music Directed by Shani Arshad & Sung by Ali Zafar & Danyal Zafar

One can be rest of assured of unlimited craziness when Ali Zafar's on stage and this was no different! It's difficult to categorise Julie into one genre! Rather it's a pot-pourrie of genres with essence of various genres in the musical arrangement. Be it reggae style rhythm, rock style lead guitar or use of jazz/blues style brass sections. And I better not get started on singing styles! :) Written and composed by Ali Zafar himself, be ready for craziness unlimited as you indulge into this.

Arrangement wise this is perhaps the grandest one of this episode. The composition is structured on reggae style guitar strumming that is accompanied by percussions. Brass sections build up the melody quite well. Danyal with his lead guitar is too good. Ali again makes sure exhibits all his vocal skills testing his range and falsettos.

Overall a very different style performance! This one's not for everyone. Perhaps if you liked rockstar from his previous seasons then you might love this one! I still suggest you to give it a couple of listens and perhaps you'll start gradually liking the madness! :) 

To sum up, I would say that this perhaps complements the episode with its crazy element. An episode which otherwise was full of soul, happiness and goose-bump-inducing classical pieces. Let me know what you thought about the songs. Do share and comment! :)

Prabhu

musicdilseblog@gmail.com

Music Review Coke Studio S10 Episode 1: A Smooth Take-off!

After a great last season experimenting with multiple composers, Coke Studio is finally back with Season 10 retaining the format this year with mostly the same names as composers. There are some interesting additions in artists list though. Shafqat Amanat Ali returns to this platform after 8 years! Nabeel Shaukat Ali too reappears after missing out last year. Few more names reappear this season that I am looking forward to - Humera Channa, Sajjad Ali, Ali Zafar. More importantly the Strings duo too feature as artists this time which is interesting! :)

Ranjish Hi Sahi

Composed by Jaffer Zaidi, Sung by Ali Sethi

For someone who likes both fast-food and a 3-course meal, I was seriously in a conundrum listening to this! I admit I am not a purist, however having internalised Mehdi saab's version, listening to it innumerable times, this rendition, although pleasant and crisp, lacked that 'nasha' that would stay with you for long! Ali is an immensely talented singer and an even greater person with all that he has achieved! I admire him to the extent that I envy him! His past stints at CS with Umran Langiyan and Aaqa were flawless and made me his instant fan. However with this, he was up against Mt. Everest.

Arrangement wise, it was a typical CS setup modernising an old ghazal with keys and acoustic guitar with the tabla retaining some character of the ghazal. The strings and the choir style backing vocalists add a breezy vibe and keeps the listener hooked. Given that it's CS and experimentation is a given, I think they did a good job in keeping it subtle and let Ali lead the show.

Ali was impressive with his vocals as always. I liked the fact that he was lost in the melody and hence some variations in the notes sounded very natural giving that occasional goose-bump moment! Although, his intentional pauses at places, especially at ranjish-hi-sahi was kinda glaring as you are so used to listening to the original which is smooth and continuous!

Despite all comparisons (which I can't help!), this definitely deserves at-least a couple dozen repeat listens this season. But then, if you ask my liking say 10 years down the line, I will perhaps prefer the old wine instead of this freshly concocted minty cocktail! Seriously look forward to seeing more of Ali this season though! :)

Muntazir

Composed by Strings, Sung by Danyal Zafar & Momina Mustehsan

Apart from noticing Danyal's obvious resemblance to his brother Ali, listening to the initial arrangement on keys, guitars and bass and the chord structure, I somehow got reminded of Lazarus from Porcupine Tree (Anyone else??)!

The arrangement is kept simple on a major chord structure, however I liked the use of bass-line. The melody doesn't get monotonous though as there are variations to the structure in the verses which is quite interesting. There's also a brief guitar solo cameo by Danyal (remember Momina from last time?). Somehow I would have liked the vocals volume to be a tad higher. On good speakers, the vocals (Esp. Danyal's voice) seem to be slightly feeble compared to the bass and the arrangement.

Nothing much to be added on this. It gives you a nice feel if you are used to this genre. Definitely not a typical CS arrangement, but a couple of these kinds do slip in to add variety to the album! One of those songs you wouldn't mind coming back to after a couple of months on a joyful day :)

Chaa Rahi Kaali Ghata

Composed by Sahir Ali Bagga, Sung by Hina Nasrullah & Amanat Ali

This one's yet another beautiful fusion from Coke Studio which took sometime to sink in for me, and now has reached a stage of addiction! The original composition is a beautiful Dadra (a form of Thumri) on raag Desh originally sung by Begum Akhtar ji. Sahir Ali Bagga (the new addition to the list of composers) has very smartly made subtle changes to the melody to fuse it with the modern piece. For starters, I fail to observe characteristic color of desh in the melody, however the use of 'komal ni' is quite pronounced at places (Would like any expert to validate this observation). This however makes the fusion with the modern piece, which is mainly on raag Bilawal (your typical major scale), easier to blend with.

While the composition itself along with the arrangement contributed to the overall performance, the main element were the vocalists! And both of them were amazing and superlatively melodious! Haven't heard Hinaji before and I can recollect only a few voices which are so open, melodious and powerful all at the same time! The notes and harkats are spotless and crisp. Esp the place where she says yaaaad at 06:02 was something else! On the other hand, it was great to see Amanat after almost a decade and boy his tonal quality is still the same! He exhibits his melody and range quite masterfully. And I am so glad that he managed to got to perform one of the antaras of the thumri and he rendered it flawlessly! The harkat at 04:20 was just wow! The composition ends with a beautiful climax where Hina does a powerful alaap on the higher octave while Amanat beautifully switches from the chorus of the modern composition back to the sthayi of the classical thumri accompanied by the strings section in full swing.

Arrangement wise this composition has everything a fusion would demand. Great mix of western and eastern instruments that are used very aptly. Guitars and keys are prominent during the thumri part initially to give an acoustic feel. As soon as Amanat's part takes over, electric music makes appearance along with strings and drums. The interlude is beautifully crafted with the guitars and strings with a hint of sitar towards the end. The antara of the thumri is now accompanied by the tabla giving a classical touch. The flute and sitar improvisations at places are perfectly done.

Overall a great overall package with each aspect constructively contributing to a great composition! You might not find it great in the first hearing, but trust me do give it some more attempts and you'll thank me later :)

Allahu Akbar

Composed by Shuja Haider, Sung by Ahmed Jehanzeb & Shafqat Amanat Ali

I was happy to see Ahmed Jehanzeb in the list of artists earlier (still haven't gotten over Khaki Banda!) and doubly happy to see him team up with the legend Shafqat Amanat Ali for this composition! And the virtuous duo didn't disappoint with their jugal bandi. 

The composition is a beautiful prayer composed and written by Shuja Haider himself! Starts on the acoustic guitar rather subtly with the singer duo building the melody and improvising their lines beautifully. Bass line and strings section accompany them beautifully at 01:53 . The song completely transforms at 02:10 into a qawwali with the qawwals joining in chorus enhancing the devotional quotient! The guitar solo at 02:56 in classical style flows with the arrangement nicely. The second interlude introduces flute into the equation which continues in the second antara.

Shuja kept the overall musical arrangement rather subtle, as the composition is more about the vocalists!  And both the vocalists do complete justice to the composition and are completely lost into the prayer while delivering a superlative performance. The subtle nuances and improvisations in pretty much each line keeps one engaged. Ahmed tests his higher range at 07:20 beautifully followed by Shafqat's trademark alaap building up the composition before it concludes! One definitely needs multiple hearings to appreciate this better. :)

Overall a good first episode to kick off the season and hope the trajectory is northwards from here!

-Prabhu

The Story Now by Papon - Music Review

Finally back to blogging after a long, long break. Well, can't really single-out one particular reason for this discontinuity. While work, travel and more work and more travel can definitely be blamed, I would be untrue to myself if I don't mention lethargy here! But yes, here's my next blog with a promise to be more regular from now on!

So where do we start! Well, although I was away from the actual writing part, I continued to add onto my blog wish-list during this break, which understandably is quite long now. So lets start with the list topper: The Story Now - A brand new album by Papon! Independent albums are a rarity in Indian commercial music these days and so, when I heard Papon launching a follow-up album to his earlier 'The Story So Far', I was keenly looking forward to the release. The album contains only 4 numbers, which was sort of a let-down, but then the diversity of the genres, style, mood and emotions in the overall package more than made up for short line-up! So here we go.

Aerii Sakhi Morae

I was pleasantly excited, yet kinda nervous when I heard Papon mentioning that he is rendering this Hazrat Amir Khusru classic in his album. Excited because I love this number and was curious on how would Papon render this, while at the same time nervous too as this has been attempted by every single contemporary stalwart - be it Nusrat Sahib or Rashid Khan, with each rendition bringing its own charm, emotions and energy! Here, I would like to particularly point another crisp rendition by Abbas Ali Khan of Coke Studio fame which is quite close to what Papon finally gave us!

So for all the nervous excitement, Papon didn't disappoint! While Papon has quite boldly played with genres quite liberally, it is his voice that lends the stability and emotions into this rendition. The number starts off as an acoustic unplugged number and slowly translates into a jazzy mood in the first interlude with some beautiful work on the keys. Techno elements mark their entry in the first antara with some pronounced drums followed by a rock style lead guitar section in the second interlude. The rollercoaster ride of genres ends with some more acoustic unplugged section towards the end.

Again, can't help but re-emphasise the way Papon has emoted throughout the rendition. It's quite difficult to display one's classical prowess when one is sandwiching a classic piece in a 4 minute fast-food setup. But Papon has been spot-on with his notes, harkats and free-style singing!

Listen to this with an open, unbiased mind and I am sure it would strike the right chord!

Kahin Na Kahin

Like in the earlier song, this one too starts in an unplugged manner primarily on an acoustic guitar sounding like that typical Papon romantic number! The accordion and mandolin combo joins the acoustic guitar and weaves another melodical dimension into the overall arrangement. The first interludes features a beautiful jugal-bandi between a free-flowing mandolin and the rhythmic acoustic guitar. Rest of the number continues the same feel.

Papon is at his romantic best with his voice in this one! At times he sounds casual and lazy with his vocals which, I must add, goes well with a laid-back accordion. Lyrics are quite simple and easily relatable thus making it a very real romantic song!

Saahil

Saahil pretty much summarises Papon's story so far! Like Papon's life, the song starts with an exploration of mountains, rivers and nature and later to new lands as he realises his true purpose in music! The latter half of the video sums up his journey as a music star performing at various venues and yet learning something new from wherever he can!

Music too reflects his journey! Starts very subtly with an acoustic arrangement and later builds as new layers get added - electric guitars, brass section and ascending percussion. The brass section fills in during the interlude quite well with a variety of instruments. The interlude is unsually long - about 90 seconds, but the variety keeps one hooked. The brass instruments accompany Papon all the way to the second stanza creating a nice crescendo.

Papon is brilliant with vocals. He emotes a sense of inquisitiveness in the first half and then opens up full throttle as the song builds up. Overall a great package!

Loving A Dream

In 'Loving a Dream' Paponda teleports us to Jamaica as he lives his dream with this funky, retro style reggae number! Characteristic to the genre the song starts with an off-beat rhythm section on the keys and electric guitars. Brass sections come in at the latter part of the chorus with an interesting off-sounding melody. Jeenti is brilliant on the guitars leading the interlude followed by the brass folk. The second half continues with the same pattern ending on a brilliant trumpet solo.

Overall a great experimentation! Listeners who like this genre or are open to new kind of music would love this. For others it might take some time to digest this.

So Paponda has given us a great musical package with 'The Story Now'. I am sure you'll end up liking atleast 2 songs if not all, depending on your genre likings! A big thumbs up to 'The Story Now' and hoping for more stories from the house of Papon!

- Prabhu