Coke Studio recently launched a new avatar coke studio india, which comes after a long gap of almost a decade, and plans to provide opportunities to voices across regions and languages from every corner of India. Ankur Tiwari helms its curation as part of his think-tank helmed by veteran lyricist Kausar Munir and music producer KJ Singh.
Around 50 artists are participating in the venture, ranging from emerging folk artistes and indie musicians to established Bollywood names; Hindu Caught up with some of them…
Echoing India’s growing hip-hop scene, rappers Prabh Deep and Straight Death were present and told us about their journey. They are a part of Azadi Records, an indie label founded by Uday Kapoor and Mo Joshi, largely focused on the underground hip-hop scene.
Prabha Deep says he is glad that Ankur, producers Don Bhat and KJ Singh have supported him and let him do what he does while making his tracks destiny, “He is a senior in the game, but he tolerated my tantrums and understood it was not personal; It was art. It is bigger than me, and bigger than all of us.”
It is exciting to hear them tell about their journey. Prabha Deep found rap as a teen and burst onto the scene Class-Sikh In 2017. Their debut full-length record debuted at No. 2 on India’s iTunes Albums Chart. Since then, he has continued to scale new heights and is a staple of Delhi’s rap circuit with producer Sage and collaborator Straight Death. His latest album to be released in 2022 is titled Confusion,
Prabh Deep | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
When asked about his influences, he credits “life in general”. He says that as a child, he was shunned by technology as he had no money and this made him an observer who looks at life differently.
“Things that people tend to understand later in life, I understood very quickly because I was watching. I was watching the behavior and decisions around me. And that is what got me here,” he says. “Otherwise the boy from Tilak Nagar? The last person who made it from here was Virat Kohli,” he says, explaining that in his neighbourhood, one wrong decision can lead one down the wrong path. We are sure that 2023 will be a big year for Azadi Records, and we hope that it will bring a lot of positivity.
Labelmate Straight Death also has bigger plans. Straight Death is a bilingual hip-hop duo consisting of Siddhant Sharma (who goes by MC Callum) and Abhijay Negi (Encore ABJ). He debuted with the album Statement In 2019. “It’s been surreal since we started rapping seven years ago,” says Negi. “It’s felt special since we came together and the overwhelming feeling has remained ever since,” he says.
Straight Death on stage during ‘Coke Studio India’ launch event
Describing the Coke Studio experience, Sharma explains that he received a “healthy call” from Ankur, saying he wanted a song about Holi, and he agreed.
He calls his colleagues Maithili Thakur and Mahan Sehgal “wonderful artists” and notes with amusement that while he was not very familiar with Maithili’s work… her mother was. Negi shared that he never thought that he would work with a singer who specializes in Hymn, “It’s like a completely different world, and collaborating is a blessed opportunity,” he says.
On his musical path, Sharma says he has nothing against commercial music. “We’d love to make it as long as we can do it our way,” he says. He believes that the idea of underground music is more about perception. “Look, a song is a song. Underground, mainstream, commercial – it’s all perception. An artist can be underground or mainstream, but that art is never underground or mainstream, it’s just music.
The duo is currently working on an album, work for which began even before their previous one. Naib came out. “We are planning to release the next one this year,” says Sharma. In fact, they’re filming for a music video as we speak, with Nagi stopping in between to lipsync a few times.
Nearby, singer-songwriter Rashmeet Kaur in a dazzling sequined dress and multiple braids talks to the cameras in the brightest spot in the room. known for viral hits like barge da citta And herbs (with Major Lazer and Nucleya), Kaur draws her work from the Punjabi folk tradition, among other styles and languages. he worked on the track destiny Also, along with Prabha Deep and some other famous artists.
Rashmeet Kaur with Ankur Tiwari after the launch event of ‘Coke Studio India’
When Ankur approached her with an offer to be a part of coke studio indiaKaur was in Kashmir. “This Now happened. So I literally composed the song in the airport toilet, recorded it and sent it to Ankur, telling him this is what I came up with!
She is currently working on several songs as well. “And a lot of other things besides singing, that can be… acting,” she pauses with a twinkle in her eye. “Let’s see… I’m just keeping all doors open,” she says, adding that an artist should be open to opportunities and keep experimenting.
At a nearby table, singer and lyricist Aditya Gadhvi, a well-known name in Gujarati film scoring, shares his story. His family has been a part of the Gujarati folk music tradition for six to seven generations; His father has been in the field of folk music for years, while his grandfather was a poet. “I have folk music in my blood,” he says.
He feels as though his journey is complete; From being inspired by Coke Studio from my school days to being a part of it myself. He used to sing traditional folk songs, but after listening to Coke Studio and its artistes, he decided to present his Gujarati folk songs in a way that “appeals to the youth”. so when they were contacted coke studio india, it was like a dream come true. “It was a big surprise for me when I was told that we are doing a musical with Achint as he is really popular. He is doing a wonderful job and Saumya sir [Soumya Joshi] Songs are written. So we all sat together and we had a jamming session.
While Gujarat is known for Garba and Navratri music, the team wanted to “give a different tinge”. So he created a new song with Saumya Joshi “giving a beautiful thought, which is not only about Gujarat but also a spiritual journey.”
“When you hear the song, you will understand the whole thing,” he says, and everyone will connect to the song and its music, regardless of language. Gadhvi studied at AR Rahman’s institute – the KM Music Conservatory – for four years and looked up to him as an inspiration. “Especially because he gave the voice of India,” he shared.
Giving voice from the opposite end of the country is the Shillong Chamber Choir, a multi-genre choir founded in 2001 by the late Neil Nongkinrih. In 2010, the group won India’s Got TalentAnd also won three golds at the 6th World Choir Games for Musica Sacra, Gospel and Popular Music.
Singers William, Donna, Ibarisha and Rishila are present to highlight what the choir did.
Shillong Chamber Choir
Lead singer William says, “Shillong Chamber Choir stands for something that is very diverse.” “We have singers from different backgrounds, songs in nearly 40 different languages, a repertoire that captures almost every major genre of music, and at the same time, we bring something new to it.”
On January 16, the choir completed 22 years, with a track record of performing on the world’s largest stage in front of personalities ranging from Obama to Trump to Bachchan. He has also collaborated with artists such as Shankar Mahadevan, Usha Uthup and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.
When the Coke Studio opportunity came up, there was a little back and forth. But as they progressed, they decided it was something they could add the Shillong Chamber Choir’s touch to. And they were given the space to do so, for which William credits the producers with “guts and boldness”.
Result? Maria, “A beautiful piece of music … lots of fun, but there are some daring bits in it, too.”
The choir may also have found a new ally through them. coke studio india Visit: Bombay Brass. William says 2023 is “a big, big year” for the choir and offers a teaser for what the future holds – a spiritual album in English, Khasi and Hindi, a collaboration with a huge label, and a possible Bollywood foray into the cards Beginning of.
and now, coke studio india is officially in session. The first song of the album has already arrived; Udja, OAFF, featuring Savera, Burrah and Jasleen Royal, released on 7 February. Both the artist and the audience wait in excitement to see what is yet to come.