PAKISTANI MUSIC PRODUCER XULFI ACCUSED OF LIFTING COKE STUDIO’S ‘TU JHOOM’ MELODY
Tu Jhoom is a song about a conversation about letting yourself go, opening your heart and understanding that you are enough and nothing will be gained by running after worldly things. The song rapidly gained fame among the masses leaving everyone captivated with the lyrics and its soothing melody. Tu Jhoom has been credited as written by Adnan Dhool, composed and mixed by Xulfi, arranged and produced by Xulfi and Abdullah Siddiqui.
However, Nirmala Magnani, a singer from Umarkot, takes issue with some aspects of the credits list. She claims the melody of Tu Jhoom was lifted from a sample she sent to Xulfi back in June 2021 while eyeing a spot as a featured artist on Coke Studio 14. There was no response from Xulfi to her messages.
#NirmalaMaghani #cokestudio14 #TuJhoom pic.twitter.com/4vzQTRAjJk
— Nirmala Maghani (@NirmalaMaghani) January 20, 2022
“The melody of my song, which I sent to @cokestudi producer Zulfi as a sample in June 2021, has been stolen and is being used in Coke Studio’s song “To Jhoom”. I don’t need money, just credit. Be my voice,” the singer tweeted.
میرے گانے کی دھن جو میں @cokestudio کے پروڈیوسر زلفی کو بطور نمونہ جون 2021 میں بھیجی تھیں چوری کر کے کوک سٹوڈیو کے گانے "تو جھوم" میں استعمال کی جا ر ہی ہیں۔ مجھے کوئی پیسے نہیں صرف کریڈٹ دیا جائے۔ میری آواز بنیں 🙏#NirmalaMaghani
— Nirmala Maghani (@NirmalaMaghani) January 19, 2022
According to Express Tribune, Nirmala Maghani said, “I have been calling Xulfi since I heard the song and after a day he finally responded by saying ‘I didn’t even download your audio file,’ which isn’t true because all my messages were received with blue ticks.”
Xulfi denies accusations
Xulfi issued a written statement to the media, saying, “I produce and collaborate in the spirit of inclusivity and my work with Coke Studio holds the same philosophy.” “I am grateful and humbled to receive many talented artists’ requests for collaboration from all over Pakistan, as have many producers before me. However, I can’t say my work for CS borrowed from such shared samples I received,” said the Coke Studio producer.
“I do hope to have the fortune of listening to Nirmala Manghani’s songs in person and to possibly come together for collaboration ahead: our young brilliant artists across Pakistan are our future,” he added.
Khalid Khan, CEO of Digital Entertainment World, the company that manages Salahuddin’s digital properties, said their lawyers are assessing the matter and will soon file a complaint in court. Maghani, an upcoming artist, has been approaching some of the leading names in the industry for several years in hope of a big break. A few months ago, she collaborated with Laal band to produce her composition of a Faiz Ahmed Faiz poem.
But Educator and musician Beena Raza, who has also been in touch with Maghani for a while, reached out to The Express Tribune, confirming that the singer had sent her the composition in question, along with other samples as well, before May.
Maghani, who has been overwhelmed with messages of support, thanked those who spoke out for her. “I will accept whatever the court decides,” she said.
