Runa Laila’s voice lights up Coke Studio Bangla’s Season Finale
The third season of Coke Studio Bangla has finished on a strong, evocative note, featuring one of South Asia’s most beloved musical voices. The season finale highlights a soul-stirring new interpretation of the Sufi classic “Mast Qalandar,” signalling an emotional return for legendary singer Runa Laila in a way you’ve never heard her before.
Conceived by Shayan Chowdhury Arnob and Adit Rahman, the track builds on the vibrations of devotional Qawwali, with a grounded soul rooted in Bangladeshi folk.
The journey starts with an earnest Hason Raja verse by Makhon Mia, delivered in a meditative, almost timeless voice. As the arrangement progresses, the song opens up into a multi-generational layered soundscape featuring veterans like Foad Nasser Babu alongside fresh young voices from Coke Studio Bangla.
For Runa Laila, who’s remarkable six-decade creative journey crosses 18 languages and a wide-ranging musical terrain, “Mast Qalandar” is not just a song: it’s a signature. To come back to it in a new way, and with a younger generation of musicians around, felt meaningful.
“Doing it again in a different way with younger musicians has been really great,” she shared. “I am so excited that this is a song that spans generations.”
Arnob, widely considered the founding father of Coke Studio Bangla’s evolving sound, says that’s as much about an artistic homecoming as it is a cultural tribute.
“This song is pregnant with devotion and identity,” he said. “Being able to bring Runa Laila apu’s voice back to this anthem is a moment of collective pride.”
As a blend of sentiment, awe, and reinvention, this new “MastQalandar” feels less like a season closer than an evocation of the ongoing power of music to bridge eras, cultures, and sensibilities.