Josh’s Interview About Coke Studio by Instep Today
“Pakistani music industry has always been strong.
Coke Studio is the kind of exposure it needs
to gain more popularity and momentum.”
– Qurram Hussain
– Josh discuss Coke Studio, its impact on fans, artists and the industry at large
Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi
Instep Today: Let’s talk about the Coke Studio experience. How was it for both of you?
Qurram Hussain (Q): Everyone always knows that Coke Studio gives the artists a chance to break out of their usual style a bit, but really it’s Rohail and Umber’s comfortable attitude that makes it easy to experiment. When Rohail had discussed the project with us, he was open to any ideas we had for music and presentation, so we were able to take Coke Studio in different directions with songs like ‘Bari Barsi’. That being said, I was a little nervous about the band because we had not jammed with them and just sent ideas over email. But when we landed and had our first jam it was easy to see how tight the band was, and that allowed me to really free my mind from the music and just concentrate on the performance.
Instep Today: ‘Jaanay Do’ was an interesting song to debut at the show. Tell us more about it?
Rupinder Magon (Rup): Although ‘Jaanay Do’ is one of my all time favorite songs from any of our albums, we hadn’t thought about singing it due to the fact that it was an older track. Rohail bhai had actually requested we do that because he liked the track a lot. There was no question from that point that we were going to ahead with ‘Jaanay Do’. It’s proven to be a great choice as the fan emails are still pouring through till today.
Instep Today: Tell us about the sentiment behind the bouncy ‘Bari Barsi’?
Q: Rohail had asked us to do a traditional Punjabi track and this song is something we used to perform back in the day when we were starting off. We always loved doing it, it’s such a classic, so we thought we’d bring it back our way and give a twist to the Coke Studio sound. Jamming a song like that with a live band is a lot of fun, and we don’t get the opportunity to do that in Pakistan because usually the shows don’t allow for such a big band with us. We got the lyrics written especially for Coke Studio so they apply to the moment and if people pay attention to the lyrics, they’ll see how fun they are. We just wanted to do something light and fun, with a surprise at the end of the track.
Rup: We were requested to sing a song that represented Punjab. We used to sing ‘Bari Barsi’ when Josh had first started out as a live cover band back in Montreal. For us, it not only represents a true Punjabi folk track, but also connects us with our humble beginnings. We had a blast singing it with the Coke Studio house band and I had a blast playing live dholki for the first time while singing. We also mixed in an old classic by the UK band Heera, ‘Maar Chadapa’.
Instep Today: How was it collaborating with Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan?
Q: We had two collaborations with Shafqat bhai at Coke Studio. One, where Shafqat bhai sang on ‘Mahi Ve’, and the other, where we sang on his ‘Mast Qalander’. We jammed ‘Mahi Ve’ a little differently and gave it a bit more of a lounge feel. I guess it’s a little hard to describe and people will have to listen to it to see where it ended up. No one can say enough good things about Shafqat bhai’s voice, so his alaap added such a different touch to the song. He’s just great whenever he steps into anything, so that made that track a totally different thing.
Rup: I am one of Shafqat’s biggest fans. Both musically and personally. Over the past few years we have become good friends. When we were told that we would be collaborating with him on ‘Mahi Ve’, we were floored. It’s a great honor to sing with him. He brought a great sufi-esque and classical element to the track. More importantly, the house band had done an amazing job on the music as it sounds very different from the original.
Instep Today: You brought Gurpreet Channa to the studio. How did that work out and how was it playing with him?
Q: We have worked with Gurpreet in the past on a few shows and we always wanted to work with him at a larger level. His style of playing is different and we felt it would fit great with the Coke Studio vibe. When Coke Studio came about, we started thinking about who we can bring with us who will add more to the sound and Gurpreet’s name came up right away. We asked him, he was down and once we started jamming, it was very natural with him since we’ve performed with him in the past. I think he got along great with the other guys, and there was a mutual energy of respect amongst everyone. Gurpreet brought in some new instruments that the fans will have seen. It’s all part of our little effort of trying to bring fresh sounds to the Pakistani music scene. It opens minds to new avenues of creativity.
Rup: We wanted to add an element of fusion to our set. Gurpreet brings creative and innovative ways of playing tablas and dhols. Moreover, he brought along with him, a rare percussion instrument called the Hung. I think you got a taste of it with Gumby and Gurpreet’s jam on it. It’s unreal!
Instep Today: The situation in the country is tense more often than not. Were you both worried about coming or bringing Gurpreet with you?
Q: We come to Pakistan very often and try not to worry too much about the situation in Pakistan. Yes, we have to be careful, but so far, we don’t have many fears coming here. We explained the same thing to Gurpreet and I think it was mostly the families that get a little nervous, but they understood after. The way I see it, if the locals who are going through this tense period are able to get together for a project, we can come in for a few days at least!
Rup: Not at all.
Instep Today: Has Coke Studio changed the way you feel about the music industry of Pakistan?
Q: To be honest, it has not changed the way I feel about the industry. I always knew the kind of talent and creativity present in the industry. What has happened is that the fans get to see this creativity blossom. Hopefully with this project’s success more corporations will be keen on supporting projects that have a different angle musically because it’s clear that the fans like this vibe. The music industry of Pakistan has always been a strong one, and this is the kind of exposure it needs to gain more popularity and momentum. I’m so happy to be part of this movement and can’t wait to see where it goes. It puts a smile on my face to think about the fact that we were there towards the beginning of something that I’m sure will become a musical tradition in Pakistan for many many years to come.
Rup: It hasn’t changed the way I feel about the music industry here. It has only strengthened my perception of how interesting the music that comes out of Pakistan is. The very fact that pop, rock, and bhangra bands exist here without the push of the film industry is amazing. I wish all territories could do the same.
-Photography by Kohi Marri and Rizwan ul Haq
