Episode 3 is up on Coke Studio's official website (for free audio/video download) and their youtube channel. Reviews of the previous two episodes can be found on SW's blog [I've posted specific links here]. Apart from H, the only other person I know remotely excited about the whole thing is D - and that's what I want to get to in this post, more or less o-0 .........So khair, one of my favourites from this week's episode is the performance by Jal. Now I've been following Atif Aslam from the days when Jal was a band consisting of Atif, Gohar, Haider and Omer. So obviously if you knew the actual..er..set of events..that resulted in the splitting of the band, you had to take a side.. ^.^ .....Point being, I hadn't heard a lot of (unoriginal) Jal apart from the videos they released. Then I heard their first performance of Ik Arzu on Coke Studio and it didn't do much for me you know, I thought Farhan didn't do well on the low notes, there was nothing "special" about the performance and the transition into the Bulleh Shah kalam made the whole thing worse. In fact, they wrecked Dam Mast Qalander. Well, I have to say they've redeemed their selves with the following performance in this episode:
Apparently Panchi is one of their old songs and they went ahead and fused it with a classic, Tere Ishq Mein by Allan Fakir and Mohammed Ali Sheikh (which almost gives me the feeling of Hum Mustafavi Hain by Mehdi Zaheer.. I have no idea whether both songs are from the same span of time? - too lazy to research). Anyhooo...I know there are people butchering Gohar for "ruining" Tere Ishq Mein but I personally think Gohar did the performance justice including the transition in to the second song - props to Rohail Hayat for the execution. What made the performance even special is the contribution of Quratulain =o What a star! I really wish they had given her more of an opportunity to perform and I hope there is a solo in the pipeline but her voice really gave this performance that extra little..oomph! This performance is food for soul, melodious and effortlessly brilliant. The house band as always delivered and Gumby, my man was on fire! Anybody knows if he's married?.. So anyway, Im gonna' stop here and let you explore it on your own and Im not going to comment on its lyrical content because Im gonna' share THIS POST by D at News You Can't Use [- ha, the irony :P] instead. Kinda gutted its taken me this long to post it up but you must must must read it because it really hits home. Simple and spot on and I couldn't have put it better myself.
Pakistan: Where are your not-very-beautiful women? And I suppose I speak on behalf of girls (and in few cases, men) everywhere when I ask: Where are your not-very-handsome menfolk? (Is being a maulana the only career choice for them?)
am i seriously the only Pakistani who does NOT like this season of coke studio AT ALL?!
ReplyDeleteP.S. sorry about the delay. my coke studio rant is comingggg.
Quite so. People didn't like last season either. But it's a great concept if nothing else. Will look into it more.
ReplyDeleteI don't really watch it. So can't comment. :(
ReplyDeletemy coke studio rant is up. in case you were wondering :P
ReplyDeleteAnd they have started Indian version of it as well...
ReplyDeleteThis Atif Aslam bit you posted, to me, again, professional sounding but a but bland. I'm sure they are destined for more commercial success but it just doesnt have alot of spice for me. But then I am biased, as the type of westerner who is going to pay attention to this I am going to want something raw, "authentic", folksy, etc., not your local Dave Matthews band. Junoon, for example, was able to integrate a certain amount of systemic variety, and the trend seems to be for bland sugary acoustic pop- not even sugar n' spice... :/. If they are going to make westernized sugar, let it be suitably complex ....
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