The ‘Pasoori’ Effect – India Pakistan Vibe Across Borders

Over the years, Coke Studio Pakistan has become a legend amongst South Asians for producing music that has the power to win hearts globally. ‘Pasoori’ from Season 14 of the show has been a tremendous hit and the world is vibing to it.

Pakistan and India share multiple cultural similarities and the love for good music definitely aces all. So naturally the Indian audience was drawn to ‘Pasoori’ and the song even trended number one in the country.

This again became a reminder that no matter how many political barriers may be created between the two countries, art, culture, and music will always transcend boundaries and unite the masses.

Art can be a powerful unifier. With just the right lyric, image or word, great art can soften those hard lines that divide us, helping us to remember the immense value of human connection and compassion.

The song begins with the words “set fire to your worries.” It’s a verse that came to songwriter Ali Sethi after seeing a similar phrase painted across the back of a truck while driving through Punjab. That expression, coupled with the fear that entering India as a Pakistani artist might result in extremists burning down whatever studio he worked in, inspired him to channel the experience into his music, he told The New Yorker.

“I did what desi bards have done for ages. I might not have been able to travel to India, but I knew my music could,” he said.

While many want to believe that Shae Gill’s voice washed over the decades of divide between the neighbors, it would be part wishful thinking and part hopeful.

She was recently trolled for consoling Sidhu Moosewala’s death and the India Pakistan divide surfaced again.

We just hope that with songs like ‘Pasoori’ and the love for music, the neighbors will find in their hearts to love each other a little more.