Given the nature of the current socio-political climate, venues, musicians and organisers are wary of what to expect at a concert. Likewise, the people themselves also share a sense of cautiousness when going out and about. Thankfully, that wasn’t the mood when JoSH, Aunty Disco Project and 90 Degrees performed recently at the Royale Rodale in Karachi.

The concert kicked off with 90 Degrees. Though a relatively unknown band, the members of the group should be commended for performing whilst the organisers were still trying to work out the sound check. This didn’t bode well for 90 Degree’s performance as the sound was all over the place during its performance. However, the band deserved an A for effort as not that many bands can pull off a decent cover of Sajjad Ali’s songs (including Sajjad Ali’s own cover of Didi by Khaled, Babiya).

Also, it wasn’t just the sound check that wasn’t in favor of 90 Degrees, crowds gathered slowly at their own time at the same time being completely oblivious to the band’s performance. As for the performance itself, keeping the sound check snafu aside, 90 Degrees does show potential and promise. All it needs is persistence and better opportunities to perform.

Aunty Disco Project was up next. To say that the band has had an eventful year is an understatement. After the departure of Imran Lodhi in 2008, the band parted ways with drummer Omar Khalid (amicably) recently but at the same time, the band gained three new members and a drastic new approach to music. Rahayl Sidikey, Ali Alam and most recently their new drummer Giles Goveas are all part of the band and their contributions/sound does leave a distinct departure from the ADP people knew. The once-hardcore underground band with its own unique purist sound was now easing up to sound of commercialism — albeit on its own terms.

ADP kicked off the show with its magnum opus, Sultanat. A song that has evolved as the band has, however, it remains their signature tune and a distinct crowd favourite. Likhta Nahin Mein and Raat Jaga were next, both songs in a rather quick succession. The sound reflected a much hungrier ADP eager to have the crowd’s attention no matter what. Finally, just when the pace was set high, ADP pulled back a notch for the slow and melancholy song that is Nazar.

Things picked up again with Jaane Wale and Hum Na Rahein by now the crowd was really getting into the performance. A particular note to Jaane Wale, a song from its upcoming album that showcased a much more upbeat approach to music if compared to the likes of Sultanat and Nazar, even though most of the songs were already quite upbeat from before. Coalescing around the stage, ADP certainly had their attention.

The band closed its set with Mujhe Sahara Do, another oldie that had been revamped. The band that performed that night was most certainly a brand new ADP and if this gig is an example, or taste if you will, of things to be expected from their new album, then it is definitely an album to watch out for.

Finally, we come to the headliners, JoSH. Roop and Q have graced the shores of this coastal city quite often. They were part of the recent Coke Studio and have always had memorable gigs here. This show appeared no less, the moment JoSH took stage there was a surge in the crowd. Everybody who hadn’t joined in whilst 90 Degrees or ADP performed, came rushing forward to greet the band onstage. It wasn’t just their musical performances that had the crowd going, their interaction with the crowd was on another level entirely. Roop and Q both took turns speaking/interacting with the crowd, so much so to have a playful competition between the two of them, just to see who would get the crowd worked up better. JoSH performed Kabhi Kabhi, Mausam, Sauda, Mahi Ve, Khaike Paan Banaras Wala and a host of other songs. However, a particularly touching moment occurred in the concert when Q took a moment to reflect that he was in fact performing in a very special city; his birthplace. He also dedicated the concert to his mother, who was also present backstage.

Finally, the night was complete. The organisers of the show, Studio Maxx Presentations and a popular watch manufacturer, had managed the show reasonably. The security was excessive but not overbearing. The concert wasn’t on time, but it wasn’t drastically late either.

A pleasant gig with some great performances, a couple more of these and the Karachi concert scene will be right back on track.

Source: Dawn | Images

By Omar Bilal Akhtar (Oba)

Josh Naal Paa Bhangra

So we opened for JoSH this past weekend….

The show was at Royal Rodale, which is thankfully pretty close to where I live, so I was relieved that it wasn’t a major trek. The boys and I were pretty pumped about the show, Yasir and Rahail got to my place early and even managed to squeeze in a game of cricket that got far too sweaty. Well basically it was Yasir and me playing while Rahail and Aamir sat on the side and made hurtful comments.

The problem with having a gig closeby is that you tend to relax about the things you carry, when we finally got to the venue, we realized we were missing a bunch of things. Luckily Ali Alam was able to get them. He had yet to arrive because he travels separately… on a white horse… flanked by nubile women…with palm leaves…feeding him Skittles.

The stage setup looked fantastic, it was about 10 feet high surrounded by this massive iron rig. Ishtiaq Bhai of Shadab Sound was doing our sound today, it was the first time I had worked with him, we had been going with Audiolink for the longest time, so I was looking forward to the change. The soundcheck was pretty painless and it sounded really good, so we were really enthused about performing.

However, there was a really strange vibe going around. We were getting stared at like we were aliens. I think we were generally a little put off because the Royal Rodale management and their security people were being dickish. We kept walking up and down, transporting our things and we walked through the check points enough times for them to know who we were. And we got stopped at every point along the way with people asking us if we had a ticket or a pass. Now we’re not the kind of band that makes a big deal out of things like this, its fine if people don’t know who we are. But unless you have employed a bunch of goldfish as your security, you’d think that they would remember us from the 5 times we passed by them. I know we’re not the most famous band in Pakistan but it seems to me, that if you paid us money to come perform at your concert, you’d know who the fuck we were.

As performers, we had the privelege of getting 10 free tickets for the entire band to give out, while it wasn’t a lot, we didn’t ask for anymore. I took our guest list down to the ticketing counter and tried to explain to the ticketing guys that they needed to let those people in. I was confronted by the ‘head organizer’ who fixed me with a “who the fuck are you” glare, clearly meant to intimidate. I calmly tried to explain that I was Omar from ADP and I had a guest list that needed to be taken care of. He in turn glared back and claimed that the guest list hadn’t been discussed with him. I said that my manager had spoken to the organizers and they said it was fine. A tense standoff happened before he finally said fine. By this time I was seething.

The guys started getting irritated as this needless harassment. Things got ugly when we walked out of the gate holding water bottles that the organizers had provided us. The guards saw us walking out with those bottles. When we tried to re-enter, they informed us we couldn’t bring the bottles back in. No amount of reasoning could convince them that these were in fact water bottles that came from Royal Rodale. Again, I chose to tell the guys to chill out, and ignore it, but we were all just livid.

The opening act 90 Degrees were performing, we got a couple of their songs. We knew that the crowd hadn’t really arrived yet, so we decided to go back to my place where we could relax for awhile and I could change into my sexy performance clothes.

The moment we got to my place, the organizers started calling us back, telling us the concert had a midnight deadline and we needed to get on stage now. I was afraid that this was going to happen, which is why I was glad that we weren’t there, being subjected to needless pressure. We told them to wait, we’d be there in ten minutes. I was trying really hard to not let the bad vibes get to the guys, I think it helped that we were all together in once car, so we kept our spirits up.

Once we got in, there was a pretty sizeable crowd and there was an RJ on stage trying to buy time because Aunty Disco Project were late. I didn’t see what the massive fuss was, we had barely been gone for 15 minutes and we were going to start the show at 9:40, which was a pretty decent time to start.

We took the stage and I was amused by a row of extremely buff bouncers at the foot of the stage dressed in fatigues ( no jokes!) and combat boots. It looked like the A-Team was the night’s security. They were doing their best to intimidate the front row which mostly consisted of screaming teenage girls. I asked the crowd to come closer and not be afraid of the bouncer guys and cracked a few jokes at their expense. Judging by the look that one of the dudes gave me, I was pretty sure that he was going to rape me after the show.

We started with Sultanat, and the crowd surged forward and started cheering and headbanging. It was magnificent! everyone knew the words and were singing along and it warmed my heart to see boys and girls dancing and just genuinely enjoying themselves. We played all original material for the first time, including our new versions of “Likhta Nahin Mein” and “Raat Jaagi”. “Nazar” was a crowd favourite and we also played “Jaaney Vaaley’, one of the newer tracks. We were all set to perform 4 more songs when we were told by the organizers to cut our set short. I was in no mood to fight especially since we were having such a good time on stage, so we just went straight into “Hum Na Rahey’ and “Mujhey Sahara Do” as a finale.

We got off the stage to thunderous applause and people asking for more, I knew the set had been too short but at least we put on a good show, and thats all you can really ask for.

We briefly met JoSH backstage while we were left the stage. They seemed nice and really polite. Before he got on, Q turned to Yasir and asked “Crowd mein bachiyaan bhee hain, yaa sirf launday?” (Are there any chicks in the crowd or are there just desperate dudes?). I was most amused.

As we went downstairs to put our equipment away, we had mixed emotions about the show. Our performance itself was great but just the general atmosphere had been kinda hostile. Rahail and Giles left immediately, Ali, Yasir and I decided to stick around for JoSH.

While we were coming back up, security decided to stop us again and this time I lost my temper and accused the guards of simply trying to humiliate us. People were watching so I went upstairs without causing too much of a scene, but still seething….I went back down when I was leaving and decided to give them a peace of my mind. I started off trying to politely reason with the Royal Rodale management, but they seemed to be on some massive power trip and started yelling back at me. That was when I lost it a second time and I accused them of getting their kicks stopping and harassing people for no reason. I’ve tried to have a really clean record when dealing with people and the last thing I want to be accused of is diva-esque behaviour. But this was beyond what I could handle and I caused a scene. My friends stepped in to defuse the situation and then I finally left after an admittedly self righteous rant about Pakistan and our society and how we lack common decency (heck I don’t even know what I was on about, I’d like to think I was quite eloquent)

I have to say I was a little dissappointed by the fact that JoSH were relying on pre-recorded backing tracks while singing live for the concert. I suppose it makes logistical sense since they’re coming from Canada and probably dont have time to rehearse with a live band. But it just tones down the live energy of a show. Anyway, the songs were good, and the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves which is always good to see. JoSH finished at around 11:20, well before midnight, so telling us to cut our setlist short for them was basically a load of shit.

It was a day that should have been great for us, but all the hostility and gotten to us and we were exhausted by the constant defensive mentality we had to keep up. But on the plus side, the concert was well organized, without technical issues and the organizers got it right for the most part. Somethings could have been handled better, but at least our crowd enjoyed the show and I’d like to think we gave them their moneys worth.

Aaah well, till the next time then…

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Photography by Amna Hakim

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Downloads:

Bhangra Pa Laiye
Dholi Dhol Baja Zara
It’S A Mismatch
It’S A Mismatch – Remix
Jaan Hai Tum Se
Nasha Hi Nash

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The statistics and analysis are our own and must not be used anywhere else without prior permission. They do not represent the original statistics of the Coke Studio by the Cokestudio.com.pk

Episode One “Individuality”:

• Atif Aslam – Jal Pari – (244 Votes & 6,115 Downloads)
• Noori & Saieen Zahoor – Aik Alif – (137 Votes & 3,782 Downloads)
• Zeb & Haniya – Paimona – (68 Votes & 2,914 Downloads)
• Javed Bashir – Aj Latha Naeeo – (66 Votes & 1970 Downloads)
• Shafqat Amanat Ali – Khamaaj – (48 Votes & 2,667 Downloads)

Comment:

Atif being the most commercial singer, got most downloads and votes. Noori, Zeb & Haniya being the best performers stayed in the middle with respect to both votes and downloads. Extremely great performances by both the artists. Noori presented another side of Noori with Saieen Zahoor which we yet had to explore and Zeb & Haniya beautified Paimona even more with the help of other wonderful musicians. Javed Bashir did remarkably good but the performance being completely classical couldn’t get attention of everyone even though it was appreciated. Shafqat Amanat Ali couldn’t impress anyone much with his performance.

Episode Two “Harmony”:

• Atif & Riaz Ali Khan – Kinara (106 Votes & 1,735 Downloads)
• Ali Zafar & Baqir Abbas – Dastaan-e-Ishq (77 Votes & 981 Downloads)
• Saieen Zahoor – Toomba (42 Votes & 1,016 Downloads)
• Shafqat Amanat Ali – Aankhon Kay Sagar (37 Votes & 882 Downloads)
• Josh – Jaanay Do (15 Votes & 930 Downloads)

Comment:

Atif again stayed at the top with fan following from all over the Pakistan, India, Arab Emirates, USA etc. Ali Zafar and Saieen Zahoor stayed in the middle with best performances. The reason why I loved Coke Studio more than ever is that the artists explored their powers to perform. Ali Zafar keeping pop aside presented us his soulful voice deep enough to drown. Shafqat Amanat Ali was again a disappointment and did Josh even deserve a spot?

Episode Three “Equality”:

• Atif Aslam – Wasta-e-Pyaar Da – (156 Votes, 1,743 Downloads)
• Ali Zafar – Yaar Daddi – (118 Votes, 1,566 Downloads)
• Noori feat Rakae Jamil – Jo Meray – (67 Votes, 995 Downloads)
• Zeb & Haniya & Javed Bashir – Chal Diye – (59 Votes, 1,107 Downloads)
• Josh – Bari Barsi – (26 Votes, 857 Downloads)

Comment:

Atif again topped the charts. Wasta-e-Pyar Da is one of the best compositions of Atif even though his billy jeans wasn’t appreciated much but with the huge fan following he still managed to get most votes. Ali Zafar and Noori stayed in the middle being the best performances. Zeb and Haniya did an above average performances and Javed Bashir made it out of the box. Josh?

Episode Four “Spirit”:

“Pakistani music industry has always been strong.
Coke Studio is the kind of exposure it needs
to gain more popularity and momentum.”

- Qurram Hussain
– Josh discuss Coke Studio, its impact on fans, artists and the industry at large
Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

Instep Today: Let’s talk about the Coke Studio experience. How was it for both of you?

Qurram Hussain (Q): Everyone always knows that Coke Studio gives the artists a chance to break out of their usual style a bit, but really it’s Rohail and Umber’s comfortable attitude that makes it easy to experiment. When Rohail had discussed the project with us, he was open to any ideas we had for music and presentation, so we were able to take Coke Studio in different directions with songs like ‘Bari Barsi’. That being said, I was a little nervous about the band because we had not jammed with them and just sent ideas over email. But when we landed and had our first jam it was easy to see how tight the band was, and that allowed me to really free my mind from the music and just concentrate on the performance.

Instep Today: ‘Jaanay Do’ was an interesting song to debut at the show. Tell us more about it?

Rupinder Magon (Rup): Although ‘Jaanay Do’ is one of my all time favorite songs from any of our albums, we hadn’t thought about singing it due to the fact that it was an older track.  Rohail bhai had actually requested we do that because he liked the track a lot.  There was no question from that point that we were going to ahead with ‘Jaanay Do’.  It’s proven to be a great choice as the fan emails are still pouring through till today.

Instep Today: Tell us about the sentiment behind the bouncy ‘Bari Barsi’?

Q: Rohail had asked us to do a traditional Punjabi track and this song is something we used to perform back in the day when we were starting off. We always loved doing it, it’s such a classic, so we thought we’d bring it back our way and give a twist to the Coke Studio sound. Jamming a song like that with a live band is a lot of fun, and we don’t get the opportunity to do that in Pakistan because usually the shows don’t allow for such a big band with us. We got the lyrics written especially for Coke Studio so they apply to the moment and if people pay attention to the lyrics, they’ll see how fun they are.  We just wanted to do something light and fun, with a surprise at the end of the track.

Rup: We were requested to sing a song that represented Punjab.  We used to sing ‘Bari Barsi’ when Josh had first started out as a live cover band back in Montreal.  For us, it not only represents a true Punjabi folk track, but also connects us with our humble beginnings.   We had a blast singing it with the Coke Studio house band and I had a blast playing live dholki for the first time while singing.  We also mixed in an old classic by the UK band Heera, ‘Maar Chadapa’.

Instep Today: How was it collaborating with Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan?

Q: We had two collaborations with Shafqat bhai at Coke Studio. One, where Shafqat bhai sang on ‘Mahi Ve’, and the other, where we sang on his ‘Mast Qalander’. We jammed ‘Mahi Ve’ a little differently and gave it a bit more of a lounge feel. I guess it’s a little hard to describe and people will have to listen to it to see where it ended up. No one can say enough good things about Shafqat bhai’s voice, so his alaap added such a different touch to the song. He’s just great whenever he steps into anything, so that made that track a totally different thing.

Rup: I am one of Shafqat’s biggest fans.  Both musically and personally.  Over the past few years we have become good friends.  When we were told that we would be collaborating with him on ‘Mahi Ve’, we were floored.  It’s a great honor to sing with him.  He brought a great sufi-esque and classical element to the track.  More importantly, the house band had done an amazing job on the music as it sounds very different from the original.

Instep Today:  You brought Gurpreet Channa to the studio. How did that work out and how was it playing with him?

Q: We have worked with Gurpreet in the past on a few shows and we always wanted to work with him at a larger level. His style of playing is different and we felt it would fit great with the Coke Studio vibe. When Coke Studio came about, we started thinking about who we can bring with us who will add more to the sound and Gurpreet’s name came up right away. We asked him, he was down and once we started jamming, it was very natural with him since we’ve performed with him in the past. I think he got along great with the other guys, and there was a mutual energy of respect amongst everyone. Gurpreet brought in some new instruments that the fans will have seen. It’s all part of our little effort of trying to bring fresh sounds to the Pakistani music scene. It opens minds to new avenues of creativity.

Rup:  We wanted to add an element of fusion to our set.  Gurpreet brings creative and innovative ways of playing tablas and dhols.  Moreover, he brought along with him, a rare percussion instrument called the Hung.  I think you got a taste of it with Gumby and Gurpreet’s jam on it. It’s unreal!

Instep Today: The situation in the country is tense more often than not. Were you both worried about coming or bringing Gurpreet with you?

Q: We come to Pakistan very often and try not to worry too much about the situation in Pakistan. Yes, we have to be careful, but so far, we don’t have many fears coming here. We explained the same thing to Gurpreet and I think it was mostly the families that get a little nervous, but they understood after. The way I see it, if the locals who are going through this tense period are able to get together for a project, we can come in for a few days at least!

Rup: Not at all.

Instep Today: Has Coke Studio changed the way you feel about the music industry of Pakistan?

Q: To be honest, it has not changed the way I feel about the industry. I always knew the kind of talent and creativity present in the industry. What has happened is that the fans get to see this creativity blossom. Hopefully with this project’s success more corporations will be keen on supporting projects that have a different angle musically because it’s clear that the fans like this vibe. The music industry of Pakistan has always been a strong one, and this is the kind of exposure it needs to gain more popularity and momentum. I’m so happy to be part of this movement and can’t wait to see where it goes. It puts a smile on my face to think about the fact that we were there towards the beginning of something that I’m sure will become a musical tradition in Pakistan for many many years to come.

Rup: It hasn’t changed the way I feel about the music industry here.  It has only strengthened my perception of how interesting the music that comes out of Pakistan is.  The very fact that pop, rock, and bhangra bands exist here without the push of the film industry is amazing.  I wish all territories could do the same.

-Photography by Kohi Marri and Rizwan ul Haq

Source: Instep today

Two more episodes than the previous season and nearly twice as many artistes from last time round, the sheer awe factor of the C-Studio 2 artistes is undeniable. You have to give credit to them for not only experimenting with their own numbers but tackling new ones, too. The fourth session is titled Spirit and with such acts, it’s obvious why.

Mai Ni Main — Atif Aslam

I can only imagine what was going through Atif’s mind as he sang this. It would be a daunting task to be in his shoes to cover a song previously sung by maestros such as Hamid Ali Bela, all the way to Reshma. Atif flawlessly sang the classic tune and he’s definitely one CS artiste who continues to shatter people’s perceptions of him.

Bulleya — Riaz Ali Khan

This is probably the most covered Baba Bulleh Shah poem there is and rightfully so, with poignant lyrics and underlying tones.

Like many artistes before him, Riaz Ali Khan makes Bulleya his own. His voice carries the lyrics and tones, giving them a life of their own. In addition to the poem, Riaz Ali Khan brings raags of his own composition within the track — a pleasant addition indeed. One of the crimson studio’s lighter tracks, definitely pleasant to the ear whatever the mood.

Chup — Zeb and Haniya

This is the very title track that made them famous, and Zeb and Haniya once again prove why it was so. Chup isn’t as glorious as Paimana, however it definitely is groovier thanks to Omran Shafique’s guitars.

Given the house band talent at their disposal, Zeb and Haniya could’ve taken the song into a completely different direction, which in the spirit of the studio would’ve been a pleasant surprise.

Saari Raat — Noori

Noori’s the kind of band that you listen to at full volume. Their energy is at best obvious and overwhelming — but in good kind of way. CS gives them a chance to show a much more mellow side to them, especially Ali Hamza who appears at home and ease at this slow pace.

The other half of the band, Ali Noor, still brings in the loudness every now and again, but that’s just enough so that you know you’re listening to Noori.

Mahi Ve — JoSH & Shafqat Amanat Ali

Bhangra songs are quite the acquired taste, you either love them or love to hate them. This, however, is not a bhangra track at all and that’s all thanks to Shafqat Amanat Ali’s brilliant contribution to this track. His powerful raags echo and evoke a completely new feeling to the track. It’s interesting to hear JoSH change their trademark pace and shift down to second gear for a change. This is definitely one of their most pleasant performances yet.

Though the artistes continue to put out some great music, most of the performances came out with a more ‘manufactured’ or ‘staged’ sound than the previous season. Perhaps it’s because it was made for a TV audience rather than a live one — and the change felt from the first season and the second one is obvious for everyone to hear. And they are hearing it by the hordes, keeping the spirit of CS alive and well.

Source: DAWN.COM | Images

DISCUSS HERE

saari raat jaga re jaga re
lagey dil mai hara re hara re
khudh yeh khol na le yara re
tere il mai kon hai yara re
mery jan tune jana maine jana
mery jan tery haan mery haan
dar aya dar ayaa
dar aya dar ayaa na

lag jae aag mere dil mai
khoya yara na paya jo bhi dil ne
tere liye hara re yara re
tere liye saare gham hai sawwweere

jab tery aankhein so jaein
aur tery yaadein kho jaein
terey tan mai tere man mai
tere ghar ko aag lag jae
aur tujhe jaan na aaye

saary raat jaga re jaaga re
ab yeh banda hara re hara re
khoya yara na paya jo bhi mere dil ne
aaj yeh dhoond le yara re
ab jaage aahein mere dil mai
tere liye hara re yara re
tere liye saare gham hai sawweere

jab tery aankhein so jaein
aur tery yaadein kho jaein
tere tan mai tere man mai
tere ghar ko aag lag jae
aur tujhe jaan na aaye

jab tery aankhein so jaein
aur tery yaadein kho jaein
tere tan mai tere man mai
tere ghar ko aag lag jae
aur tujhe jaan na aaye

———————————-

Lyrics: Zeb and Haniya – Chup

chup….
suntay suntay,
mera sabar tou khatam howa
bus…
batain bohat hoween
ab tou piyar ka waqt howa
tm jano na
meray dil
main hai kia
ye lagan
methi si agan
chahye kia
teri ankhain
satayen
mjay pass bulain
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
chup chup chup
shhh chup

chup…
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
chup chup chup
shh chup
aaa tu hasen hai
koi tjh sa hai kahan
laikin rukhi guftugo
main ata nahi woh maza
jo hai piyar main
izhar main
dil ki har main
dilruba
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
muskurahat meri bolay kia
socho na
chup chup chup
shh chup

———————————-

Lyrics: Shafqat Amanat Ali and JoSh – Mahi Ve

woh kehtey hain naa
jo hota hai achey k liyey hota hai
ghalat kehtey hain

kismat ka khel hai saara
phirta thaa main aawaara
yeh kya sey kya hogaya
chaar din ki zindagani
har pal ek nayee kahani
kya thaa main kya bann gaya

kya hua jo laaree chooti
jeevan ki gaaree lootee
khuaab hai tu mujhko naa jagaa
zindagi ek pal main saali
yun palat gayee hamari
jhoot hai tu mujhko naa bata

mumbai,sunaa tha yahan aadmi poori zindagi apni kismat
slow track se fast track laane mein nikaal deta hai
par dhaayee ghantey mein meri kismat
aisey slow track se fast track par aa jaayegi
yeh maine kabhi socha naheen thaa
saza maza ban jaayegi,yeh bhi kabhi socha nahi tha
last local kya chooti,saala kismat patree par aa gayee

karlo jo bhi karna hai
hota hai jo hona hai
guzra tu pal,yeh phir naa ayega
kya bura hai kya bhala hai
waqt hee shayad khuda hai
hojaney do phir,dekha jaaeyga

kya hua jo laaree chootee
jeevan ki garee lootee
khuaab hai tu mujhko naa jagaa
zindagi ek pal main saali
yun palat gayee hamaree
jhoot hai tu mujhko na bata

woh kehtey hain naa
jo hota hai achey k liyey hota hai
sahee kehtey hain

———————————-

Lyrics: Atif Aslam – Mai Ni Main

Mai ni main kinon akhan
Dard vichoray da haal ni

Dhuan dhukhay mere murshad wala
Jaan pholan taan laal ni

Jungle belle phiran dhondendi
Ajay na payo lal ni

Dukhan di roti, solan da salan
Aahen da balan baal ni

Kahay hussain faqeer nimana
Shoh milay tan thewan nihal ni

Mai ni main kinon akhan
Dard vichoray da haal ni

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Lyrics: Riaz Ali Khan – Bulleya

Bulleya Ki Janan Mein Kaun

Na Mein Momin Vich Maseetan
Na Mein Vich Kufr Dee Reet Aan
Na Mein Paakaan Vich Paleet Aan
Na Mein Moosa Na Firoon
Bulleya Ki Janan Mein Kaun

Awwal Aakhir Aap Noon Jaanan
Na Koi Dooja Hor Pichana
Mein Toon Vadh Na Koi Sayan
O’ Bulleya o’ Bulleya
Bulleya Ki Janan Mein Kaun

Na Mein Aabi Na Mein Khaki
Na Mein Aatish Na Mein Pon
Bulleya Ki Janan Mein Kaun

ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF BULLEYA:

Bulleya, Who am I?
I am no believer in a mosque
And I have no pagan ways
I am not pure. I am not vile
I am no Moses and I’m no Pharoah.
Bulleya, Who am I?

First and Last, I see the Self
I recognize no second to it.
No one is more knowing than me
But, Bulleya, who is it that’s me?
Bulleya, Who am I?

Water no dust are neither what makes me
I am not flame. I am not wind
I am not Pure. I am not vile
I’m not moses and I’m no Pharoah
Bulleya, Who am I?

Download All Audios and Videos of Coke Studio Season 2 Episode 4 “Spirit”

01. Riaz Ali Khan – Bulleya [Download Audio] [Download Video] [Lyrics]

02. Atif Aslam – Mai Ne Main [Download Audio] [Download Video] [Lyrics]

03. Noori – Saari Raat Jaga [Download Audio] [Download Video] [Lyrics]

04. Shafqat Amanat Ali and JoSh – Mahi Ve [Download Audio] [Download Video] [Lyrics]

05. Zeb and Haniya – Chup [Download Audio] [Download Video] [Lyrics]

In the fourth studio session, Coke Studio took us through an exploration of the beauty of the human spirit and brought forth the positive energy of music as it lifted our spirits, touched our hearts and strengthened our emotional and spiritual bonds.

Atif Aslam continued to showcase his versatility; from Billie Jean in the last episode to the classic Punjabi folk Kalam by Shah Hussain, Mai Ni Main in this season, Atif wears all his musical avatars with pride. Mai Ni Main is a resilient song which has been explored in the past by maestros ranging from Hamid Ali Bela to Reshma and now, Atif Aslam.

The duo Zeb and Haniya brought to the studio perhaps their most recognisable song, ‘Chup’, after which their debut album is titled. The studio session treatment of this song sees both Haniya and Zeb share vocals to a retro musical feel with Omran Shafique working his way around his fret board to produce what he is best known for, groove.

The ‘Spirit’ session highlighted another Baba Bulleh Shah poem, his eponymous ‘Bulleya’, sung by eastern classical musician Riaz Ali Khan, who hails from the Sham Chaurasia Gharana. As many may be aware, Bulleya has been released in the past by the likes of rock band Junoon and more recently, Rabbi Shergill. In his Coke Studio version of the song, Khan Sahib pays tribute to Bulleh Shah by composing his own melody in Raag Bhimpalasi, an evocative afternoon raag.

The Noori brothers returned with guest musician and cousin Rakae Jamil on the Sitar to reinvent rock ballad Sari Raat, originally from their Peeli Patti album. Indeed this was a most unorthodox setting for the sitar and was in general, a challenging song to play. Ali Noor took the lead on power house vocals and Javed Iqbal stole the show with his staccato rock riff/solo on his violin at the end of this rock number.

The collaborative song for ‘Spirit’ was a harmony between the classically trained Shafqat Amanat Ali with the bhangra bandmasters Josh in ‘Mahi Ve’. This song reflected a thumping musical celebration with Shafqat adjusting to the fun Josh bhangra style with sophistication through his alaaps and sargams. Mahi Ve also represented an inspirational and motivational poetic prayer with the fusion of three distinct voices throughout the song.

DISCUSS HERE

Mai Ne Main (Coke Studio Episode 4 “Spirit” Behind The Scenes)
Featuring Atif Aslam

Chup (Coke Studio Episode 4 “Spirit” Behind The Scenes)
Featuring Zeb and Haniya

Bulleya (Coke Studio Episode 4 “Spirit” Behind The Scenes)
Featuring Riaz Ali Khan

Mahi Ve (Coke Studio Episode 4 “Spirit” Behind The Scenes)
Featuring Josh and Shafqat Amanat Ali