The Story Behind Piya Piya Calling
Piya Piya Calling brings Pakistani and Norwegian artists together in one of Coke Studio Season 15's most international collaborations. Curated by Xulfi, it pairs Norwegian duo Karpe with Kaifi Khalil and Amanda Delara, while Quick Style gives the video its choreography and movement. The recording grew through remote sessions with producers Thomas Meyer Kongshavn and Aksel Carlson before the Norwegian artists travelled to Karachi for the video shoot. Released in June 2024, the song moves across Norwegian, Gujarati, Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Balochi, making romantic distance part of a broader story about diaspora and belonging. Tabla, santoor, violin and kora add acoustic color to the pop production as four distinct voices answer the same call. The collaboration later earned a Song of the Year nomination at Norway's P3 Gold Awards.
Meaning & Translation
Piya is a South Asian word for a beloved, so Piya Piya Calling suggests a loved one calling across distance. The song expands that idea beyond romance. Each vocalist approaches separation from a different angle: missing a partner, feeling far from home, carrying several cultures, or learning to protect a sense of self. Its shifts among Norwegian, Gujarati, Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Balochi are central to the meaning, because longing remains recognizable even when the words change. The recurring call becomes an invitation to reconnect with another person and with one's roots. The song does not erase loss; it treats vulnerability, cultural difference and the search for belonging as ways people can find one another.
Details
- Artist
- Karpe, Kaifi Khalil, Amanda Delara
- Category
- Coke Studio
- Collection
- Coke Studio Season 15
- Released
- 2024
- Mood
- Upbeat, Romantic
- YouTube Views
- 18.84M
Artists & Credits
- Karpe singer
- Kaifi Khalil singer
- Amanda Delara singer
- Chirag Rashmikant Patel composer
- Magdi Ytreeide Abdelmaguid composer
- Kaifi Khalil composer
- Kaleb Isaac Ghebreiesus composer
- Amanda Delara composer
- Eirik Kiil Saga composer
- Thomas Meyer Kongshavn composer
- Aksel Carlson composer
- Chirag Rashmikant Patel lyricist
- Magdi Ytreeide Abdelmaguid lyricist
- Kaifi Khalil lyricist
- Xulfi lyricist
- Siddharth Amit Bhavsar lyricist
- Manan Desai lyricist
- Thomas Meyer Kongshavn musician
- Joshua Amjad musician
- Ali Raza musician
- Harpreet Bansal musician
- Ibou Cissokho musician
- Thomas Meyer Kongshavn producer
- Aksel Carlson producer
- Xulfi producer