Coke Studio Season 3

Coke Studio embodies a musical fusion of exciting elements and diverse influences, ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music. Bringing alive the magic of live recordings and performances, Coke Studio prides itself on providing a musical platform which bridges barriers, celebrates diversity, encourages unity and instils a sense of Pakistani pride. Coke Studio is an inspired step by Coca-Cola for having created a platform where renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream musicians from various genres can collaborate musically.

This year, after the unprecedented critical acclaim and huge popularity of Season 1, Coke Studio reignites our passion and returns to the heart of the live recording studio with a new artist line up, a different sound, an innovative house band and a brand new set of performances and episodes. This season, Rohail Hyatt’s musical genius draws together the fundamentals of collaborative music that will showcase Pakistan’s rich music culture by stitching into its fabric, traditional artists, folk music influences and regional instruments in collaboration with Pakistan’s contemporary mainstream artists.

With Season 1, Pakistan witnessed fusion in its natural essence and form combining not only classical eastern and contemporary western style vocals but instruments and musicians. Live collaborations were staged all summer aired every fortnight, on every television screen, simultaneously, across Pakistan.

And with Coke Studio’s Season 2, we delivered electrifying performances, surprise collaborations between artists and became the part of their interpretation of Pakistani music on a reinvented signature Coke Studio set.

Now Season 3 will demonstrates how creative boundaries can be defined, redefined and bridged through musical improvisation reflecting the vibrancy and artistic harmony of Pakistan’s artists. Listen to the plaintive sounds emanating from the mountains and valleys of the Frontier and Baluchistan, reverberating through the rivers of the Punjab and breaking out triumphantly into the sands of Sindh and out across the open seas.

Mekaal Hasan Band in the final run for Music Think Tank 2009/ 2010 International Awards and Festival

The Mekaal Hasan Band has been selected by the Music Think Tank 2009/2010 International Awards and Festival as one of the many, many entrants vying for the fantastic awards offered by the association.

While the details are laid out in depth on Facebook and the official website (http://www.thethinktank.it) and take a bit of time to really plough through, what seems to be the gist of this is that music acts of all kinds could submit their “proposal” supported by their internet presence, such as a MySpace profile and then wait to be shortlisted as finalists. As it happens, Mekaal Hasan Band has made it to the finalists' list and support can be shown to them by voting for them on Music Think Tank's Facebook page.

This is what is really interesting though - while people from all around the world are voting for their favourite band or individual, currently the first couple of pages on the Facebook group are dominated by votes for MHB! It really seems that the band has managed to gain thousands of fans across the country who would like nothing better than to see the band win something fabulous like “1 Music Video realized by STARWORKS (Incognito, Deasonika, Mtv, United Nations, Benetton and more)”, or “1 Mix & Mastering realized by Dario Dendi (Coldplay, Killers, Stereophonics, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Tina Turner, etc)”.

Our fingers are crossed for MHB! You guys can vote here LINK.. Simply Join the Group and wirte "Vote for Mekaal Hasan Band"!

Hadiqa Kiyani & Shahid Afridi become Environmental Envoys

These are the pictures from the launch of two Public Service Announcements: on water conservation and climate change. The launch was organised by UNDP Pakistan in collaboration with Ministry of Environment.

Annie and Atif: The prince and princess of pop get together for Bol

Truth be told, the one person we miss the most out of everyone who has gone AWOL in the Pakistani entertainment industry is Annie; "Annie Princess" as loads of people call her. She has to be one of the most charming women around at the moment, as even with a voice that probably only her best friend loves, you can’t really hate Annie. She is so sure of herself at all times, whether her music is, umm, not brilliant, or whether it is unabashedly talking about performing 'My Heart Will Go On’ as the first song she ever sung in public, as we wonder how Celine would feel about her kitsch hit being butchered at an Abrar concert - Annie just doesn’t care and sort of surges ahead like the force of nature she is.

So apart from some mighty strange rumours that have been doing the rounds about Annie of late, the one that we have plucked midair and chosen to dwell on is her collaborating with Atif on a song (or songs if we are really lucky) called 'Rootho Na’ on Shoaib Mansoor’s film Bol. Now that is a prospect that truly makes us happy, as Atif and Annie are two people who could get away with musical murder. And to be absolutely fair, the song 'Tenu Takya’ she had featured on a couple of years ago had been quite catchy and she sounded in tune on it. Putting Atif and Annie together is such a stroke of genius that we have permanently crossed our fingers for this to be actually true.

The Story Covered by Instep Today

Atif Aslam & Shreya Ghoshal LIVE in concert

MPACT featuring Atif Aslam and Shreya Ghosal is coming to Ricoh Coliseum on Sunday, March 28, 2010. Don't miss your chance to catch Pakistani sensation Atif Aslam and one India's most awarded playback singers Shreya Ghoshal LIVE in concert. Here's your exclusive chance to purchase tickets before the public!

For Ticket details Visit http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/10004442A3DB65BB

For ticket details visit