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What to expect from ‘Coke Studio’ in India - 26 May 2011
Coke Studio to rock India - 23 May 2011
Rabbi Shergill out of Coke Studio 4 - 04 Apr 2011
Collaboration: Indian Arts Company with Coke Studio
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India takes a slice of the ‘Coke Studio’ pie
A breakdown of the artists that are going to feature on the show.
Coke Studio India is set to air within a weeks time with some big names such as Colonial Cousins, Shankar Mahdevan and Kailash Kher from India along with Sabri brothers and Shafqat Amanat Ali from Pakistan.
KARACHI:
The Indian rendition of “Coke Studio”, known as “Coke Studio at MTV”, is set to be aired within a week. With the lineup of some remarkable Bollywood singers and unknown folk acts, the season may have a lot to offer and seems promising.
Colonial Cousin’s Leslie Lewis is the music director for the show. Along with taking charge of the control room, he will also take part as an artist and play some of his famous melodies on the set.
Lewis has repeatedly been talking about the cultural discovery that took place via “Coke studio” and how the fusion of different popular artists with not-so-famous maestros has made it a treat to hear.
Each episode will comprise of six session recordings with the first episode set to go on air on June 17 at 7pm on MTV.
Folk musicians from all over India will be experimenting on such a big platform for the first time. Only time will tell whether the experiment will break the Bollywood music stereotype or not.
Colonial Cousins
Formed in 1996, the band comprised the Mumbai-based composer and singer Lewis and renowned vocalist Hariharan. Colonial Cousins, the first Indian band to be featured on MTV Unplugged, has won numerous awards for their music; the most famous being the MTV Asia Viewers’ Choice Award, 1996, and the US Billboard’s Viewers’ Award, 1996.
Shankar Mahdevan
Shankar Mahadevan was born and brought up in Chembur, a suburb of Mumbai. He learnt Hindustani classical music and Carnatic music in his childhood, and started playing the veena at the age of five. He studied under Srinivas Khale, a well known Marathi music composer. He gained recognition upon the release of his first music album, Breathless, in 1998.
Kailash Kher
Kailash Kher has a uniquely soulful and raw voice which was brought to the fore in 2002. His song “Allah Ke Bande”, from the relatively obscure movie Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, made him a household name. Since then he has sung a number of songs in Bollywood, most of which have gone on to become very popular. He is also the founding member of the band Kailasa, which fuses Sufi and Hindustani classical music with rock and contemporary music.
KK
Krishnakumar Kunnath – or KK, as he is better known – first found fame with his album Pal in the year 1999. Prior to this, he had lent his voice to ad jingles. In a span of four years, he had sung an astonishing 3,500 jingles in 11 Indian languages. KK got his Bollywood break with “Tadap Tadap Ke Is Dil” from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999. However, he also sung a small portion of the song “Chod aaye hum” from Gulzar’s Maachis.
The Sabri Brothers
The Sabri Brothers, Aftab Sabri and Hashim Sabri, are a qawwali party from Pakistan. They belong to a prestigious qawwal gharana. They were taught music under the age of 10 years by their father and Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan, the famous classical vocalist of India. They believe that lyrics and mood are the most important for qawwali.
Shaan
Shantanu Mukherjee is a renowned Indian playback singer. He is not only an accomplished playback singer, but also has released very successful solo albums. Shaan has been wooing the audiences ever since he stepped into the Indian music industry and has been the voice of all of Bollywood’s leading men. He has also collaborated with a number of international artists, including Blue, Mel C and Michael Learns to Rock.
Shafqat Amanat Ali
Part of the seventh generation of the Patiala gharana, Shafqat was born in Lahore to Ustad Amanat Ali Khan in 1965. With the band Fuzon, his songs “More Saiyan” and “Tere Bina” became massive hits. Fondly nicknamed Rock Star Ustad, he sang “Mitwa” composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy for the movie Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, and the rest is history
Shruti Pathak
Having sung in Bollywood films, Pathak is a Filmfare Award-nominated playback singer and lyricist. Her career came alive with the song “Mar Jaawa” from Fashion. Adding Dev D to her resume, Pathak’s career graph is moving upward slowly and steadily.
Tochi Rainaa
Raina was born on September 2, 1965 in Darbhanga, Bihar. Raina’s family originally hails from Kohat but they moved to Patiala during the Indo-Pak partition. Raina comes from an eminent musical family – his grandmother played sitar and Uncle Ratan Singh Ji was a violin player for the Mumbai music industry. He belongs to the musical gharaana of Patiala, and his first guru – for 10 years – was Pt Vinod Kumar Ji, a disciple of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
Sunidhi Chauhan
Chauhan began singing at the age of four and was discovered by a local TV anchor. Chauhan also loves western music and cites Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson as her inspirations. She has said that one of her ambitions is to achieve global fame like they did. Sunidhi Chauhan is credited with having sung over 2,000 songs.
Some renowned artists that will feature in ‘Coke Studio at MTV’
List of other artists
Advaita
Akiri kakkar
Bombay Jayashri
Bondo
Chinna Ponnu
Divya Lewis
Harshdeep Kaur
Kailasa
Kavita Seth
Khagan Gogoi
Mathangi
Megha Dalton
Mausam Gogoi
Pankhi Dutta
Papon
Parthiv Ghoyel
Praful Dave
Raghu Dixit
Ramya Iyer
Rashvid Khan
Richa Sharma
Roop Johrie
Sanjiv Tv
Sourav
Suzanne D Mello
Wadali Brothers
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2011.
Read more:
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Reader Comments (44)
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If you haven’t heard the first song of Coke Studio India, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YBH177UrxU
It’s nothing compared to what Pakistani CS has to offer. I am utterly disappointed.Recommend
Nothing can beat Jal pari and kirkir kirkir i bet! and the list of artists isnt extra long? as if trying to overcome all 4 seasons of Rohails Coke sessions.
Coke S. Pakistan Rocks !Recommend
Copy catsRecommend
I hope they pay royalties to the Pakistani Coke Studio people. Afterall ‘innovation’ has been a fail when it comes to India. Recommend
It seem to be à same old-fashioned bollywood charba
Style,if u go through by thé list,for God sake
Give us something original & raw.Recommend
I wish them all the luck. It would be great to hear good music from them as Im sure they have much musical heritage to bring forth and much current work to offer that we dont usually hear in their mainstream music.Recommend
First, let me clarify Coke studio originated in Brazil before it was brought to Pakistan by Coke, and it is still owned by Coke Cola. They can start this show anywhere they want India, Bangladesh or Sri lanka.
Secondly, we need to grow up and stop comparing ourselves with India all the time every step of the way. India is a much superior country and way ahead of us when it comes to economy, education, science, medical, entertainment, sports and even politics. So how about we get our own house in order and stop worrying about india.Recommend
India has so many reality tv shows people in india doesn’y really care a damn what coke studio is all about.
And also most of the singers and musicians in india are busy making money by becoming judges in talent hunt shows hence coke studio like stuff is thousand thumbs down in india.
It is so ridiculous that pakistanis are so hooked to indian tv shows and then themselves remain hell bent to trash them.
The question is then why do pakistanis watch indian tv in their homes and again and again on you tube.
The problem with pakistan as a nation is that if they get to have one single pakistani show good enough to watch in a decade they keep bragging about it all their life.Recommend
The governement should open the doors to the studio ficility for the artists and start the music channals for different people. Coke studios is elitist and gives more coverage to the main stream strong contenders rather then the folk ones. What makes Rohail Hyat more qualified to produce this rather then Waqar Ali? Sajjad Ali, Sahfqat Amanat Ali, Humaira Arshad. The answer is He can speak better english then them ?? that is the only reason that this man is getting such huge pat in the back and money from multinational like Coke. Let’s not forget he has not produced a single great song or act before the Coke Studio and the other local music acts have been trying to produce not only good music but helping in projects for common man too. The list is not short there is Abrar ul Haq, Shehzad Roy, and almost every singer who prodives real help to the thousands musicans working under very poor conditions with fear of persicuation from the Taliban and disrespect for their choice of profession from most population. Recommend
@ali
at least we find something worthy of copying from you at last
@shahzaib
coke studio is MTV property it owns that too in India and , i think MTV is not a Pakisatan alone TV StationRecommend
@ali,@saad duraiz,i think you people dont know coke studio history.it was first started in brazil by the production of coco cola company,then it came to pakistan.
regarding its success,i dont think it will create any intrest in bollywood obessed indian mass.but i think they need to include more bands of india,the people from bollywood who are participating definitely give it a bollywood type music,but there are some great and unknown folk artist whom i would love to listen.fingers crossed.Recommend
@Sumeet, do you mean estudio coco cola zero? It was called Coke Studio in Pakistan. Check the format of the Brazilian one and the Pakistani one.Its completely DIFFERENT.
Both may have been sponsored by Coco Cola but it did not dictate the format, it was formed by creativity and sheer dedication of the people who worked hard to get the studio to where it is.
I guess with some of you it is tell a lie so many times that people start believing its a reality. Please don’t copy and plagiarize, respect others creativity and credit it respectfully!!Recommend
Despite so many reality shows and stuff, indias music scene is incomplete without Pakistani singers and example is above :)Recommend
I thought India was “ahead” of Pakistan and doesn’t compare itslf to Pk? Whats the purpose of copying this show, then? Do some less talking and more innovation.Recommend
@Ravi:
all of indias ‘reality shows’ are copies from UK and America please come up with something original big brother copied american idol copied strictly come dancing copied Recommend
Sad that we’re still comparing nations to music….Enjoy the music ! its the only thing left to bring us together …Recommend
I am looking forward to see A R Rahman, Hari Haran, SP Bala, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam and Sukhwindar in Coke Studio India :)Recommend
Wow Wow Wow … Everyone knows that Indians have been crazy about the Pakistani Coke Studio (check out user comments from India on You tube) … Even if we assume that it originates in Brazil, it was the Pakistan’s Coke Studio that they got inspired from (read: public demand) and thats ok. But the sad part is that they dont have the nerve to accept and give credit to Pakistan. I can bet they will keep on telling the world that they started it the way it was started in Brazil and all and they wont even bring Pakistan;s name in between. Loser Cheaters CopiersRecommend
wow,pakis are so full of themselves.uve got no music,no movies,no economy for god sakes and ur going nuts about a show that’s not even pakistani. we respect ur artists so we invite them as a gud friendly gesture but u guys reward us by telling us we’r no good ourselves thats y we invite u. GUYS GET OVER URSELVES,TRUST ME UVE GOT NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF,I MEAN REALLY.Recommend
Coke Studio is not Pakistani. It didn’t originate in Pakistan either. It’s an international franchise owned by Coca Cola and its first incarnation was started in Brazil.
Recommend
@ikmundapunjabi:
Pakistanis can only brag about their non existent pop industry.
If pakistani pop industry was so matured than why did the singers run for bollywood.Recommend
@sana:
Loser Cheaters
Don’t you think the same words are regularly used for pakistan by western media?????Recommend
stop comparing!!!one nation one country one subcontinent!!!!PEACERecommend
On a positive note Indo-pak express Bopanna and Aisam won Germany ATP event. Congrats to both of them well played guys. How about we learn a thing or two from these guys~ PeaceRecommend
STOP HATE and this narrow mindset of India vs. Pakistan. I literally cringed when I heard Coke was starting this show in India because I knew what was about to follow. And here it is, our ugliness and shallow pride in full display. The whole world has moved on and some of us are still stuck in these petty comparisons. These people have mentality a good 50 years behind rest of the globe. GROW UP!Recommend
@ikmundapunjabi…..if we had no music, you wouldn’t be copying Coke Studo (OUR IDEA) with exactly the damn SAME FORMAT. Coke Studio Pakistan videos on Youtube are full of Indian viewers by the way.
What have you got to be proud off, apart from copying people’s ideas? All your reality shows are copied. Indians are too full of themselves. India and innovation can never be on the same table. Go get a life. Show offRecommend
All Indian commentrators, common let Pakistani brag a little bit. They get this opportunity rarely :)Recommend
@Abhi:
With your kind, a bit more than you think. Recommend
well all of india’s reality shows are not copied … we had meri awaz suno and saregama which were immensely popular than indian idol and other reality shows …. regarding coke studio its true that pakistan was lucky to have it before india but that doesnt mean india is copying from pakistan, however, if we feel we can take some good ideas from pakistan then why not ? after all the main purpose is to get entertained by indian as well as pakistani artists …so we welcome suggestions from our neighbours …peace !! Recommend
Indians claim to be superior to Pakistanis but still suffer severe inferiority complex. Recommend
@ikmundapunjabi, what arrogance on you’re behalf! Pakistan is going through difficult times and ordinary people brave up and produce AMAZING music. Give you’re neighbours a little credit. If you can’t be proud of us, let us at least be of ourselves of our resilience and creativeness!
Pakistanis love music and it would be nice to hear some Indian beats so good luck to CS at MTV. Just give the original CS its due respect and credit, is that too hard to ask?.Recommend
‘Coke Studio’ set to rock India as Coke Studio India by MTV
http://www.asianaires.com/music/coke-studio-set-to-rock-indiaRecommend
Stope this blame shame game. We are the people living in the same region from centuries. A single thin border line will not abolish the same qualities as all we have. Both india and pakistan though are divided but still they will find each other as closed neighbors in every sector of life.otherwise the hate I have seen as I saw all the comments of the people of both the nations, this is not the origionality we have to bring the peace so that will able to play some thing peaceful and better . we have to set equal tunes of soul so that it will bring the peace. thanks Recommend
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we got some of these artists on coke studio in Pakistan to collaborate with local artists and vice versa? Recommend
Stop fighting for once, and just enjoy the music.Recommend
Fingers crossed to see Kailash Kher.. I really wish that Leslie come up with something outside of Bollywood influenced music… the standard PK Coke Studio has set, it is hard to meet… but Indian non-conventional guys can come up with something creative I am sure… For all the people who are criticizing the Indian CS, I think it would be better if we get two good shows instead of one… success of Indian CS would not mean the demise of PK CS… Recommend
Fine. We copied Brazilian, and you copied us.
However, thats not the only thing you are copying from us. Star Plus will soon Survivor and for everyone’s information, Pakistan was the one which had a season of Survivor, earlier than yours (which we copied from somewhere else).
Furthermore, claiming that Pakistan has no music. Then think again. For the past few years, almost every hit Bollywood film has a Pakistani singer in it. It is our music that gave a chance to something artistic like CS@MTV. Recommend
@Amin Afzal Khan:
Wht nonsense sort of a comment. I am an Indian and I think I am more aware of Rohai Hyatt’s prr-coke studio hits more than you. Wht abt didl dil pakistan, woh kaun this and all the vital signs hits. And accept it dude. Rohail is doing an amazing job and that’s why receiving all the accoladesRecommend
@Zed:
I am an Indian and and solely believe that Coke Studio India OWES ITS EXISTENCE SOLELY TO THE TOWERING SUCCESS OF COKE STUIO PAKISTAN.
The producers had the successful example of CS becoming hit in Pakistan already to bank upon and hence they started this show in India. The thing in India is that although we have so much talent, everyone is bothered about money only. They’ll put money for money and nothing else. fortunately Pakistan is not that commercial place and art is made for the sake of art.
In India there is so much of copying and plagiarism because everyone tries to find an easy way to make lots of moneyRecommend
@Amin Afzal Khan:
Waqar Ali (are you really sure he is up to Rohail’s level)? Sajjad Ali (a singer primarily), Sahfqat Amanat Ali (again great singer, but not producer and not up to Rohail’s level), Humaira Arshad (tell me you are kidding, right? do you want Coke Studio full of Mein nai boldi type of items). I found the last name you proposed funny actually :-DRecommend
@amit you people always find something to copy and cheatRecommend
From a desi living in the West, I’d say the Indian Coke Studio has nothing on the Pakistani one. For some reason, the Pakistani one has more raw talent, and just seems better produced. Just sayin’Recommend
@all stop comparing..
Also why are Pakistani singers playing in Indian coke studio?? I thought we only sing for money for their movie songs but now this too?Recommend
pakistan coke studios rock’s and pakistani singers go to india because they are invited and are given much more money then the indian singers and coz they bring freshness to otherwise stale music scene in india.contrary to what indians think all the singers that went to india are already extremly popular in pakistan.so india is not doing them any favours.and pakistan has alot to brag about its just that we r not braggers besides we watch your shows coz we are not afraid of compitition our cable operaters show indian channels while in india pakistani channels are not allowed.hmmmmmm afraid of quality tv competition.
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