- Friday, September 22, 2023
Coke Studio Bharat launches a new season highlighting independent artists, their unique niches, and the cultural diversity of the country.
By: Mohnish Singh
After the overwhelming success of Coke Studio globally, Coca-Cola announces the launch of ‘Coke Studio Bharat’ in Mumbai today. The season is an amalgamation of over 50 artists from across the country who have come together to create over 10 memorable tracks celebrating the roots of Bharat.
The Indian music industry is undergoing a revolution, and Gen Z is driving the change. Today, the youth seek authenticity, greater freedom of expression and openness to immerse themselves into different music forms that are unique, diverse, yet meaningful. In this season of Coke Studio, emerging artists from India’s hinterlands and seasoned artists have come together, to lend their own unique voice to the tracks.
Coke Studio Bharat: ‘Apna Sunao’ is humbled to be a conduit to give these talented artists’ unique voices a stage to tell the story of Bharat that is rooted in culture yet embraces the new music of today. The platform will host music that pays homage to the various parts of India that artists call home, connecting with stories that are rich in history, with diverse languages, and using varied musical instruments creating magical melodies set to enthral.
Today, Indian artists are telling their stories proudly, in voices that are not only authentic and truly regional but also loved by fans worldwide. ‘Apna Sunao’ celebrates exactly this spirit of new India and is built on this original and independent freedom of expression.
Arnab Roy, Vice President, Marketing Coca-Cola India, and Southwest Asia said “Coke Studio, a globally acclaimed platform, has always aimed to celebrate authentic regional music. Musical traditions from multiple regions in India are at an inflexion point not only in India but even globally. Coke Studio Bharat connects the truly distinct cultural dots of various regions in the country with artists whose music is defined by their roots. They are the real stars of the season, giving regional music a bigger impetus.”
Piyush Pandey, Chairman of Global Creative and Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India congratulated the Coke Studio Bharat team and said, “Coke Studio Bharat is a fantastic endeavour in making the rich Indian musical and cultural diversity, more seamless and beautiful. It reminds me of the magic of “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” in the late 80’s, where I was privileged to be a part of the creative team. The magic of multiple languages and change of instrumentation, singing and people created an iconic piece. Today it’s an opportunity to move the classical to the ‘massical’ level, where the masses around the world can enjoy the magic of Indian music. It is music from the ‘heart of India, from every part of India’. Bravo, Coca-Cola India.”
This season of Coke Studio is curated by the acclaimed, award-winning musician and sought-after songwriter, Ankur Tewari. Breathing magic into ‘Apna Sunao’, Ankur has onboarded a thinktank comprising critically acclaimed poet, lyricist and scriptwriter Kausar Munir along with award-winning sound engineer and music producer KJ Singh. Together they have handpicked regional gems to give their sound a new voice.
The current season features celebrated artists and musicians like Amira Gill, Achint, Aditya Gadhvi, Arijit Datta, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, Ashima Mahajan, Armaan Malik, Bombay Brass, Burrah, Charan Raj, Deveshi Sahgal, Dhruv Vishwanath, Diljit Dosanjh, Donn Bhatt, Hashbass, Jasleen Royal, Kanwar Grewal, Mahan Sehgal, Mansa Pandey, Maithili Thakur & Brothers, Mohammad Muneem, Noor Mohammad, OAFF & Savera, Osho Jain, Prabhdeep, Rashmeet Kaur, Seedhe Maut, Sakur Khan & Sons, Sanjith Hegde, Shillong Chamber Choir, Tajdar Junaid, and many others in a canvas of diversity, that showcases authentic and unique sounds that will unite fans from across the country. The season will also put the spotlight on regional Indian instruments like Algozha, Chimta, Duff, Sarod, Sarangi, Tumbi, and Rabaab.
Coca-Cola has partnered with Universal Music India (UMI) as executive producers for the launch season of Coke Studio Bharat. Speaking on the association, Devraj Sanyal, MD and CEO, Universal Music India, India & South Asia shares, “To be a significant part of the Coke Studio phenomenon is a true honour for any music company, but to be involved in it from start to finish including spreading our brand of “Bharat “ music to not just our country but to the worldwide streamscape is something that makes me very proud. The trifecta of team Coca-Cola, Ankur Tewari and my team came together with our creators in a way I’ve rarely witnessed, making way for some of the finest folk & fusion music in a new age Bharat sonic that I have ever heard. Today more than ever before, music knows no language or genre. It is crossing borders boldly the world over and it’s our shared dream that we are able to deliver that in the first season of Coke Studio Bharat.”
Listeners can tune into Coke Studio Bharat across all audio OTT platforms including Spotify, Gaana, Saavn, Wynk Music, and Audible worldwide, with distribution managed by UMI. Weaving life into Ankur Tewari’s vision for “Apna Sunao”, UMI has roped in Misfits Inc. for audio production and Colosceum Media for video production. The first song of the season will be released on February 7th, 2023. Come join in the celebration by scanning the QR code on a Coca-Cola pack to directly reach the dedicated Coke Studio Hub that contains exclusive content that the artists have created, along with behind-the-scenes visuals. Scanning the pack also allows the audience to view the 360-degree view of selected songs, thus virtually transporting the audience inside the sets of Coke Studio through their mobile phones. Coke Studio invites consumers to share their own renditions of their favourite Coke Studio Bharat songs to be amplified across the nation.
