Coke Studio Bharat has generally avoided the predictability trap by not treating its line-up like a checklist. Season 4, announced today, continues that approach without overplaying its hand.
Coke Studio Bharat's The List includes Rekha Bhardwaj, Aditya Rikhari, Kulte Khan, Ravator, Faheem Abdullah, Arsalan Nizami, Madhur Sharma, Ashok Maskeen, Vaibhav Pani, Mohammad Faiz, Mame Khan, Khwaab and Utpal Udit. It’s surely a wide field, but it’s also a set of very specific musical instincts placed side by side.
What defines this season, at least from the announcement, is the direction. Rajasthani folk traditions, Kashmiri narrative forms, Banaras-rooted accounts, Punjabi Sufi lineages suggests that the show is continuing its shift away from generic fusion toward more grounded reinterpretations.
Rekha Bhardwaj says, “Every generation rediscovers its roots in its own way. Coke Studio Bharat provides a space where that rediscovery happens through collaboration. Season 4 is about preserving the spirit of tradition while allowing it to breathe in a new context.”
Aditya Rikhari puts it more simply: “My music has always been personal and emotional. With Coke Studio Bharat, the heart of the song stays intact, even as the sound grows around it. Season 4 feels like that, intimate in its writing, but expansive in how it’s heard.”
Faheem Abdullah adds a more regional perspective: “Music carries memory, identity and emotion. The song comes from the imagination of a poet from Kashmir who has a story to tell and being a part of Coke Studio Bharat gives me the chance to bring that world of storytelling on a national platform. This season that I am a part of, has enabled me to fuse my roots with the Coke Rock I grew up listening to.”
Season 3 had moments like Anuv Jain's Arz Kiya Hai being the most obvious example. But we think Season 4 is less interested in immediate virality and more in building a catalogue that holds up over repeated listening. Tracks will be released over time and collaborations will be revealed gradually.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.