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India’s Coke Studio is a big fat serving of mainstream. It should learn from Pakistan

Coke Studio Bharat has barely any new voices, and the folk music that should be at its heart remains missing. In Pakistan, the show has made musical discovery central to its identity.

In the “us vs them” fight, Coke Studio Pakistan is a clear winner. The difference is becoming difficult to ignore.

The music coming out of Coke Studio Bharat too often feels like a newer, heavily remixed version of a familiar melody. And there isn’t much diversity in terms of the artists either: Papon, Shruti Pathak, and Amit Trivedi are regular features on the show. 

What’s worse is that India’s Coke Studio does a disservice to the country’s vibrant folk music. Ideally, platforming folk forms would mean bringing varied voices, artists, cultures, languages, and stories to the show. Yet, there are barely any new voices, and the folk music that should be at the heart of a platform remains missing.

That is where Coke Studio Pakistan has an advantage. It has consistently managed to merge contemporary sounds with its musical heritage, regional languages, folk traditions, and artists who might not otherwise find such a mainstream platform. 

India has a vast musical tradition to draw from. It has countless dialects, languages, and local rhythms........

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