Coke Studio is proud to announce the release of “Ao Ehad Karain” – a concept of peace, hope and celebration of young and emerging talent of the country for Pakistan Resolution Day. Produced by the veteran artist Ali Hamza, the track features a diverse set of musicians from different genre spaces to reinvent legendry national songs of Pakistan.
Envisioned in collaboration with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “Ao Ehad Karain” begins on an introspective note with “Wattan ki Mitti, Gawah Rehna” in the voices of Saadat Shafqat, son of legendary singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, and Zaw Ali, daughter of iconic singer Sajjad Ali. These powerful verses are followed by unique recitation of Sir Allama Iqbal’s poetry done by the veteran artist, Ali Hamza, who provides a gravitas to the narration. The track then moves onto the young rap sensation of Pakistan, Young Stunners, who give yet another out-of-the-box performance in the words of Sir Allama Iqbal. Another unique feature in the track is the introduction of The Army Brass Band. The iconic Army Brass Band of Pakistan has been the flag bearer of a long standing tradition in Pakistani culture. They have energized this nation for decades with reverberating performances of national songs of Pakistan. “Ao Ehad Karain” features the international award-winning 52 piece GHQ Brass Band giving an exhilarating performance with a choir of young urban singers echoing the song “Jaag Raha Hai Pakistan” marking the climax in the track and symbolizing the message of rebirth and rising again. The choir is provided by Farwa Batool, Rida Batool, Nabiha Saleem, and Zahab Hussain. The track then takes a turn towards Shamu Bai & Vishnu – sibling duo from Sindh and Kashif Din, a young singer from Gilgit-Baltistan, who reinvent the song “Itnay Baray Jeevan Saagar Mein” – a 1960’s classic originally performed by the legendary Allan Fakir. For the final climax, all singers and the marching band come together in a perfect union to celebrate harmony, togetherness, and a sense of unity through the uplifting national song “Mera Paigham Pakistan.”
“Ao Ehad Karain” can be viewed at:
Reflecting on the track, the producer Ali Hamza said,
“AoEhadKarain is a journey through time and emotion. It starts introspectively, looking back in time to when the Pakistan Resolution was passed on 23rd March 1940. It then moves through ups and downs, like history has and life does: questions, conflicts, resolutions, awakening, rejuvenation and then celebrating a new beginning at the turn of a new decade – 2021. This audio-visual presentation is a tribute to Pakistan, Pakistanis and our beloved National Melodies and Poetry. It carries the message of hope, love and harmony, for Pakistan and for the world as we collectively face a major turning point in History. It’s a grand multi-city, multi producer, 75 artists on board kind of a production and it’s been a 4 month long labour of love putting it together. I can only be grateful that we had a wonderful team of highly talented, creatively conscientious and hardworking Artists and Professionals – without whom we couldn’t have pulled half of it off! So a big Shout-out and Thank You to the whole team that has brought this presentation to our audience. Hope you all like this ‘Mohabbat Ka Nazrana!’”
Indeed, the core values of the Coke Studio platform have always been to share a sense of unity, harmony, and togetherness through music that transcends ethnicities and cultural barriers to influence a positive change. The prime objective of “Ao Ehad Karain” was to take these values and amplify them through our classic national songs and reinvent them with the help of young & raw talent of the country to pass it on to the new generation. The track also aims to combine our culture in a perfect unity and use it to send out a message of hope & peace to the world.
Expressing his thoughts about “Ao Ehad Karain”, Fahad Ashraf, General Manager – Pakistan & Afghanistan Region, The Coca-Cola Company, said “We at Coke Studio feel truly humbled to have been entrusted with such iconic National songs, and I hope this collaborative effort will refresh our spirits and resolve to play our part in the progress of our beloved nation.”
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