This article was originally published on The Express Tribune’s website on September 20th, 2017 ET removed the article a few hours later. I was told it was “an editorial decision.”
A cached version of the article could be accessed here or continue reading.
In summer of 2007, we were shooting a talk show at Studio 146 in Korangi Industrial Area. The establishment, which houses two big studio, gave me a glimpse of Gumby going inside the other studio. Curious, I peeked inside to experience the red set, hinting melodiously about Pakistani music’s next big thing.
Soon, I learnt about Coke Studio, the future synonym of Rohail Hyatt’s music. The rest is history, but so is the connection of Hyatt with Coke Studio. Now Strings have the baton.
A lot has been said and written about Coke Studio’s downward spiral. The continuous downpour of scathing criticism on the duo is evident of the audience’s loyalty to the brand of music Coke Studio represents, more than their likeness for Hyatt. Though, we sometimes tend to forget the distinction between the two.
Coke Studio fans may be grouped into three: Those who still watch the show and expect good music; those who don’t watch the show anymore (and await Strings to leave); and those, such as myself, who watch the show just to see what shenanigans Strings are up to. Honestly, criticizing Strings has become a favorite pastime.
During one of these ranting sessions, a friend compared the state of Pakistan’s music industry after Coke Studio’s launch with the Bollywood music industry in the 1990s and early 2000s. It was a time that could be described as the entire Bollywood music vs. A. R. Rahman’s music. One could easily distinguish between the two because the difference in the quality was so far apart. Just like Rahman, Hyatt’s music had its distinct signature through him Coke branded even its music! But Strings are costing the show its distinct sound hence branding, slowly but surely.
This is how.
I noticed the tagline “Sound of the Nation” as a part of the show’s core branding in 2014, the first season Strings produced. But to me, Hyatt followed that vision from much earlier. To this end, he actively looked for great singers and musicians from across the country, representing different sub-cultures and diverse artistic expressions from around the country.
Hyatt brought little-known singers like Asif Hussain Samraat of ‘Beero Binjaaro’ and ‘Senraan Ra Baairya’ and Sanam Marvi of ‘Koi Labda’ and ‘Manzil-e-Sufi’ to perform for millions of Pakistanis.
Comparatively, Strings experimented by introducing singers like Mehwish Hayyat of ‘Tu Hi Tu’ (whose talent clearly lies in acting), Aima Baig of ‘Baazi,’ Momina Mustehsan of ‘Tera Wo Pyar’ and ‘Samra Khan of ‘Hina ki Khushbu’. Strings did a great disservice to Coke and Hyatt’s legacy by trading quality and diversity for glamor.
Moreover, Hyatt was once quoted as saying, “Our biggest enemy is the previous show.” He was always cautious of using same vocalists again and again. And whenever he did, he aimed to reinvent their artistic expression.
Let me give you an example. A friend of mine is devoted to listening to and critiquing music, and he does not like Atif Aslam. But he has two of Aslam’s songs in his collection.
This is due to his belief that ‘Wasta Pyar Da’ and ‘Jal Pari’ works because Hyatt masterfully paired the tunes and lyrics with Atif’s voice – a combination hard to create. Probably, Hyatt was successful because he offered the singers to create something that was unlike their previous body of work. He took big risks with them, not all but most passed with flying colors.
Talking of renditions and risks, Strings fans may argue, “Why do you compare an original song with a Coke Studio remix?” The simple answer is the quality of a remix invites comparison. So, remixes are way riskier than new compositions. And let us not mix-up remixes with sung-again songs.
Most of Hyatt’s remixes were never criticized and compared with originals. Rearranging of the songs didn’t ruin the taste of the originals. In fact, at times it added emotion and musical intellect to their feel.
Unlike Hyatt, Strings always seem to play safe. They give singers what they feel suits their voice and style, hence lacking versatility and exclusivity. They also seem to match songs with faces that they believe will make a hit. Do you have any other way of explaining so many duets? The last few episodes of Coke Studio have had some hits, but all these songs are pretty disposable like contemporary Bollywood music. Consider ‘Jaane Na Tu,’ ‘Tera Wo Pyar,’ ‘Man Aman-e-Dam,’ ‘Naraz,’ and ‘Be Wajah.’
One song that sums up everything that I detest about the show is QB’s ‘Laal Meri Pat’. It is obvious that Strings don’t feel comfortable working with a certain group of artists. The ones, who are known for live singing, are often referred to (and rightly so) as real musicians and singers.
Take Akbar Ali of ‘Laal Meri Pat,’ I wonder if anyone even noticed him in the song unless they have noticed the credits. He was given the part to perform that could only be described as an afterthought. The BTS video of the song did not even feature him. (You must know him by now because of ‘Naina Moray.’ Ali is a classical singer and people who follow classical music know him well for this work in Lahore Music Forum.) What Strings did with this particular song could only mean one of the two things, either they didn’t know what to do with Ali plus this song, exposing their creative limitations, or the decision to include Ali was a deliberate one to get rid of a duet, which is outright insincere- waste of a performance.
Most of the singers this season couldn’t seem to carry the songs on their own so instead of finding diverse voices Strings stayed in their comfort zone and used the singers they feel contented working with.
Every season of the show has something that makes it memorable. Ironically, I will remember season 10 as the point when Coke Studio’s “sound of the nation” lost its charm.
Thank you for reading. If you like please leave a comment below or @alikhina.
Hali Writes 