With a great first episode Coke Studio has finally bridged the gap created by season 6.

There is no doubt that music has always been a silver lining for our culture, art and film industry. Whether it was the Golden Age of 60s, collapse under Zia’s regime of forced Islamization or introduction of ‘Gandasa’ Culture by Maula Jutt, one thing kept evolving and it was our music industry. Ahmed Rushdi, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Nazia Hassan, Junoon, Ali Zafar, Strings and the list goes on. However in 2008 the music industry was finally rewarded with the platform of Coke Studio, Pakistan’s first of its kind music television series. Initially produced by Rohail Hyatt, the founder of Vital Signs, the show climbed to great heights with songs like Alif Allah by Arif Lohar and Messha Shafi and Garaj Barras by Ali Azmat and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The critical response was so overwhelming that it evolved into an international franchise introducing an Indian and Arab versions of the same format, though never of the same appeal. 

After five successful seasons Coke Studio Pakistan, under Rohail Hyatt, decided to take the show a step ahead by fusing local music with international culture. Even though there were some great pieces of art like Allah Hoo by Saeein Zahoor and Abrar-ul-Haq and Laila O Laila by Rostam Mirlashari the show never justified the hype it had created; the saddest part being that it stopped feeling Pakistani anymore. Thus the sixth season reached an abrupt end after only 5 episodes when the producer Rohail Hyatt decided to distance himself from the 6 year long series. Many thought that the future of the show was bleak but soon it was announced that Strings, which had previously performed in Season 1 and 2, would replace Hyatt and take over the role as producers.

Under Strings, the Coca Cola sponsored series went through a series of changes. The seventh season brought the show back to its closed studio format. The vocalists and house band performed under one roof, there were no international collaborations and once again focus was on local music. Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood had a lot to prove with the revamped series and they did (somewhat). On a personal level I do not believe it was a perfect execution but no one would disagree that the new music producers had certainly put the show back on its right track. With songs like Tum Naraz Ho, Sajjad Ali; Dost, Abida Parveen and Kheriyaan by Niazi Brothers Strings brought Coke Studio back to its roots. The promising seventh season ended after 7 successful episodes featuring 23 artists, 22 musicians and 28 songs.

However like I said before the seventh season surely corrected the direction of the series but it never really covered the gap left by its predecessor. So being a cult fan of the show myself I had high expectations and hopes that the first episode of the 8^th season would finally catch up with the last episode of the 5^th season. And it did.

The new season premiered on 16^th August with the tagline ‘Celebrating the spirit of Independence’ and featured four of the following songs. 

After listening to all the above songs one can assume that Coke Studio has finally bridged the gap created by season 6. All the above compositions have a cultural feel to them that was severely missing from Rohail Hyatt’s last season as a producer. The music does not feel repetitive and dark, at least not anymore, and there is a new feeling of hope in every minute of every new song. More than anything else it is a true representation of Pakistan and its almost seven decade long history.

The next episode will air on August 23^rd and will feature following artists: Surriya Khanum and Anwar Maqsood, Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch and Umair Jaswal, Rizwan and Muazzam, and Ali Zafar.