Photo : Collected
Coke Studio Bangla's latest song of Season 2, 'Kotha Koiyo Na,' is an original track by the platform where the singers and musicians beautifully blend urban music with folk music.
The song is written by one of the prominent urban poets of Bangladesh, Hashim Mahmud, while the song was composed and produced by renowned musician Emon Chowdhury. The lead singers of the song feature Arfan Mredha Shiblu, an urban singer who has worked with the writer Hashim Mahmud for over 20 years, and Aleya Begum, a rooted singer with an extraordinary voice.
‘Kotha Koiyo Na’ is a song where the lyrics portray the lingering feeling that can only be quenched when one meets their loved one face to face. Amidst our daily battle for survival, we yearn to go back to our loved ones for the peace of mind we seek. Through the fusion of modern music and Mymensingh Gitika, the song beautifully presents the longing and the absence of the power to be with our loved ones.
Emon Chowdhury, the composer and producer of the song, said, "Coke Studio Bangla has given us musicians a platform where we can experiment with different elements and take the audience on a captivating musical journey. Working with such diverse talented artistes has been very inspiring for me."
The visuals of the song were set in a rural village yard on a moonlit night. Musical performances during such nights in village yards are an age-old tradition in rural Bangladesh, and much of the country's music has been inspired by the beauty of moonlit nights. Coke Studio Bangla tried to capture the essence of such musical performances, where Arfan Mredha Shiblu, with his bohemian urban musician friends, stays in a village and takes part with Aleya Begum and her female Baul group to create this enchanting music.
Both singers had their own sets of ‘Dohar,’ where Shiblu had the modern set of instruments along with modern backing vocals on his side, and Aleya Begum led her own group of female Baul with the Baul Orchestra. This is the first time in Coke Studio Bangla or any other platform where Baul Orchestra is being featured. While the lead singers with their Dohar brought out the beauty of urban and folk music, Emon Chowdhury in the middle tied the whole performance together.
"I've been working with Hashim bhai for decades; his words have always been simple yet connecting. It fills my heart with joy to sing one of his songs on such a popular platform," said Arfan Mredha Shiblu, the male lead singer.
Aleya Begum, the female lead singer, said, "In this song, we highlighted Mymensingh Gitika, one of the oldest forms of literature recorded in the Bangla language. By blending urban beats with our folk roots, we created a magical musical potion that brings people together and makes their souls dance."
TDM/SD
