Coke Studio Explorer releases its fourth song ‘Tere Bin Soona’ featuring the Instagram star Mishal Khawaja from Punjab.
Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, and raised in Toronto, Mishal Khawaja was discovered on Instagram by the producers Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi, who brought her back to her home ground in Punjab for ‘Tere Bin Soona’.
‘Tere Bin Soona’ is a gentle, mid-tempo love ballad that finds the bedding for its lyrics in melodic guitar chords and a gentle rhythm. Recorded inside a minaret, against the majestic Lahore fort – the idea was to record the reverb and resonance of the space to capture the essence and cultural heritage of Punjab.
Mishal Khawaja first discovered her vocal capabilities while humming a Toni Braxton song around a friend in a playground. However, as an extremely shy kid growing up, it wasn’t until her adult life that her family and friends discovered her singing voice. Over years of songwriting, performing and creating a fan base, Khawaja has been able to hone her craft on Instagram – the very grounds where she was ultimately discovered by the producers. In a world of virtual reality, the idea of returning to Pakistan and tracing her roots was floated in order to achieve the impact with the human spirit intact; and that completion of the story and returning to her home-ground at birth is now Mishal Khawaja’s audio-visual chronicle that debuts on Coke Studio Explorer this July 2018.
In ‘Tere Bin Soona’, Mishal Khawaja’s voice offers a slow dreamy feel, riding on a tender acoustic guitar by Ali Hamza on this original track which is written as well as composed by her.
