Coke Studio season 14 opened with a huge hit Tu Jhoom, written by Adnan Dhool, produced by Xulfi and Abdullah Siddiqui and sung by legends Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal. The song touched the hearts of millions all over the world.
However, it also got into a huge controversy when Nirmala Maghani, an upcoming singer from Umerkot accused Xulfi of stealing the melody. Nirmala alleged that she sent her melody to Xulfi in hopes of getting featured in the Coke Studio. She did not hear back from him but was in for a surprise when Tu Jhoom released. Here is the melody by Nirmala Maghani:
Yousaf Salahuddin also came forward in favour of Nirmala and said that he has heard the melody already and she is the original creator. He also said that he will help her take a legal route:
Xulfi has now come forward with his own take on the situation as well as proof that he had been working on the melody in May 2021 while Nirmala sent her melody in late June. He did not download the melody either and it can also be proved. This is what Xulfi had to say about the whole situation:
“As I shared with you earlier, I produce and collaborate in the spirit of inclusivity and my work with Coke Studio holds the same philosophy. My work is not borrowed or without credit, given that what I share with the world is work that relies on the very essence of partnership and collaboration. I hope this to be evident in my entire body of work produced in my career.
When we set out to make this season, our goal was to make Pakistani music heard worldwide. Our aim was to present our music, our young talent and our icons in a way that shows the world what we are capable of. What we stand for as a nation. Our aim was to create a cultural moment of glory for Pakistan. Coke Studio is Pakistan’s biggest cultural export and connector of hearts and souls; it has consistently brought people together for art, progression and positivity. And that power is very dear to me and one that I’ve absorbed heavily this season. I don’t take the fabric of Coke Studio lightly but rather wear it as a cloak of responsibility and pride.
And indeed, I look forward to continue working with our brilliant artists, from all over the country; for they truly are the present and future of Pakistani music!
The CS14 journey for you has just started. We hope to take you along in these moments of love and discovery and we hope you fall in love with these artists and these moments.
Love,
Xulfi
Xulfi has also shared a screen recording of his Whatsapp where he is seen discussing Tu Jhoom with co-producer Abdullah Siddiqui in May way before Nirmala sent her melody:
lets Have a Look…
