People are obsessing over Coke Studio’s recent work of art, ‘Pasoori’. The video starts with Sheema Kirmani’s powerful and breathtaking classical dance, it slowly moves on to show Hashim Ali’s magnificent bohemian set and then Ali Sethi’s captivating voice spellbinds the audience.
This song was first conceptualized by Ali Sethi and is a product of frustration after Pakistani artists were barred from working in India. Later, the lyrics were written in joint collaboration of Ali Sethi and Fazal Abbas.
Coke Studio tweeted, “Pasoori tells the story of transcending boundaries and bridging distances through compassion, love, and identity.”
Abdullah Siddiqui, the music producer of this track said that Pasoori is a “groundbreaking hybrid genre” and one of the most modern tracks of season 14. It’s a mix of different cultural influences and you get to listen to a little bit of the classical tune of a rubab along with a modern reggaetón beat.
Shae Gill, who is a first-timer on Coke Studio has won the hearts of the audience. Shae has received a lot of applause from the audience in her first-ever song. Shae Gill is a hidden talent picked by Xulfi through her Instagram account.
Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s voices stir magic as they compliment each other beautifully. The parts of the song where the two harmonize are a perfect example of their vocal chemistry.
Canadian poet Rupi Kaur took to her Instagram and said, “ @Shaegilll your voice! The words, the sound, the video, all of it @alisethiofficial. Makes me wanna go and write a love poem.”
The set for this music video was designed by Hashim Ali who intended to create a space where artists can celebrate humanity “through not just ethnicity, but also variety in emotion, style, and spirituality”.
Sheema Kirmani’s powerful presence in the video has garnered a lot of love from the audience. Ali Sethi shared a screenshot of a text which appears to be from Sheema Kirmani, the dancer says, “I did not want to go along the line of a literal depiction of words, but [instead] felt that the movements should be abstract but suggestive of the emotions contained within the song and music.”
Another Youtube user commented under Pasoori’s music video, “This is called diversity. The best thing is that Coke Studio successfully recognizes the talent all across Pakistan and executes each and everything so well. Amazing.” With every latest release, Coke Studio and Xulfi is setting the bar too high. Pasoori is pure, unadulterated bliss that Coke Studio season 14 has blessed us with.
Ramsha Saghir is a Clinical Psychologist by profession. She is an Intersectional Feminist and writes on gender equality, societal issues and mental health.
