Coke Studio Bharat gives Marwari folk a modern twist with ‘Hivde Ro Haar’

MUMBAI: When old-school folk gets a new groove, the result can be music that travels. Coke Studio Bharat has returned with the fifth release of its fourth season, ‘Hivde Ro Haar’, bringing the sounds of Rajasthan into a contemporary musical setting.

The track reunites Mame Khan, known for Coke Studio Bharat’s popular track ‘Chaudhary’, with singer Mohammad Faiz and producer Vaibhav Pani.

Rooted in Marwari folk tradition, ‘Hivde Ro Haar’ tells an intimate story of love, longing and the pressure of social judgement. At its heart is a woman’s determination to spend her life with the person she loves, even as uncertainty and separation weigh on her.

The song’s recurring image of the ‘hivde ro haar’, or necklace of the heart, breaking becomes a metaphor for her emotional distress as she waits for her beloved through the night.

Musically, the track keeps its Rajasthan roots firmly in place while adding a distinctly contemporary pulse. Traditional instruments including the Khartaal, Ravanhatta and Morchang are woven into UK Garage-inspired rhythms, creating a meeting point between folk textures and modern production.

One of the track’s defining moments is a jugalbandi between the Khartaal and Ravanhatta following the antara. The exchange gives the instruments a conversational quality, almost as if two voices are responding to each other.

Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia’s IMX lead Shantanu Gangane said the track was created to retain the emotional honesty of Rajasthan’s folk traditions while presenting them through a contemporary sound.

For Khan, the release also marks a return to Coke Studio Bharat after ‘Chaudhary’, a song that has continued to resonate with listeners. He said returning with ‘Hivde Ro Haar’ was meaningful because the track remains rooted in Rajasthan, while exploring a different emotional territory.

Faiz similarly described the song as close to him because of its connection to Rajasthan and its straightforward treatment of love. The singer said the project offered an opportunity to take an element of the region’s musical culture to listeners across India.

Pani, meanwhile, approached the song as an exploration of Rajasthan through sound. Alongside the traditional instruments, the producer brings together UK Garage, House, Future Bass, Rock, Hip Hop and Indian Classical influences.

The release arrives as Coke Studio Bharat continues to build an audience around regional music and cultural storytelling. Previous Season 4 releases have generated substantial digital traction, with ‘Ae Ajnabee’ crossing 26 million YouTube views, ‘Bulleya Ve’ surpassing 18 million and ‘Kachaudi Gali’ crossing 15 million. ‘Hoor’ has also crossed 1.7 million views.

With ‘Hivde Ro Haar’, the series once again makes the case that tradition need not stay stuck in the past. Sometimes, giving an old melody a new beat is all it takes to make its story travel further.