'Coke Studio 2020': Bohemia's comeback track is inspired by his personal struggles

'Saari Dunya', penned by the rapper, is about an artist’s struggle and the downside of fame

Coke Studio 2020 has released the fourth episode of the season. The episode featured three songs by Sanam Marvi, classical singer and emerging artist Aizaz Sohail (who is making his debut this season), and the king of Punjabi rap Bohemia. Episode four of the music show featured an exciting combination of soulful solo performances by industry veterans and emerging acts.

Coke Studio 2020 marked the return of celebrated rapper, Bohemia. Saari Dunya, written by the rapper and lyricist Asim Raza, is about the former's personal life shared through the performance of his art – rap. The lyrics of the song explain an artist’s struggle and the downside of fame leading to the disillusionment of worldly/material gains. 

Explaining the lyrics, Bohemia said, “In Saari Dunya, I am describing Bohemia as an artist being introduced to the industry, coming [of age] into the scene, planting seeds into the soil and seeing them grow, seeing them get to a level now where those trees have to be used for other purposes.” The departure of the song is dark and almost theatrical when it goes into the line andheron mein shama to show the contrast of light coming out of the darkness. This line also encompasses the main premise of the song – hope and light emerging from darkness.

Hyatt couldn't be more ecstatic about Bohemia's return to Coke Studio.

"It’s amazing to see the growth of Bohemia. The admiration I have for him and his personality cannot be understated. He writes songs from his heart and it shows. When he shared Saari Duniya with me as a demo, I loved it instantly. Something about it just clicked. Subsequently, the song has gone through some changes but the core message stayed the same," he shared, adding, "Being an artist, it must be very difficult to share your original creation with another person and let them do whatever they like with it. I don’t think I’d be able to do this because I find it very difficult to let go of my work. I even have to record and mix my own songs. So a big thank you to the artists who do let go. It’s a big responsibility to manage."

The producer went on to add, "So I saw this song representing the cyclic nature of things. What goes up, must come down. That’s how balance is restored. I’ve seen this phenomenon play out over and over again. So many artists crave fame and when they find it and lose it, the downside for them is really bad. The good thing is that the downside passes as well."

"Bohemia tells us about the plight of being used as a disposable commodity by the ‘music industry’ but he roars back with his conviction and self-belief! I’m the light in darkness he says! He narrates how he felt cut down by the politics of the music industry! And yes, politics can get quite ugly! Glad Bohemia is bouncing back from it positively and sharing his experiences with us," Hyatt concluded.