Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab on Sunday scored her first Grammy, winning a prestigious trophy for her song Mohabbat in the Best Global Performance category.
The 37-year-old crooner who has lived in New York for some a decade and a half has been steadily gaining global attention for her work that fuses ancient Sufi traditions with inflections of folk, jazz, and minimalism.
She’s also up for the coveted Best New Artist prize, which will be presented during the main Grammy telecast later Sunday.
The artist told journalists backstage at the pre-gala ceremony, at which the vast majority of awards are handed out. “I am beyond thrilled, it feels great.”
“I’ve been very nervous all day. And we’re off to a good start.”
Born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia, Aftab spent her teenage years in Lahore before relocating to Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music to study music production and engineering.
She released her third studio album “Vulture Prince” to critical acclaim, and gained even more attention after former US President Barack Obama included the track Mohabbat on his 2021 summer favorites list.
Aftab has performed at a number of major New York venues including Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, also opening for Mitski at The Brooklyn Steel in 2018.
Speaking to AFP in the days leading up to the Grammys, Aftab praised her fellow artists nominated for Best New Artist, a crop that includes favorite Olivia Rodrigo along with rappers Saweetie and The Kid Laroi.
“We’re all so cool — the group itself is kind of like a win,” she said.
Earlier in November 2021, the Mehram star became the first Pakistani to receive a Grammy nomination.
Arooj was nominated for the Best Global Music Performance and Best New Artist category which is described as a “category that recognises an artist whose release achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.”
Other artists nominated for the same award were Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, FINNEAS, Glass Animals, Japanese Breakfast, The Kid LAROI, Arlo Parks, Olivia Rodrigo, and Saweetie.
Based in Brooklyn, Aftab has three solo albums to her credit. Her latest release is Vulture Prince. According to a profile published by a music app, the album is about “revisiting places that I’ve called mine,” said Aftab, “Places that don’t necessarily exist anymore. It’s about people, friendships, relationships.”
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Aftab established herself as an indie artist by covering Amir Zaki’s Mera Pyar and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. She promoted her music online in Pakistan and taught herself to play the guitar.
Aftab has been nominated for her track Mohabbat. The song also made it to former US president Barack Obama’s summer playlist. As soon as Grammy nominations were announced, messages of support and love started pouring in for the artist.
Singer Fifi Haroon showed her excitement for Aftab on Twitter.
Veteran singer Hadiqa Kiani also celebrated Aftab’s nomination and urged her followers to listen to the artist’s music.
Singer and song-writer Fakhr-e-Alam also congratulated Aftab on her achievement.
Taking to Twitter, the singer has expressed her joy, saying: “Shock, awe, and happiness.”
Arooj Aftab also shared her memorable moments on Instagram of the awards show where she met with other Grammy winners and the popular Korean pop group, BTS.
