SCREENGRAB
1. ‘Jind Mahiya’ by Shuja Haider
SCREENGRABThe musician can write, sing and compose. Jind Mahiya delivers on two of these fronts and not the lyrics. The middle-eastern inspired beats give a peppy feel to the track, but it’s just awkward to sing it out loud. The lyrics seem forced and don’t flow from the beginning.
Haider’s voice has this innate appeal but the song doesn’t work in his favour. It lacks the punch that his other compositions usually have. Also, somewhere Haider's vocals don't fit the mood of the song either. His voice is more soulful and him singing corny verses such as “Tu hai meri jind mahiya, saaray munday tere bhai bhai aa, main ek tera pyaar” may be let go of in the name of experimentation but cannot be appreciated.
2. ‘Ballay Ballay’ by Abrarul Haq and Aima Baig
SCREENGRABThe 90s popstar returns to Coke Studio with a bhangra track. A duet with Aima Baig, Ballay Ballay barely makes us even get out of our seats, let alone dance with an energetic Punjabi spirit. While it has a funky instrumentation with addition of some interesting sounds, which fit the genre, the two vocalists leave us scratching our heads.
Haq dominates most of the song and provides nostalgia for those of us who grew up listening to him. But, that’s about it. No part of the track stays with you. And Baig makes an already subpar song worse. Twice before in this season, she shined: with Haider in Aatish and with Sahir Ali Bagga in Malang.
But the producers went to the well one too many times with Ballay Ballay. While Haq attempts to make the song his own, Baig doesn’t show any vocal personality and doesn’t add anything to it.
3. ‘Ya Qurban’ by Khumaariyan
SCREENGRABIt feels good to see the musical band finally get the spotlight they deserve. While they were completely wasted earlier in Rasha Mama, Ya Qurban marks their arrival on the Coke Studio stage. The ‘folk rock’ instrumentation, courtesy of the rubab and guitars, offers a calm soundscape, which is memorable and has a repeat value.
While we think the translation from their usual music to the Coke Studio format may have slightly compromised their oomph factor, it didn’t harm the experience of their sound.
Khumaariyan’s ethnic sound is their identity and they project it with grace without any attention-seeking gimmicks. Just wish the producers would have done away with needless dancing at the end (a tactic we have seen the show use more often this season and without reason).
4. ‘Balaghal Ula Be Kamalihi’ by Abida Parveen
SCREENGRABBy this time in her career, we know what to expect when the legendary Abida Parveen is to perform. Balghal Ula Be Kamalihi, therefore, comes as no surprise. Parveen’s vocals resonate with ethereal power of Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi’s kalaam and there is no one who could have crooned it better.
Despite this, the nearly-perfect offering is marred by the basic instrumentation. Technically, it’s not flawed and the house band pulls off a controlled performance. And in Parveen’s tracks, music always takes a back seat to her powerful vocals. However, the track requires a more musically laced arrangement to make an impact.
Relying on the maestro is always a safe bet. And the music here amplified her vocals. That’s perhaps the only reason one would listen to this song… once. The predictability factor and the monotonous arrangement prevent Balghal Ula Be Kamalihi from being a memorable offering.
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