Shot of Coke

At the recent launch of the Coke Studio@MTV at The Grand,Vasant Kunj,music was like a drug and singers delivered ample doses of it. The live performances presented an interesting mix of sound from different parts of the country,as multilingual singer Papon Mathangi sang in Telugu and composer Tochi Raina opted for a Punjabi folk track. “When I came to know that Coke Studio@MTV is being launched in India,I knew Leslie Lewis would call me. And he did. I was the first one he called,” beamed Raina,as Lewis looked on.

The Indian version of the popular Pakistani show,which airs on June 17,will see performances by Shankar Mahadevan,Kailash Kher,Shruti Pathak,Harshdeep Kaur,Papon Mathangi,Richa Sharma and Saurabh Mandal. All were present at the unveiling in Delhi,breaking into song and dance every now and then. “We all come from different places,but when we create music we speak the same language,” said Kher.

Mathangi let us in on his menu of songs at the Coke studio sessions. “I was made to sing traditional Bihu songs. I’d never sung in Bihu before,but when I did,it was amazing,” he chirped. He also obliged the gathering with his rendition of a popular Bihu track remixed for the occasion. Get ready to sing along.