Coca-Cola Pakistan has announced the eleventh season of its revolutionary musical TV series “Coke Studio”. Lead by Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi, the platform has continued its efforts to renew timeless melodies and reunite the country’s youth with its artistic roots. After a decade of showcasing Pakistan’s diverse symphonies, the platform decided to reignite its cultural vision by performing a rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s popular Urdu Nazm “Hum Dekehnge”.
The iconic poem is particularly associated with socio-political reforms. The ghazal singer Iqbal Bano performed a rendition opposing Zia’s Islamicized rule in Pakistan in 1985. Thereby, she rebelled against the ban on Faiz’s poetry. Moreover, in 2004, the Indian singer Subha Mudgal performed it at the World Social Forum in New Delhi.Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi, the producers, opine that Hum Dekhenge is “a track which inspires the ‘Pakistaniat’ in all of us – there couldn’t be a better choice for a track than Hum Dekhenge – a song sung by the people of Pakistan, for the people of Pakistan”.
The relevant season opener has also revealed 70 artists including eleven transgender singers- Unity in diversity indeed!. The inclusive line-up of singers includes members of different communities and genres. It is studded with the transgender duo Lucky and Naghma, a female band namely Krewella and rappers such as Young Desi and Lyari Underground.
Additionally, popular voices include Abida Parveen, Momina Mustehsan, Sahir Ali Bagga and Ali Azmat that guarantee a sensory euphoria.
In the polarizing times of elections, Coke Studio is functioning as the glue binding old and new as well as diverse nations regardless of their religion, race, gender or ethnicity. Kudos to their efforts to harmonize the individualistic chords of the country.
Nimra Ishfaq
Life’s a Catch-22.
