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: 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