Coke Studio Season 4 Review

Turn on the television; spread out a newspaper or surf the internet- Pakistan is always in the bad news. Go on to YouTube and check out the videos by Coke Studio. The first thing that strikes you is the number of views that are at par with any hit English track. Then if you scroll down to see the comments, you will find a great proportion of comments from outside Pakistan in an appreciation to the show and of course, to the talent which is being refined by this revolutionary show in the history of Pakistani media. The talent belongs to the country i.e. Pakistan, and the acknowledgement is also directed towards Pakistan; which is an absolute rarity these days.

Coke Studio has been a revelation in the music of Pakistan since 4 years now. The season is aired after a span of one year and comprises of 5 episodes. While Season 1, 2 and 3 were a huge success, the recently concluded season 4 has got a mixed response. Rohail Hyatt has left some screws unturned in this season, unlike the last ones.

There's not even a slightest ambiguity in the fact that Rohail Hyatt has always put his 100% effort in every performance that he creates. The Season 4 has more highs than the lows. But the lows have come as a surprise, being negligible in the 2nd or 3rd season for that matter.

Lets focus on the Highs first. The opening episode was highlighted by a brilliant performance by Akhtar Chanal from Balochistan along with komal rizvi for' Daanah pe Daanah'. It was good to see the focus on balochi folk after a long time. Surely, the province of Balochistan still has many hidden treasures. Jal tried to fuse their song with Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's epic 'Dam Mast Qalandar'; which was an epic fail. The original part of the song,'ik arzu', however, was a good effort. Bilal Khan's 'Tou kya Hua' became a teenage sensation. Episode 2 and arguably the best one of the season witnessed the return of Attaullah Essa Khelvi in the most emphatic style with his hit song 'Ne Othaan Waale', what a treat that was to the hearing ears! Sajjad Ali's 'KirKir' was a refreshing change at Coke Studio in terms of its mood and feel. 'Beero Binjaaro' by Asif Hussain Samraat took the listeners to the deserts of Rajasthan.; a soothing melody indeed. Fareed Ayaz's 'Kangna' was at par with 'Ne Saiyon assaan' by Rizwan and Moazzam from season 3, though it was much more intense and much longer for viewers liking. Episode 3 was all about the one line that Qurat-ul-ain Balouch got to sing in 'Panchi' with Jal and also the out of this world classical music by Ustaad Samiuddin. Coke Studio season 4 is not complete without 'Mundari' by Sami Saab. Take a bow Rohail Hyatt; for inviting an unknown classical legend of our country. Episode 4 again had a strong performace by Akhtar Channal, Attaullah Sahab and Sajjad Ali. Bilal Khan was again there to provide youth with yet another touching song, 'Lamha'. Some of the fusions like 'Danah pe danah' and 'Panchi' were masterly handled by Rohail. Giving young Mole's instrumental a chance at such a high level was definitely a big step.

The Lows may not be due to the quality of music, but there were several other factors that should have been considered in order to make the season a definite winner. To start off with, there's no logic to me that why Sanam Marvi has to be there literally in every other song? Indeed she is a very talented singer but please Mr. Rohail, We have had enough of her in the last couple of seasons. Secondly, why give Komal rizvi and Meesha Shafi the songs which the legendary Reshma can still sing even if she's not well? She must have been invited for 'Lambi Judaai'. Qurat-ul-ain balouch definitely deserved a solo performance.

On the whole, CS-4 was indeed a treat to experience but it could have been a bit better with slight fine-tuning with the production management. Keep up the good work, Rohail.