Coke Studio is set to release the 5th episode of Season 8 featuring ‘Hina Ki ‘Khushbu’ by Samra Khan & Asim Azhar, ‘Khalis Makhan’ by Bakshi Brothers, ‘Kinarey’ by Mekaal Hasan Band and ‘Rangeela’ by Ali Azmat.
‘Hina Ki Khushbu’ emerges as an old school classic melody, which soon transforms into a new age mix of a lounge track in this duet. Originally sung by Noor Jehan, the tune serves to be a great intro for Samra Khan’s debut performance with her soulful voice. The house band fuel the emotions with Aahad’s unique rhythm corralling into Imran Akhoond’s ambient notes while Omran Shafique gracefully marks his presence with his muted guitars. Asim Azhar appears on the track with his signature high-energy vocals, slicing through words penned by him in this flamboyantly memorable single.
‘Hina KI Khushbu’ – Performance Credits
Artists
Samra Khan & Asim Azhar
Guest Musician
Shehroze Hussain (sitar),
Houseband
Aahad Nayani (Drums), Haider Ali (Keyboards), Imran Akhoond (Guitars), Jaffer Zaidi (Piano/String Section Arrangements), Omran Shafique (Guitars), Kamran ‘mannu’ Zafar (Bass) Sikandar Mufti (Percussions)
It’s only within the first few seconds of ‘Khalis Makhan’; the Bakshi Brothers comprising – Shahryar, Anjum, Aafi and Yawar – set a premise that flourishes amidst the mesmeric rendition of the folk tune. The song is built for the quartet, floating with ease through Babar Khanna’s rhythmic ‘ghara’, and the ambient sound of Sajid’s flute. In an unabashedly nostalgic turn, the song soothes the senses as it builds up to Saeein Zahoor’s famed, ‘Peera Ho’, recreated by Khalid Anum in the 90s. As Arsalan Rabbani’s keen sensibility on the Harmonium serves as an envelope that holds the melody together, the track comes alive in this straightforward mellow territory.
‘Khalis Makhan’ – Performance Credits
Artist
Bakhshi Brothers (Shahryar Khan, Anjum Bakhshi, Aafi Bakhshi, Yawar Khan) Artists have requested to use their first names only
Guest Musicians
Tanveer Tafu (Rhubab), Arsalan Rabbani (Harmoium), Sajid Ali (Flute),
Houseband
Aahad Nayani (Drums), Babar Khanna (tabla/Dholak), Haider Ali (Keyboards), Imran Akhoond (Guitars), Jaffer Zaidi (Piano/String Section Arrangements), Omran Shafique (Guitars), Kamran ‘mannu’ Zafar (Bass) Sikandar Mufti (Percussions)
String Section
Javed Iqbal (Head Violinist), Islamuddin Meer (violin), Manzoor Ahmed (violin), Saeed Ahmed
(violin),
Backing Vocalists
Momin Durrani, Rachel Viccaji, Sara Haider
‘Kinarey’ is an audibly purposeful return of Mekaal Hasan Band’s second appearance at Coke Studio’s Season 8. A distinctive and instantly memorable Mekaal Hasan riff, Sharmistha Chatterjee’s iconic vocal range shines through with Ahsan Papu’s looping flute. Sheldon D’Silva provides ample groove on the bass while Gino Banks’ classic jazz-rock rhythm on the drums carries the audience. In sync with their roots, the band effortlessly swims through the ambient sound accompanied by the backing vocals, complemented by Sikandar Mufti’s delicacy on the chimes creating a low-toned soulful track with a signature MHB sound.
‘Kinaray’ – Performance Credits
Artists
Mekaal Hassan Band
(Ahsan Papu [flute], Gino Banks [drums], Sheldon D’Silva [bass], Sharmistha Chatterjee [vocals])
Guest Musicians
Abid Ali (flute), Sajid Ali (flute)
Houseband
Haider Ali (Keyboards),Sikandar Mufti (Percussions)
Backing Vocalists
Momin Durrani, Rachel Viccaji, Sara Haider
Ali Azmat’s ‘Rangeela’ is packed with several layers of nostalgia – lyrics penned by Junoon-day companion Sabir Zafar, originally composed by Bilal Maqsood and armed with his distinct antics – the track is a testament to the old school pop/rock anthem of the bygone era. Omran Shafique with his blazing guitar strokes opens the track with Tanveer Tafu’s Mandolin filling the sound scape, as Ali Azmat sings his way into the song with a smoldering chorus. Aahad Nayani’s knocking drums add to the texture of this enchanting melody, making Ali Azmat’s third appearance on Coke Studio as rebellious as ever.
‘Rangeela’ – Performance Credits
Artist
Ali Azmat
Guest Musician
Tanveer Tafu (mandolin)
Houseband
Aahad Nayani (Drums), Babar Khanna (tabla/Dholak), Haider Ali (Keyboards), Imran Akhoond
(Guitars), Jaffer Zaidi (Piano/String Section Arrangements), Omran Shafique (Guitars), Kamran ‘mannu’ Zafar
(Bass), Sikandar Mufti (Percussions)
Backing Vocalists
Momin Durrani, Rachel Viccaji, Sara Haider
Episode Five of Coke Studio’s Eighth chapter in its journey will be aired on all major television channels, radio stations and available online. The airing schedule for the new episode can be viewed here.
Patrons can also enjoy their favorite Coke Studio songs from Season 7 & 8 via the recently launched Coke Studio TV, Coca-Cola’s global first & Pakistan’s first ever branded channel, airing on almost all big cable networks with 98% distribution across metropolitans.
Additionally, to further enhance & personalize the Coke Studio experience, a Coke Studio (CS) application is now available for both Android & IOS phones/tablets. The new app will not only offer free downloads of CS songs but will also offer patrons the ease of sharing their favorite songs on their social media pages right from the app with the convenience of creating their own playlists, reading about their favorite artists et al.
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