Ko Ko Korina

"Ko Ko Korina"
Song by Ahmed Rushdi
Language	Urdu
Released	18 March 1966
Genre	Pop
Composer(s)	Sohail Rana
Lyricist(s)	Masroor Anwar

Masroor Anwar, Sohail Rana, Waheed Murad and Pervez Malik during the composition of song Ko Ko Korina, Karachi, 1965

"Ko Ko Korina" (Urdu:کوکوکورینا) is a song which appeared in the 1966 Urdu-language film Armaan and is considered the first pop song of Pakistan, and often of all South Asia.^[1][2] Produced during the Golden Age of Pakistani cinema, the song's lyrics were written by Masroor Anwar and the music composed by Sohail Rana. Ahmed Rushdi was the playback singer, with actor Waheed Murad lip-syncing.^[1]

Background

Ahmed Rushdi sang Ko Ko Korina

In 1966, actor-producer Waheed Murad made his film Armaan in which Sohail Rana came up with a pop song "Ko ko Korina" which got a full house success not only all over the country but also all over South Asia.^[3] Playback singer Ahmed Rushdi recorded this song.

Waheed Murad picturised Ko Ko Korina

Following Rushdi's success, Christian bands specialising in jazz started performing at various night clubs and hotel lobbies^[4] in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Dhaka and Lahore.

Remakes

The 2013 Geo TV television film Armaan, featured the song in a new version, with a few English lyrics. The song was sung by Sana Zulfiqar and Aamir Zaki, and was picturized on Fawad Khan, Aamina Sheikh, Jahanzaib Khan and Mahnoor Khan.^[5]

In August 2018, Coke Studio produced a remake of "Ko Ko Korina", originally lip-sync by Waheed Murad in the voices of Momina Mustehsan and Ahad Raza Mir. Their rendition of this Pakistani classic was widely criticized. Within a few days of the video being released on YouTube, it became the most-disliked video in the music show's 11-year history and raised nationwide hue and cry to the extent that Minister for Human Rights in Pakistan Shireen Mazari had to come out in media to term the remake as "horrendous".^[6] Waheed Murad's son Adil Murad also apologized from Pakistani nation for allowing Coke Studio a remake of the song.^[7] In 2022, Ko Ko Korina featured in the opening scene of American series Ms. Marvel (miniseries) and won top ratings.^[8] A Sindhi version of this song was also sung by Jigar Jalal.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. Asher, Saira (2018-10-25). "Battle over 'massacre' of a nation's favourite song". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
2. C, Mathew Joseph (2016-09-13). Understanding Pakistan: Emerging Voices from India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-351-99725-6.
3. "Ko ko korina". 30 October 2018.
4. "Socio-political History of Modern Pop Music in Pakistan". Chowk (magazine). Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
5. "Armaan". www.amaozone.com. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
6. Priyamvada Grover (9 November 2018). "Ko Ko Korina: Why Pakistan is decrying a Coke Studio cover". theprint.in. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
7. Ghazala Sulaiman (23 October 2018). "Momina Mustehsan Vs Shireen Mazari's 'Ko Ko Korina' Twitter War: Ahad Raza Mir & Sajal Break Silence!". Brandsynario. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
8. "From 'Jalebi Baby' to 'Ko Ko Korina': 'Ms Marvel' desi moments win top ratings". NPR. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.