If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. That is probably the nicest way to put down Coke Studio’s ‘remake’ of the Pakistani classic Koko Korina.
Now even in darkness there is light at the end of the tunnel, and maybe that is what Jalal Jigar’s version of the song is. The Sindhi folk singer straight up said if Ahad Raza Mir and Momina Mustehsan can do it, then so can I.
And that’s what he exactly did:.
What Vampire Sucks was to Twilight and Spartans was to 300, I think its safe to say that the cheekily titled Goth Studio by Jalal represents the same for Coke Studio’s atrocious version of Koko Korina. With one sizeable difference. In doing so, he may have inadvertently created an Epic Song of his own.
This One’s a Hit So Far
The Jalal Jigar cover is actually not half bad, and serves as a far better aesthetic experience than Coke Studio’s Franken-track.
The song captures the spirit of the original song. Its just a fun song like the original that isn’t focused on production but just putting good music out there for everyone.
Admittedly, this isn’t a track with high production values, what with auto-tuning and all that new tech and lyrics that could put Mir to shame. But yeah, it did feature some direction and camera techniques you don’t  usually see in Sindhi folk music. The format was much cleaner, less crowded and let the music be the actual star of the show.
At most, tinkering with the beats included the addition of a few instruments, most prominently Jigar’s Ekrara, that instrument we commonly associate with Saeen Zahoor.
The high pitch, low bass instrument added an upbeat vibe to the song throughout.
Some other personal touches included the questions most of us have when we first heard the song. – Who is this mystery woman Koko Korina? Â And where do we find her?
Ustad Bajai Wala responded to this in a diplomatic manner, “Tauba (God forbid).”
To conclude, the singer was really into the song and the mood wasn’t forced. Perhaps it takes folks who possess the right cultural background to appreciate the classics and revamp them for new listeners. Because it sure seems that Goth Studio succeeds where Koko Korina (2018) didn’t.
