Watch Nimma Nimma
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The Story Behind Nimma Nimma
Shani Arshad's "Nimma Nimma" appeared in Coke Studio Season 9's 2016 finale as an intimate remembrance of a mother. Arshad performs the piece and composed its music, Sabir Zafar wrote the lyrics, and Strings produced the session. Contemporary coverage recognized its blend of nostalgia and modern studio craft, a balance heard in the restrained arrangement. Soft drums and strings leave space around Arshad's warm vocal, allowing the emotion to gather without overwhelming the song. Its most distinctive instrumental turn comes from guest flutist Sajid Ali, whose solo carries the melody into an exposed, reflective passage. Released by Coke Studio Pakistan on 23 September 2016, the performance transforms private grief into a universal tribute, using lullaby imagery and uncluttered textures to keep the focus on memory, absence, and maternal comfort.
Meaning & Translation
The phrase "Nimma Nimma" evokes something soft and subdued. In the refrain, that softness belongs to grief as the speaker addresses his mother and voices a sorrow that refuses to leave. The song moves through objects of childhood: an empty cradle, a silent courtyard, a stopped spinning wheel, and a broken thread. Each image marks the mother's absence by showing what no longer works without her care. Questions about who will sing a lullaby or offer comfort turn adult mourning into a child's need for safety. Even the stars are imagined as children gathered in the mother's lap. Rather than telling a linear story, the song becomes a meditation on bereavement, memory, and the lifelong shelter associated with a mother.
Details
Artists & Credits
- Shani Arshad singer
- Shani Arshad composer
- Sabir Zafar lyricist
- Sajid Ali musician
- Strings producer