Cover Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid and Chirag Rashmikant Patel (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid and Chirag Rashmikant Patel (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
1 / 1
For their latest track, iconic music platform Coke Studio Pakistan works with Norway’s top rap duo and dance group, marking a momentous collaboration
Piya Piya Calling is the latest song released by Norwegian rap duo Karpe as part of the catalogue of Coke Studio Pakistan’s current season. This marks the first time for the popular South Asian programme to work with a Scandinavian act, which consists of Indian-Norwegian Chirag Rashmikant Patel and Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid, who is of Egyptian and Norwegian descent.
The new song was produced exclusively for Coke Studio and dropped on Friday, reaching global viewers via streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube. More than a rap group, Karpe is one of the biggest musical acts in Norway. They are known for their evocative lyrics and boundary-breaking collaborations, for which they enlist a range of talent, including classical musicians, prominent singers, and renowned dancers.
This time, the rap duo linked up with Coke Studio Pakistan through Quick Style—a Norwegian dance group that has performed with Karpe in music videos and during live concerts, and who became a global sensation in the summer of 2022 when the group danced to a medley involving Coke Studio hit Kana Yaari at co-founder Suleman Malik’s wedding.
In case you missed it: Meet Karpe, the Norwegian duo who cracked the code on fusion music, sing about being immigrant kids and inspired viral dance crew Quick Style
Above Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid and Chirag Rashmikant Patel (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
Magdi Omar Ytreeide Abdelmaguid and Chirag Rashmikant Patel (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
1 / 1
Piya Piya Calling also features emerging Pakistani singer Kaifi Khalil, who was one of the main artists featured in Kana Yaari, and Norwegian Iranian singer Amanda Delara. The song is about connecting with loved ones across different countries, cultures and time zones. “It is also probably the only track in the world that mixes Norwegian, Gujarati, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, and Balochi,” Karpe’s Patel said to Tatler Asia. “It reflects how we grew up—surrounded by multiple languages—and is a true diaspora dream.”
Recording for Piya Piya Calling was done remotely over sessions involving Karpe, music producers Thomas Kongshavn and Aksel Carlson, Delara, Khalil, and the Coke Studio team. The music video was shot in the summer of 2023, when the Norwegian cohort flew to Karachi. Quick Style designed the choreography and movement direction for this video and others in this current season.
“It’s a great feeling because we’re truly like a family, from little Oslo, now calling to the world with this song," says Bilal Malik, one of three co-founders of Quick Style. The project has been a milestone for the dance group, as for them, Karpe are the ultimate source of inspiration. “We grew up watching their [Karpe’s] journey and felt a strong connection. We always tell them that they’re meant for the world, not just Norway,” says Malik.
Karpe’s music was first introduced by Quick Style to Coke Studio Pakistan chief producer Zulfiqar Khan, popularly known as Xulfi. Khan has helmed the platform since 2021, leading two successful seasons. Coke Studio is the longest-running music programme in Pakistan. It launched in 2008 and quickly became known for showcasing South Asia’s diverse creative landscape, reintroducing regional musical traditions to mainstream audiences in novel ways by fusing them into contemporary performances.
Above Quick Style photographed in Oslo in 2022 exclusively for Tatler (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
Quick Style photographed in Oslo in 2022 exclusively for Tatler (Photo: Ida Fiskaa)
1 / 1
“We initially thought it was a prank call when Xulfi contacted us one day, inviting us to Karachi to participate in Season 15,” said Karpe’s Patel. “The idea of me singing in Norwegian at Coke Studio Pakistan was unimaginable, but here we are now.”
Karpe already has an international fan base, which packs concert halls for energetic performances by the rappers when they are on tour. But the exclusive track made for Coke Studio Pakistan specifically connects the duo with the programme’s millions of fans across South Asia—including India—as well as the diasporic population whose heritage traces back to the region.
Coke Studio Pakistan has a deep imprint on South Asia’s music scene. For example, in its 14th season in 2022, one of the platform’s releases was Pasoori, a hit song with Punjabi and Urdu lyrics sung by singer and author Ali Sethi alongside breakout vocalist Shae Gill that launched the latter’s career. To date, Pasoori has been streamed 350 million times on Spotify and has racked up 756 million views on YouTube. It was also the most searched-for song on Google in 2022. Pasoori is about embracing hybridity and bridging binaries.
In Piya Piya Calling, Karpe and Coke Studio carry that same message in a fresh form, presenting a dimension of the diasporic experience that’s less readily visible.
Now Read:
Norwegian duo Karpe on navigating cultural dynamics and staying true to their diverse roots
Meet Quick Style, the dance crew that choreographed for BTS and inspired a viral TikTok challenge
Meet Zain, the Pakistani-Arab Canto Rapper from Hong Kong
Topics
Aaina was the Arts and Culture Editor of Tatler Asia. A passion for history and all things visual led her in the pursuit of art history. With extensive experience in the art world working for a range of art institutions, she combined her passion and expertise in the form of art and culture journalism. Prior to Tatler, Aaina worked as a culture reporter for South China Morning Post and editor at the online art platform Cobo Social. Additionally, she has contributed to a variety of prestigious art publications including Art Review, The Art Newspaper, Ocula, Art Agenda, Artsy, Design Anthology, and Artomity. Follow her on Instagram.
