# Coke Studio Pakistan

Coke Studio Pakistan (Urdu: کوک اِسٹوڈیو پاکستان) is a Pakistani television programme and a part of the international music franchise, Coke Studio, which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Pakistan, airing annually since 2008. The programme's concept originated in Brazil and has subsequently expanded its reach worldwide.
The show combines a myriad of musical influences, from traditional Pakistani classical, folk, Sufi, qawwali, ghazal and bhangra music to contemporary hip hop, rock and pop music. It is noted for promoting Pakistan's multiculturalism by inviting artists from various regions and languages to collaborate musically.

## History

Coke Studio originated in Brazil in 2007 as a music project, initially named Estúdio Coca-Cola, with the aim of blending the styles of two Brazilian artists. The concept was adopted by Nadeem Zaman, Marketing Head of The Coca-Cola Company, who partnered with Rohail Hyatt, a former member of the Pakistani band Vital Signs, to create a Pakistani version of the show in 2008. The inaugural season premiered with a live audience and was met with immense success. Production was handled by Hyatt, his wife Umber Hyatt, and Nofil Naqvi, a Pakistani cinematographer.
Rohail Hyatt remained as executive producer for the show until season six, stepping down in 2013 after five years. He was succeeded by Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia of the band Strings, who produced the show until the end of season ten. Strings announced that season ten would be their last. In March 2018, Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi were announced as the producers for season eleven, but they left after the season concluded. Rohail Hyatt made a comeback in 2019 to produce season twelve and continued at the helm for season thirteen as well. After season thirteen, Hyatt recommended Xulfi to lead production for the fourteenth season, which aired in 2022.

## Format

The show features artists in each episode, by a house band and guest artists. Coke Studio tracks are officially available on their YouTube channels and various streaming platforms. The music is recorded live by artists at Coke Studio. The televisual style emphasizes frequent close-ups on various performers, highlighting the collective contributions of the ensemble, while primarily focusing on the lead singer or singers.

## Seasons overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released | Producer/Curators |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Producer/Curators |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | June 7, 2008 (2008-6-7) | August 4, 2008 (2008-8-4) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 2 | 5 | 5 | June 14, 2009 (2009-6-14) | August 14, 2009 (2009-8-14) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | June 1, 2010 (2010-6-1) | July 31, 2010 (2010-7-31) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 4 | 5 | 5 | May 22, 2011 (2011-5-22) | July 17, 2011 (2011-7-17) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | May 13, 2012 (2012-5-13) | July 8, 2012 (2012-7-8) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 6 | 5 | 5 | October 27, 2013 (2013-10-27) | January 5, 2014 (2014-01-05) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 7 | 7 | 7 | September 21, 2014 (2014-9-21) | November 22, 2014 (2014-11-22) | Strings |
| 8 | 7 | 7 | August 16, 2015 (2015-8-16) | October 4, 2015 (2015-10-4) | Strings |
| 9 | 7 | 7 | August 13, 2016 (2016-8-13) | September 24, 2016 (2016-9-24) | Strings |
| 10 | 7 | 7 | August 11, 2017 (2017-8-11) | September 21, 2017 (2017-9-21) | Strings |
| 11 | 9 | 9 | August 10, 2018 (2018-8-10) | October 19, 2018 (2018-10-19) | Ali Hamza & Zohaib Kazi |
| 12 | 6 | 6 | October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11) | November 29, 2019 (2019-11-29) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04) | December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25) | Rohail Hyatt |
| 14 | 4 | 4 | January 14, 2022 (2022-01-14) | March 22, 2022 (2022-03-22) | Xulfi |
| 15 | 4 | 4 | April 14, 2024 (2024-04-14) | July 4, 2024 (2024-07-04) | Xulfi |

## Reception

Following success in Pakistan after its first launch, Coke Studio has become an international franchise. The Pakistani show has amassed a large fan base in neighbouring country, India. The success of the show prompted Coca-Cola to launch the Indian version, Coke Studio @ MTV, with a similar format, which proved to be both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The Indian version has been produced by MTV India. In April 2012, an Arab version of the show, Coke Studio بالعربي was launched in the Middle East featuring performances by various Arabic and international music artists, produced by the songwriter Michel Elefteriades. Following the successes of the Pakistani and Indian versions, a Bangladeshi edition, Coke Studio Bangla, was launched on 7 February 2022.
Coke Studio has also been seen as an economic process of transnationalism and as a transnational television production, with its production systems being created and augmented by global flows of artists, technology, distribution and economics. Within this process, economic structures are created, opened and even reoriented; influences are borrowed and music produced; communities and heritage discovered and remained – this is done intellectually and physically, and more importantly, transnationally.
Atif Aslam's rendition of Sabri Brothers' qawwali "Tajdar-e-Haram" in Coke Studio Season 8 became the first video originating in Pakistan to cross 100 million views on YouTube, garnering views from 186 countries. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan's rendition of "Afreen Afreen" from the ninth season also earned 100 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, Ali Sethi and Shae Gill's “Pasoori” has crossed 800 million views on YouTube, making it Coke Studio Pakistan's most listened to song on YouTube.