ISLAMABAD: After a successful four seasons, Pakistani pop rock band Strings and Coke Studio have parted ways.
Coke Studio has produced original content, created memorable collaborations and set the stage for some of the most iconic and well-recognized performances in the country — many of which fell under the reign of the iconic band, Strings.
Strings, comprised of Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, announced on their Facebook page: “Coke Studio Season 10 will be the last season produced by Strings. It has been a fantastic journey for us over the course of 4 seasons and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and share our work with all of you. 2018 will mark 30 years of Strings and we are super excited to celebrate with all of you so stay tuned for more updates as we embark on yet another exciting chapter in our musical journey!”
The pair stepped in as producers and were a much needed breath of fresh air. The two brought with them a new dynamic which shook up the existing format of the previous six seasons led by famous music composer Rohail Hayat. Though their tenure was not without a touch of controversy, with fans and musicians alike finding the Coke Studio doors increasingly hard to walk through and with more than a few charges of nepotism, the duo did not hold back in pushing the boundaries of musical genres and blurring the lines of folk music with contemporary artists.
They produced music that has stood the test of time, brought performers of different genres onto the same mics and led a revival of Pakistani music which had lost its footing for a number of years. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, a hit power ballad maker in Bollywood, was paired with Momina Mustehsen for a reimagining of his uncle, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s iconic song “Afreen.” The video now has 98 million views on YouTube and counting. Atif Aslam’s cover of the Sabri Brother’s classic qawwali “Tajdare-e-Haram,” performed with a contemporary spin has amassed more than 99 million views. Other massive hits include “O Re” by Noori, “Nadiya” performed by Jimmy Khan and Rahma Ali and “Samne Mere Waar,” another colorful duet by Quratalain Balouch and Umair Jaswal.
Their successors are yet to be announced, but fans of both Coke Studio and Strings are anxious to see what lies ahead.
