Abrar, Zeb to feature in Coke Studio's second episode

Coke Studio will roll out its second episode on Friday with a star studded line up that includes Abrar-ul-Haq, Zeb Bangash, and a collaboration between Shuja Haider and Rachel Vicacaji.

Behind the scenes footage released shows that Abrar-ul-Haq is set to perform his hit song ‘Billo’. While Shuja Haider will collaborate with Rachel Viccaji on ‘Saaiyaan’ which is being described as an ode to old-school Lollywood. On the other hand, Zeb will sing a Kashmiri ode to loss called ‘Roshe’.

In a press statement, issued by the Rohail Hyatt-led Coke studio, Abrar said, “Music is spiritual. It comes from within a person. Sound can create such a strong impact; this is something you feel in music. You’ll hear something and get goosebumps. If you’re sad, a song can uplift your mood. In a way, it’s a cure. It has the power to induce nostalgic feelings and has a spiritual side to it that brings you closer to God ... There’s something extraordinary about music.”

Shuja Haider and Rachel Viccaji’s collaboration is being termed as a Punjabi ballad that is a tribute to the golden era of Lollywood. While ‘Roshe’ by Zeb Bangash also has an interesting history.

The press statement noted, “The song first caught Zeb’s attention when she came across a video of Ali Saifuddin’s version of it on YouTube. For Zeb, this was the fortunate outcome of an exploration into Kashmiri music that had been sparked when she met a group of Kashmiri students in Delhi, who requested that she perform a song in their native tongue. So began the process, nearly four years ago, of working on the song with house band member Zain Ali, who presented it to Coke Studio this season. For Zeb, this has been an experience of trusting the destiny of a song – that it was meant to happen when the time was right, and when the world was ready for it. The song speaks of love and loss; its poetry was written by the Kashmiri poet Mahjoor, who lived in the early 1900s.”

Speaking about the song, Zeb noted, “I decided to pursue music professionally when I saw how it enables you to connect with people. It’s a beautiful feeling. You can move people; you can talk to them. You sing a song and someone connects to it and you don’t even know about it. That’s really lovely for me. That someone is having their own relationship with a song sung in my voice.”.

Coke Studio’s version of ‘Roshe’ will be sung in a language that is new to Zeb, which will be very interesting to watch – given her past accomplishments on the music series, embarking on songs in various languages.