New Delhi, June 27 : When you spot a middle-aged
Sikh swaying and dancing to an Assamese folk number, you know music
knows no language. That's just what the second season of "Coke
Studio@MTV" is set to prove.
To some extent it achieved that at
the sneak preview of the second seaon Tuesday when a Sikh stood up,
oblivious of the audience around him, and danced to Assamese musician
Papon's tunes.
The capital's Who's Who, including Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit, renowned cardiologist Naresh Trehan, Law Minister Salman
Khurshid, IT honcho Nandan Nilekani, writer-ad man
Prasoon Joshi and
image consultant Dilip Cherian were present to taste the diverse platter
of music at the event.
Artists like Harshdeep Kaur, Usha Uthup,
Ehsaan-Loy, Clinton Cerejo, Shantanu Moitra, Jasbir Jassi and Amit
Trivedi performed here, as did some some regional performers, who might
become a rage once the show goes on air July 7.
From Rajasthani
folk to a farmer's song in Kannada -- the show promises to be a window
to the country's diversity by fusing unexplored and forgotten folk
sounds with contemporary beats, which appeal to the youth and old alike.
The
show is a platform where established singers as well as talents from
the country's interiors get a chance to collaborate with music producers
to create experimental music.
This season has 12 producers and over 200 musicians, who have created 40 songs.
"We
will have original songs, and old folk songs reinterpreted. This season
will be very high on the youth quotient. So while we have always had
classical and folk as a key part of 'Coke Studio', this year we have an
abundant dose of rock and electronic music,"
Aditya Swamy, executive
vice president and business head,
MTV India, said here.
With
names like Harshdeep, Papon, Amit, Karsh Kale, Jalebee Cartel and
Shankar Tucker, the aim is to give viewers a hint of the "sound of India
in the next 10 to 15 years," he added.
The first season of "Coke
Studio" grabbed 40 million TV viewers and three million YouTube views.
As many as 15,000 physical CDs were sold and 20 live shows were held.
"That's
where we started. Now we have got a good base. All we can expect is a
good word-of-mouth from people who have already sampled our taste,"
Swamy told IANS.
© IANS 
