Revealed: Here's the Coke Studio 8 lineup

Hamid Ali Khan and Arif Lohar to grace the show along with pop icons Ali Haider and Ali Zafar


Our Correspondent June 19, 2015
Hamid Ali Khan and Arif Lohar to grace the show along with pop icons Ali Haider and Ali Zafar. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: In the Pakistani music circle, Coke Studio holds the same reverence as the Olympics. Almost every time the games draw to a close, anticipation of the next edition grips followers around the world. With the production of the latest season having been wrapped up earlier this week, it was only a matter of time before the cat got out of the bag.

Sources close to The Express Tribune revealed the eighth edition of the music show is set to feature a host of Pakistani music icons, such as Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and Ali Azmat.

Many local names are expected to make their debut on the show this season. Pop star Ali Haider and ghazal maestro Ustad Hamid Ali Khan are among those gearing up for their first stint on the show. “Ali Haider will collaborate with another Coke Studio debutante Sara Raza for a duet of his song Jiya Kare,” said a source.

Read: Khalid Khan steps out of ‘Coke Studio 8’

In a previous interview, Haider had confirmed his participation on the show, adding he’d sing three songs. Contrary to expectations, he wouldn’t sing his signature tracks Qarar and Purani Jeans.

Ali Haider won’t be the only one singing a duet as Ali Zafar, who will make a comeback on the show after five years, will perform a duet with Sara Haider in addition to singing an original composition. If news regarding the duet holds true, this wouldn’t be the first time a backing vocalist has graduated to main vocals on the show, with the Viccaji sisters being a case in point.

Over the course of eight years, Coke Studio has become famous for promoting new talent and this time around, Asim Azhar and Sur Kshetra contestant Nabeel Shaukat Ali will be part of the lineup.

Read: Rohail Hyatt wants to produce another season of Coke Studio

Given the mixed response Strings received as producers last season while experimenting with new artists, the producers were forced to turn to some of former producer Rohail Hyatt’s favourite musicians, such as Ali Azmat, Umair Jaswal and Arif Lohar. “Ali Azmat is going to sing an original composition by the producers called Rangeela and Umair Jaswal would sing alongside Quratulain Balouch in Sammi Meri Waar,” revealed a source.

There had been news about classical singer Farida Khanum also making a debut on the show with multiple sources saying that she was going to sing Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo but she was unable to. Other artists expected to feature on the show include Mekaal Hasan Band, Mai Dhai and Mulazim.

Bassist Khalid Khan, who bowed out of the upcoming season due to cervical pain, will be replaced by Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar, who was part of the house-band during the Rohail-Hyatt years. When approached to confirm the line-up for Coke Studio 8, co-producer Bilal Maqsood reserved his comments.

According to sources, the show is expected to go on air between Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha this year, most likely on August 16.

Artists to look forward to:

- Ustad Nafees Ahmed Khan

- Ustad Hamid Ali Khan

- Mai Dhai

- Arif Lohar

- Ali Azmat

- Ali Haider

- Atif Aslam

- Ali Zafar

- Mekaal Hasan Band

- Asim Azhar

- Nabeel Shaukat Ali

- Quratulain Balouch (QB)

- Umair Jaswal

Songs to watch out for:

- Ali Azmat: Rangeela

- Ali Haider and Sara Raza: Jiya Kare

- Ali Zafar and Sara Haider: Ae Dil Kissi Ki Yaad Mein

- Arif Lohar: Rang Jindri

- Nabeel Shaukat Ali: Bewajah

- Umair Jaswal and QB: Sammi Meri Waar

- Hamid Ali Khan: Piya Dekhan Ko

COMMENTS (15)

Rohwit | 8 years ago | Reply Wow! What a lovely stack of comments! @umer bhai i dont think you and i should worry about how much money was made or wasted. The fact remains - I have more songs from season 6 than Season 7 on my playlist. I loved the sound of season 6 and I loved some bit of work on Season 7 as well. @aslam - bhai the day you start judging the 'sifarishi' character of a singer rather than the singing quality, you lose the plot. Why do we need to be concerned who is sifarishi and who is not? If he sounds well, then the work is done and we won't find that till we hear him isn't it? So let's just wait and then come out with our opinion. Season 8 has a splendid line up and I hope it is as good as CokeStudio from Pakistan has always been. The word to look out is 'always' and for that, we can never ever be thankful enough to Rohail Strings are good. But they are not Rohail. Love from India
Umer | 8 years ago | Reply @khalids Season 6 was a definite waste of money and was definitely not the best sounding . You can barely hear the instruments he set out to record in those country/countries. The compression is so high you can barely hear the acoustics. so I say what was the point of going abroad when you were planning on being monotonous with the sound production once again.
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