With its latest single, Taqdeer, Coke Studio Bharat blends traditional elements of bait bazi, Manganiyar vocals and Bulleh Shah’s philosophy for an Instagram generation
(From left) Sabir Khan on sarangi and Sakur Khan and Rashmeet Kaur (standing) in a moment on stage
Every song is a story, they say. But the journey of Coke Studio Bharat’s latest song, Taqdeer, blends traditional and regional music that the season seeks to bring to a new generation. Composed by Donn Bhat, the song, which released on March 24, has Rashmeet Kaur, Prabh Deep and Sakur Khan on the vocals. From Khan’s Manganiyar style of singing, the composition moves into a fast-paced rendition. As good as the music is, the journey of its creation is even more so.
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Reinterpreting Bulleh Shah
While Kaur and rapper Prabh Deep present the swag of a new generation, its deep philosophy emerges from another Punjabi icon — Bulleh Shah. The 17th century Sufi poet was the inspiration when Kaur was roped in by Ankur Tewari, curator for this season at Coke Studio Bharat.
“I was to introduce the female perspective to the song. It speaks about love, the world and society, through two points of view,” she says. Kaur has previously used Shah’s poems in her single, Kya kariye.
Prabh Deep in performance. Pic Courtesy/YouTube
“These verses have been around for centuries, and have a message to convey. When we use a new-age sound to interpret it sonically, they truly reach a new generation,” she explains. Prabh Deep agrees. “The song was spiritual on so many levels. It almost feels like I manifested it, or my mother manifested it for me,” he says.
Producer Donn Bhat adds, “The main meat of the song was already cooking with Sakurji, with Rashmeet Kaur and Prabh Deep adding to it. The challenge, for me as a producer, was to make sure the song always comes first. You have to be pretty good at selecting what you want to retain.”
Born in the desert
Bhat has been holding on to the concept of the track for over three years. It dates back to 2018-19 when he met Sakur Khan and troupe in Jaisalmer for the Kabir Yatra festival, he shares. “I had a couple of songs that I was looking for a vocal addition. I wanted something that was earthy and rooted in the Rajasthani Manganiyar tradition,” he tells us.
Donn Bhat
Bhat followed up with Khan, and jammed with him in a tent session on the Jaisalmer dunes. Recalling the mystical moment, he says, “We kept losing power because there was a storm. We just jammed for the day under the sun. You can sit in a studio in a big city, but the experience of discovering something like that feels more meaningful and real.” When Ankur Tewari approached him for the latest season that focused on traditional folk forms through new voices, Bhat saw the opportunity.
Jousting in verse
Interestingly, the structure of the song is a throwback to another Indian oral tradition — bait bazi. It refers to a verbal joust or repartee in poetry. “The theme is basically two points of view that emerge through banter. The song begins from something specific and evolves into a holistic and general take,” Kaur explains.
This banter only added to the fun, Prabh Deep adds. “I suppose as performers it is easy to gel with each other when you share the common language of music. It was fun to work. Once the structure was set, we were playing around. How far can we push this?” Bhat admits it was not always so. “Composing is all about making the little mistakes that lead you somewhere new. It is both freeing and terrifying,” he reveals.
But in the end, the music comes through. Like the beautiful strains of the sarangi by Sabir Khan that waft through the track, its story adds to the creation. Bhat agrees, saying, “In the end, what is the point of making something that already exists? The idea should be to surprise yourself in the process.”
Log on to: Taqdeer on spotify.com or Coke Studio Bharat on YouTube
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