Pepsi Battle of the Bands | |
---|---|
Also known as | Pepsi BoB |
Genre | Reality |
Created by | PepsiCo Pakistan |
Directed by | Andrew Bramley (S2) |
Presented by | Ayesha Omer (S2, S3) Hina Altaf (S4) |
Judges | Rohail Hyatt (S1) Fifi Haroon (S1) Shahi Hasan (S1,2) Fawad Khan (S2,3,4) Meesha Shafi (S2,3,4) Atif Aslam (S2) Farooq Ahmed (S2,S3) Strings (S3) |
Theme music composer | Faisal Baig |
Opening theme | "Battle of the Bands" by Shahi Hasan (S2) Strings (S3) |
Country of origin | Pakistan |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Executive producers | PepsiCo: Salman Butt, Saad Munawar, Natasha Hyder, Ali Zaidi, Misbah Ghani, Shehryar Ahmed |
Producers | Shiny Floor & The Cion Collective: Saad Mujeeb, Faisal Rafi |
Cinematography | Nick Collier |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 1 hour |
Production company | PepsiCo Pakistan |
Original release | |
Network | PTV Home (2002) Broadcast syndication (2017–2018) |
Release | July 2002 – August 2019 |
Pepsi Battle of the Bands is a Pakistani television series, originally based on the concept of Battle of the Bands, first aired in 2002 on PTV Home. [1] The show was revived in 2017. [2]
Pepsi Battle of the Bands: Season 1 aired in July 2002 on PTV Home. [3] The inaugural season was directed by Ahsan Rahim and Amena Khan, and produced by Nofil Naqvi. The winners were Aaroh, [4] who beat runners up Entity Paradigm by a narrow margin. [5] It also launched the success of many other bands who took part in the show, particularly Mekaal Hasan Band (which came in third) and Mizmaar. [6] [7] 170 applications were sent to the show's website out of which 70 were registered. The top 20 were selected on the basis of vocals, music and arrangements which was then narrowed down to the top 10.
The following 10 bands were selected for season 1.
The following bands failed to make the top 10 for season 1.
The judges for season 1 included former members of the band Vital Signs and music producers Shahi Hasan and Rohail Hyatt as well as Pakistani fashion and music critic Fifi Haroon.
Episodes of Pepsi Battle of the Bands: Season 2 are available in broadcast syndication on television as well as put up online on Pepsi Pakistan's YouTube channel. Shortly after, the episode airs the full video performances are then put up online on Pepsi Pakistan's Facebook and YouTube while the full audios are put up on the website as well as on Patari.pk.
The return of the show and subsequent second season was revealed in early 2017. [8] It also marked the return of season 1 winners Aaroh to the music scene after 8 years - although they had released "Mera Pyar" in 2014 with vocalist Rizwan Anwar, it received little attention. [9] Season 2 also marks the return of Fawad Khan to music.
The promo video song was released on 22 July 2017. [10] It featured Atif Aslam, Meesha Shafi and Fawad Khan performing a tribute-mashup of Vital Signs' "Do Pal Ka Jeevan" and Alamgir's "Dekha Na Tha"; as well as Shahi Hasan on guitars with the trio. The video also showed many young people performing which is the show's main target audience. [11]
The Pakistani music streaming platform Patari.pk put up Entity Paradigm's debut album Irtiqa on its service along with creating "Best of Playlists" of S1 winners Aaroh as well as Mekaal Hasan Band and Mizmaar, both bands which went on to mainstream success because of S1. [12]
The judges of S2 included Fawad Khan, Meesha Shafi and Farooq Ahmed in the auditions round while Khan, Shafi, Atif Aslam and Shahi Hasan were the judges in the knockout round. Ayesha Omer was the host of the season. [13]
Episode 1 premiered on Sunday, 30 July 2017. [14] The bands that performed included:
Band | Perf. | Judged |
---|---|---|
Naksh | Sajjad Ali's "Bolo Bolo" (cover) | positive feedback |
Positive | Allan Fakir's "Kalab" (cover) | |
Pindi Boys | "Pindi Boys" (original) | |
Kashmir | Entity Paradigms "Hamesha" (cover) | |
Bari | Aaroh's "Yaara" (cover) | not selected |
Madlock | "Aarzoo" (original) | positive feedback |
Shajr | Mekaal Hasan Band's "Ya Ali" (cover) | |
Soul Anesthetics | "Kabhi Aar, Kabhi Paar" (original) | not selected |
Aura | "Main Hoon" (original) | positive feedback |
OB Positive | Vital Signs's "Aitebar" (cover) |
The auditions round continued and the bands that performed included: [15]
Band | Perf. | Judged |
---|---|---|
Ehl-e-Rock | "Junoon" (original) | positive feedback |
Khamaaj | "Bezuban" (original) | |
Nafs | Manjihi Faqeer's "Main Shah" (cover) | not selected |
Badnaam Band | "Alif Allah" (original) | positive feedback |
E Sharp | "600 Saal" | |
Yoon | Amir Khusro's "Chaap Tilak" (cover) | not selected |
Darvesh | "Sawali" (original) | positive feedback |
Roots | "Mujhse Door" (original) | positive feedback; their performance was not aired but due to the band making it in the top 8, it was uploaded online |
The bands that were selected in the top 8 included in alphabetical order:
Positive was originally in the top 8 but were disqualified because they performed with a temporary member in the auditions round which was against the rules of the show.
The bands that were in the waiting list but did not get selected and their performance not being shown on TV or online included:
The episode ended with last season winners Aaroh performing Raag Neela with Kashan Admani, lead guitarist of the band Mizmaar on lead guitars.
The theme of the episode was favorite song. Each band had to perform their favourite song in front of the judges and the live studio audience. The episode started with Atif Aslam performing his new song titled "Yaad Tehari". The bands performed in the following order: [16]
Band | Perf. (cover) | Judged |
---|---|---|
Darvesh | Sounds of Kolachi's "Allah Hi Dega" | positive feedback |
Pindi Boys | Vital Signs's "Dil Dhoondta Hai" | |
Aura | Alamgir's "Dekha Na Tha" | mixed feedback |
Madlock | Entity Paradigm's "Kahan Hai Tu" | positive feedback |
Kashmir | Aamir Zaki's "Mera Pyar" | Dubbed the performance of the season |
Badnaam Band | "Kala Jora Pa" (traditional folk) | positive feedback |
Shajr | Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Kisay Da Yaar" | didn't manage to impress the judges |
Roots | "Iss Baar Milo" by Hadiqa Kiani and Aamir Zaki | mixed feedback |
The bands that ended up in the danger zone were Roots, Aura and Shajr. Aura and Shajr were eliminated leaving 6 bands in the show.
The knockout round continued with top 6. The episode started with musician Sara Haider performing her new song "Zindagi". The theme of this episode was that the each band had to perform an original song in front of the judges and the live studio audience. The bands performed in the following order: [17]
Band | Perf. (original) | Judged |
---|---|---|
Kashmir | "Budha Baba" | mixed feedback |
Darvesh | "Sadaye Darvesh" | mixed feedback; they made some mistakes in the ending as noted by the judges |
Pindi Boys | "Corina" | episode's highlight performance |
Roots | "Khirkiyaan" | mixed feedback; the weak lyrics were pointed out by the judges |
Madlock | "Kab Hoga" | mixed feedback; the weak lyrics and less energy as compared to their previous performances were pointed out |
Badnaam Band | "Khawaja Ki Deewani" | performed cover in the original round and cleared. |
The bands that ended up in the danger zone were Roots, Darvesh and Madlock. Darvesh and Madlock were eliminated leaving 4 bands in the show.
Music Producer: Faisal Rafi
Exec. Producer: Ali Diwan
Music Director/Mentor/Composer: Ahsan Bari
Music Director/Mentor/Composer: Faisal Baig
Project Manager: Agha Fahad
Chief Recording Engineer/Sound Designer/Audio Post Supervisor: Kashif Ejaz at The C'Ion Collective Studios
Lyricist/Consultant: Asim Raza
Assistant Producer: Daniel Hayden
Assistant Producer: Haris Noor, Quaid Ahmed
Assistant Engineer: Zyad Ahmed Tariq
Mixing Engineers: Chris Bolster & Paul Pritchard at Abbey Road Studios
Mastered by: Alex Gordon and Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios
Live Sound Engineer: Obaid Haq
Chief Audio Tech: Nadeem Ducrrani & Saif Ullah
Following television channels aired the show: [lower-alpha 1]
Timeslot | Channel |
---|---|
4:00 PM | ARY Digital |
4:30 PM | ARY News |
Dunya News | |
Express News | |
News One (Pakistani TV channel) | |
Samaa TV | |
Dawn News | |
Geo News | |
Lahore News HD | |
Abb Takk News | |
5:00 PM | 24 News HD |
City 41 | |
Jaag TV | |
Capital TV | |
Business Plus | |
Neo News | |
Channel 5 | |
City 42 | |
5:30 PM | Geo Entertainment |
Metro One | |
Geo Kahani | |
KTN | |
6:00 PM | ATV |
TVOne Global | |
Urdu 1 | |
A-Plus TV | |
PTV Home | |
Filmazia | |
ARY Zindagi | |
Awaz Television Network | |
AXN Pakistan | |
6:30 PM | Hum TV |
Aaj News | |
See TV | |
Filmax | |
Film World | |
Aaj Entertainment | |
Such TV | |
Waqt News | |
Express Entertainment | |
8XM | |
7:00 PM | VSH News |
Pashto 1 | |
HTV Pakistan | |
Play Entertainment | |
Aruj TV | |
Kashish TV | |
Mehran TV | |
7:30 PM | Geo Super |
9:00 PM | Afghan TV |
Sindh TV | |
Jalwa TV | |
Punjab TV | |
Apna Channel | |
Dharti TV | |
Waseb TV | |
Raavi TV |
Season 2 has mostly received positive reviews. Maheen Sabeeh of The News said, "Whether the show manages to accomplish its mission statement to the letter remains to be seen but, having spoken to almost all major players in the production, it can be said with certainty that it has just the right motivation behind it and that matters more than we care to admit." [18] The Nation wrote, "With such an eclectic mix of sounds and energies, right from the get go - we are rooted to our televisions, waiting with bated breath till the second episode of the inevitably and justifiably iconic, biggest music battle in the country; Pepsi Battle of the Bands." [14] Vafa Batool of Pakistan Today wrote "The first episode showed how the judges focused on grossly distinct aspects of the performances. Fawad Khan preferred to acknowledge the raw live energy on stage while Meesha Shafi's focus remained largely on vocal quality. Farooq Ahmed offered technical help to the bands as a well-nuanced musician who was more concerned about improving the sounds further." [19] Dawn wrote "Looks like we're in for a great show" [20]
However, the second season has been criticized by some as well. Pakistani music, fashion critic and Season 1 judge Fifi Haroon on her Twitter called it "bland, listless". Speaking to Gulf News journalist Usman Ghafoor, Pakistani culture critic Nadeem Farooq Paracha said, "Pepsi is 10 years too late. When the last season went on air, the reality was quite different; we still had underground and mainstream music happening at the time. From mid-2000s on, the bands started to whittle away for all sorts of reasons — political, social, and security. Besides, today, we are talking about a different generation — not even the millennials but generation Z, the kids who were born in early 2000s or late 1990s. The dynamics of understanding and listening to music have changed all around the world. No one listens to albums or CDs now; they listen to singles and stream videos. BOTB, in my opinion, has failed to capture the imagination of this new generation." [21]
Some critics even compared the show with Coke Studio though the comparison has been rejected by those involved with the show. [22] Pakistani actor Shaan Shahid criticized the format of the show and said on his Facebook that Pepsi should stick to critic as Coke Studio owns the music scene. [23] His comments received a lot of criticism. [24]
The decision to not include some bands in the top eight particularly the band Khamaaj was criticized. [25]
Season 3 started in 2018 and Xarb and Bayaan fought for the title with the latter going to clinch the title. [26]
Entity Paradigm was a Pakistani rock band from Lahore, Punjab, formed in 2000. The band was founded by songwriter and guitarist Xulfi, vocalist, songwriter Fawad Khan and keyboardist and vocalist Ahmed Ali Butt who were soon joined by Salman Albert on guitars, Ali Asad Khan on drums, Hassaan Khalid on rhythm guitars and Waqar Ahmed on drums, since then there had been many changes in the line-up the only consistent members being Ahmed Ali Butt, Salman Albert, and Hassaan Khalid.
Aaroh is an alternative rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, formed in 1998. The band was founded by keyboardist Kamran Khan and lead guitarist Nabeel Nihal. , who were joined by, Vocalist Farooq Ahmed, Bassist Khalid Khan and Drummer Adnan Hussain.
Mekaal Hasan Band Urdu: میکال حسن بینڈ,, is an internationally acclaimed progressive rock band, founded in 2001 by the Pakistani guitarist,composer and producer, Mekaal Hasan. The Mekaal Hasan Band is known for being innovators of a progressive style of music which finds it's melodic roots in South Asian traditional musical and literary art forms, some of which include Qawali, Sufiana Kalam and in general, traditional material culled from Indian and Pakistani culture and folkloric traditions.
Fawad Afzal Khan is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, songwriter and singer known for his work in films and television. Khan is a recipient of several accolades, including a Filmfare Award, two Lux Style Awards, and six Hum Awards.
Meesha Shafi is a Pakistani-born Canadian singer, actress and model.
Zebunisa Bangash, better known as Zeb Bangash, is a Pakistani singer-songwriter from Lahore, Punjab. Her family originally comes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Apart from her solo career, she was a member of the music group Zeb and Haniya along with Haniya Aslam who is her first cousin.
Zulfiqar "Xulfi" Jabbar Khan is a Pakistani composer, singer-songwriter, music producer and a guitarist. Starting his career in 1994, Khan is the recipient of multiple awards in Pakistan. He is currently working on the television series Coke Studio, for which he is the producer and mentor.
Shahzad Hasan, is a Pakistani musician, record producer, occasional actor, bass guitarist, backing vocalist and music industry executive. Co-founding the pop and rock band, Vital Signs, with keyboardist Rohail Hyatt in 1986, he earned recognition of playing bass guitar and as an original member of Vital Signs.
The tenth season of the Pakistani music television series Coke Studio Pakistan premiered on 11 August 2017, and ended on 21 September 2017. Strings and The Coca-Cola Company emceed the show as executive producers, while the show returned with the previous year's format of music directors leading and producing their own songs under Strings' supervision, despite the decision of not adopting this format for next year.
E Sharp is a rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, that initially started as a cover band active in Karachi's underground music scene but later on started creating their own original work. The band's first two albums; Bahadur Yaar Jung (2015) and 600 Saal (2017)were nominated at the Lux Style Awards respectively. A bunch of their singles and music videos has mostly received positive reviews. Their third album Choti Khushiyan was released in 2020 and received positive reviews as well.
Rutaba Yaqub is a Saudi-born singer of Pakistani descent, based in Pakistan. Her big break came on the television series Nescafé Basement, and she later went on to compete in the Pepsi Battle of the Bands.
Bayaan is an alternative rock band from Lahore, Pakistan. It is the winning band of Pepsi Battle of the Bands Season 3 in 2018. Appeared in Nescafe Basement, the band had performed throughout Pakistan before appearing in Pepsi Battle of the Bands. The 5-member band consists of Asfar Hussain (vocalist), Haider Abbas (bassist), Shahrukh Aslam (guitarist), Muqeet Shahzad (guitarist), and Mansoor Lashari (drummer). The band members Shahzad and Abbas knew each other for more than a decade and played together in the school band. They moved to the underground music circuit and met Mansoor Lashari. In between, Lashari and Abbas became a part of Nescafe Basement where they performed with Hussain and Aslam. Thus, Bayaan came into existence. Bayaan is managed by their bassist, Haider Abbas.
The 2020 edition of the Pakistani Music television series Coke Studio Pakistan, titled as Coke Studio 2020, commenced airing on 4 December 2020 and concluded on 25 December 2020. The season was produced by show's founder Rohail Hyatt and distributed by Coca-Cola Pakistan.
Black Hour, often stylized as Blackhour, is a Pakistani progressive rock band from Islamabad, founded in 2007 by guitarist Hashim Mehmood. After several lineup changes in its early years, the band settled on four members for more than a decade: Hashim Mehmood, drummer Daim Mehmood, bassist Salman Afzal and lead vocalist Tayyab Rehman. Black Hour has consistently incorporated progressive, folk, classical, and alternative influences into its compositions, as well as strong influences from heavy metal, especially in their early works.
Woh Jahan is the third studio album by Pakistani progressive rock band Black Hour, released on 19 February 2021 by Rearts Records globally. The recording sessions occurred at the SnakeHook Studios in Islamabad, Pakistan with production by Black Hour alongside Fahad Humayun Chohan. The album is the first Urdu language album by the band.
Faris Shafi is a Pakistani rapper, songwriter and actor.
Quaid Ahmed, also spelled Qua-id Ahmed is a Pakistani singer-songwriter from Karachi. He sings in various genres including Sufi rock.
Mughal-e-Funk is an instrumental funk band from Pakistan. The band comprises Kami Paul (drummer), Farhan Ali (bass), Rakae Jamil (sitar), and Rufus Shahzad. The band has featured in popular shows including Coke Studio, Levi's Live, and Bisconni Music.
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