Coca-Cola’s latest collaboration with music, a partnership that dates back to the late 1800’s, is Coke Studio in Dubai.
Throughout the brand’s 125-year history, the soft drink brand has celebrated music and its unifying effect on the world through partnerships with some of the biggest names in music.
Coca-Cola has a long-standing history of bringing consumers closer to the music and artists they love. By reflecting changes in the way music has been consumed through the years, they are constantly evolving how they partner with the music industry to ensure that they are always delivering unique value and experiences to both artists and fans.
Arab News talked with Coke Studio and discussed the idea behind this and the expectations of the show in Dubai.
After its success in Pakistan and Brazil, why did Coca-Cola decide to have Coke Studio in the Arab World?
“The Middle Eastern region is diverse due to the many cultures that it embodies. In each country the music has its own character and personality, both traditional and modern. Every country in the world expresses music differently and engages with music lovers in various ways. In Coke Studio Middle East, each artist tells the story of their culture and traditions through their music, their homes, and sometimes their families.
“Coke Studio in Pakistan and Brazil are quite different from Coke Studio in Dubai. We intend to fuse local and international talents to show there is a common ground between the most exotic differences in cultures. This common ground is identified through a shared passion for music, creativity, and appreciation for talents and uniqueness, even when they are still fledgling. Coke Studio represents possibilities that have not yet been explored and is essentially ‘unity’ at its best. Coke Studio is the first real platform for fusion music that has ever been launched in the Middle East.”
Where does Coca-Cola fit in the equation of the whole cultural border crossing?
“Coke Studio is a creation of the Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola aims to fuse not only talents but also different genres of music together to create an original masterpiece. Coca-Cola wants to bring about cultural unity and togetherness, representing the Arab world in the best light. We want to emphasize openness and respect to other cultures, talents, religions, customs, and backgrounds. Through the timeless Coca-Cola values, Coke Studio brings to music the unity, happiness, and refreshing experiences that the brand has always been an advocate of.”
Whom would we expect to see in Coke Studio?
“There are a range of Arab artists that will be appearing in Coke Studio. We’ve already seen Nancy Ajram and Rowaida Atieh. We have Mohammed Mounir, Mohammed Hamaky, Saber Al Robaey, and Yara to name a few of the other artists. When it comes to international artists, we’ll have a few other surprises.”
Will the fusion concentrate on certain music genres. Is the focus only on modern hits or will classics have their share on the show?
“Fusion music combines two or more styles including the variations in tempo, rhythm, and even the use of long musical ‘journeys’ that can be divided into smaller parts each with their own dynamics, style, and tempo. The Coca-Cola point of view with regards to fusion music is to combine old and new, traditional and modern, in a refreshing and unprecedented way. The combination will produce a classic that you could say is ‘revisited and refreshed’. It will evolve into a final artistic expression that has not yet been explored by the Arab world.”
What will be the next step for a show that has now been running for five seasons in other countries?
“We hope to bring more artists into the second season here and we already have a line-up of artists from the Arab world and internationally. We have plenty of surprises, so make sure to tune in next fall. We can guarantee that every season of Coke Studio will open new doors culturally and artistically, and we are looking forward to hearing our fans’ feedback and comments.”
Other than narrowing the gap between cultural differences, what is it that Coca-Cola aims to get out of Coke Studio?
We hope that Arab youth will be pleasantly surprised by the musical sounds that represent their countries and homes from across the region. The concept, the fusion songs, the collaborations, and how old meets new are all topics viewers experience on a day-to-day basis in one sense or another. We hope that the Arab youth will be refreshed by the new angle that Coke Studio brings to their heritage and culture, and that they can find inspiration within the possibilities that come about by merging diverse cultures. We want the youth especially to embrace positive change that may come their way, to be inspired by opening up to the world while being proud of their own identity, no matter what culture they are from. We aim for our fans to embrace positive change that may come their way, to be inspired by opening up to the world while being proud of their own identity, no matter what culture they are from.
