KARACHI: Coke Studio season 11 marked a strong return with its opening track; a rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem, Hum Dekhenge. The song – well, more of a ballad – revealed over 70 artists as part of its 11th installment.
While Coke Studio season 10 failed to impress, we’re hoping this year’s change of command with producers Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi in charge, will be appealing to the audiences.
In its first track, we see Coke Studio celebrate the message of unity, hope and peace. The producers have gone an extra mile this season to ensure that the all of Pakistan is represented in its true essence.
Here are seven reasons we are desperately hoping this years’ Coke Studio will be exceptionally different from its last spell.
1. Krewella makes ;Coke Studio’ debut
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Season 11 of the show aims to introduce new genres and fusion where featured artists explore their heritage while showcasing their unique styles. This also marks the debut of Pakistani-American duo, Krewella. The EDM (electronic dance music) duo was previously all set to perform in Islamabad, but cancelled last minute due to security reasons. We hope to see an unexpected track from them in the show.
2. Ahad Raza Mir can sing!
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Is there anything this man can’t do? After being a prominent contender for almost every accolade this year, Ahad Raza Mir’s charm has never failed to amuse us. As soon as he came on screen, clad in an orange kurta, the audience’s eyes nearly popped out.
Well, that definitely was a pleasant surprise. However, this isn’t the first time an actor has made his/her way to the acclaimed show. Previously, Mehwish Hayat and Ayesha Omar have also lent their voices to the show.
3. In a first, we see transgender singers make their way to the stage
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True to its word, Coke Studio promised to bring out diversity, equality and a message of peace globally. And when we saw transgender duo, Lucky and Naghma, the goosebumps were quite persistent. We’re pretty sure most of you got them as well.
I'm pretty excited to see trans people included in the line up for this years #CokeStudio11
— maim (@Mximnat) July 23, 2018
#CokeStudio Pakistan Season 11 will be featuring a transgender duo!!! Meet Naghma and Lucky representing their whole community. I'm sure you'll experience the depth of their lives in their voices! #CokeStudio11 #Pakistan #TransgenderCommunity
— Rafay Latif (@Rafeylatif1) July 22, 2018
4. Old gems, new tracks
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While there are quite a few firsts this year on Coke Studio, we see the return of its most acclaimed artists. The likes of Abida Parveen, Ali Azmat, Jawad Ahmed, Abrarul Haq, Jimmy Khan, Humaira Arshad, Asrar, Ataullah Khan Esakhelvi, Momina Mustehsan, Asim Raza, Shuja Haider, Ali Sethi, Bilal Khan, Sahir Ali Bagga, Aima Baig and Gul Panra are making a strong comeback.
However, Coke Studio’s regulars such as Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar and Zeb Bangash seem to be missing from the line up – not that we’re complaining. It’s about time to give new artists an opportunity such as.
5. New talent
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One thing the show has always been applauded for is coining the new talent. While we see quite a few old faces in the promo, there was also an ample amount of new talent. This season of Coke Studio intends to bring back a musical fusion of exciting elements and diverse influences, ranging from traditional Eastern, modern Western and regionally inspired music.
We spotted Sounds of Kolachi finally making a mark in Coke Studio with Khumariyaan, rapper Young Des, Lyari Underground, The Sketches, Vishnu, Shamu Bai and Ariana, Amrina.
6. Diversity
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The producers aim to feature a wide array of languages and a multicultural sprawling list of artists, folklore and poetry from across Pakistan. Coke Studio endeavors to spread the message of hope, optimism, vibrancy and love through the music, moments, interactions, languages, artists, instruments, exploration.
7. What Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi has to offer
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“This year’s journey of Coke Studio began with: ‘Coke Studio Explorer’ to discover music and stories from across Pakistan,” said the producers.
“With a three years’ tradition of doing artist reveals with a track which inspire the ‘Pakistaniat’ in all of us – there couldn’t be a better choice for a track than Hum Dekhenge – a song by sung the people of Pakistan, for the people of Pakistan!” they added in a joint statement.
“In its 11th year, we aim to showcase the diverse cultures and languages across all provinces without the boundaries that bound us to celebrate who we are, where we are and what we are – on Coke Studio.”
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Original news : https://tribune.com.pk/story/1764550/4-7-reasons-looking-forward-coke-studio-season-11/