Arooj Aftab on becoming the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy: 'I'm happy to be an inspiration'

[MenInG]

The first Pakistani artist ever to win a Grammy award has said the recognition makes her truly feel part of the music industry and that she hopes to inspire change.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News following her win, Arooj Aftab said she hopes the "patriarchy" and "nonsense" around Pakistani female artists will start to "dismantle and fade away" and that there is nothing holding other artists back from success.

The New-York based singer has been gaining global attention for her music, which fuses ancient Sufi traditions with jazz, folk and minimalism. She picked up the Grammy for best global performance and was also nominated in the best new artist category - up against teen star Olivia Rodrigo and British singer Arlo Parks.

Vulture Prince, Aftab's third studio album, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim. But it was when former US President Barack Obama included the track Mohabbat on his 2021 summer favourites list that it gained even more attention.

The track, which means love or affection, was recorded entirely in Urdu and is nearly eight minutes long, describing the pain of separation from a loved one.

Speaking about her win and making history at the 64th Grammys ceremony, she said: "The industry itself has been doing a lot more to be fair and also to actually listen to [non-mainstream] music.

"Award ceremonies and their criterias are all strange, but this is where it's at. The Grammys is the highest echelon of the industry and it does make me feel like, wow, somehow, one way or another, I'm a part of it now.

"It felt really crazy and great winning. I was very proud of the record I made and to me personally I felt like it did the things that I wanted to do musically. The Grammys itself are this romantic conception for non-mainstream musicians like myself and it's always there in the periphery, so this is a huge honour."

Speaking about the issues female Pakistani artists face, the 37-year-old said that while she herself has not been on the receiving end of derogatory comments, there is still an issue in Pakistan.

"I hope it goes away for everyone," she said. "For all women who are trying to do what they want to do. I hope that the patriarchy starts to dismantle and fade away and all this nonsense goes away. I hope strong women with these beautiful visions and dreams get to do what they have to do without any nonsense."

Aftab is the first female Pakistani musician to be nominated for a Grammy; Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was nominated in 1996, but he didn't win.

She will also become the first Pakistani artist to ever perform at Coachella this year.

Representation is incredibly important in the industry, she said.

"We need to have that out there for people to see. I'm happy to be an inspiration because it feels like an extremely personal win for me. They say 'when you see people who look like you attaining certain things and you feel like you can do it too', I'm happy playing that role."

Speaking about others following in her footsteps, she said: "The music industry in Pakistan is really thriving right now. It's in our DNA: poetry, dance, music, romance, Sufism - it's chock full in our bones and our bodies, in our essence. There's no escaping the amount of creativity. I don't think there's anything holding anyone back."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Brooklyn-based Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab has had quite a week. The artist, who became the first Pakistani to win a Grammy, was ecstatic over the honour. Arooj lifted music's biggest accolade for her rendition of Hafeez Hoshiarpuri’s Mohabbat karne wale, previously performed by the likes of Mehdi Hassan and Farida Khanum, in the Best Global Performance at the 64th Recording Grammys.

She later took to Instagram and shared her own little 'press release'. "I am being inundated with so many questions by you guys, so I think I should answer three," the artist began by saying.

She continued, "One thing, first of all, absolutely, 100% that I need to talk to you about and respond to you is what did BTS say. Nothing man, they didn't say anything. I went up to them, and I said, 'Hey guys, what’s up, let's take a photo.' Because we were all sitting right there next to each other the entire night, and they were like, 'Sure! Of course, congratulations.' We took a photo and then I said, 'The Pakistani BTS ARMY loves you,' and they said, 'Thanks,' and then I went back to my seat. that's what happened with BTS.

Last week, when Arooj finally picked up the prestigious trophy for her iteration of the ghazal, Pakistanis flocked to their social media handles to revel in her victory. But while the applause was deafening, there was also slight chit-chat about her Grammy acceptance speech being “inadequate”, particularly in the Pakistani music circles.

Her speech did not seem to have struck the right chords with musicians and music lovers – particularly those familiar with Mehdi Hassan’s version and Hafeez Hoshiarpuri’s body of work. Arooj, whose penchant for ancient wisdom peaks through her music, did not mention either of the greats while receiving the award, instigating a vigorous debate online, as well as on Pakistani musician WhatsApp groups. Some even felt deeply offended by her comparison of the category she won in to ‘yacht parties’ during her limited time on stage, while “snubbing” or “not finding the time to credit” the ancestors she referred to in a follow-up interview moments later.

Arooj, however, decided to address the matter this time around. "Lots of love and respect — respect, respect, respect to Hafeez Hoshiarpuri, who wrote the poetry of the song Mohabbat," she said. "Aside from that, you have never heard anything like my version of Mohabbat and I am so grateful for all the love. And I am so grateful to all of you who have gone on the journey of that song with me where I have poured my whole soul into it. I hope that you feel that this iconic standard from our region and from our culture has been done the honours to."

The third question she responded to, was whether she had the trophy with her. "The third question is where is the Grammy — they don't let you [keep it], they don't give it. They take it back and then they mail it to you later with your name on it. As soon as they mail it to me, I will go live with it [and] we'll play with it, don't worry about that," she commented.

Soon after her win on the Awards night, the Grammy-winning artist also conversed with the Recording Academy on the sidelines of the red carpet. "I just felt like I was really nervous," the 37-year-old singer laughed. "This is a life-changing moment for me, so I don't believe any words came out of my mouth, really!" Talking about dreaming of winning a Grammy, Arooj shared how it is always an artist's dream to bag an award as big as this. "I think it's every musician's, at least romantically in the periphery of our minds that one day, maybe, this could also be a thing along with creating the music that we love to create."


Arooj went on to speak about her art and claimed that for her, music has always been that one thing that 'sews' you back together. "That has always been my vibe. I think I made music that translated to a lot of people, not just me and I am really, really proud of that," she added. "A lot of respect for those who came before us; our ancestors and our ancients, they live on cosmically and they continue to make music through us. I like to think about that when I am writing music."

She also shed light on how this year at the Grammys, a lot of women managed to make a mark. Arooj remarked, "It's really great! This is a new era for music, very exciting."

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2351536/love-and-respect-for-hafiz-hoshiyarpuri-arooj-aftab

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Pakistani-American singer and composer Arooj Aftab has done the unthinkable: she won a Grammy.

During our last conversation (pre-Grammy win), when asked what was presently on her mind, she answered without hesitation: “Grammys”. Nominated for two awards, Arooj did go onto win a Grammy in the category of Best Global Performance.

However, now that she has won in one out of the two categories and appeared on Coke Studio 14 prior to the win for a terrific collaborative sing ‘Mehram’ with Asfar Hussain, we are intrigued by what follows the victory.

Read more: Arooj Aftab explains what it feels like to win a Grammy Award

In a brief audio conversation, Aftab spoke about what the immediate future looks like. “Well, nothing really,” she said, “because we had signed to Universal label and we are already booked for this year.”

“I’m on tour right now; there’s a small stint of shows happening during all of April such as Iowa, Minnesota, Chicago. There’s Coachella [Valley Music and Arts Festival] on both weekends followed by a show in Los Angeles. There’s a little bit of a break and after that I am on tour…”

Among corners of the world, Aftab will take her music to the United Kingdom and Europe all summer. “September is getting filled up also so this is all stuff we have committed to from before…” said the singing sensation, “Once this is done, my team will try to angle for us to be the next level sort of artist since the award (Grammy) has been won. But more or less the same, I think.

“It is not a given that once you win a Grammy you can go around demanding stuff and that is definitely not our vibe. But I wouldn’t mind levelling up either. It’s definitely not something we are just not going to do. There’s a whole lot of touring and Coachella, which is this week actually so that’s next.”

She revealed there are some shows in Canada and she is really looking forward to them.

“There are some big, beautiful shows that I am looking forward to and hitting those audiences. They are mostly all sold out at this point and that’s super exciting.

“After the win, I have mostly sold out and gained 50,000 followers (on social media). I am sure they’re BTS fans but I’m not complaining. I love them all and I love all my new fans and there’s just a lot of love pouring in and it feels really good and just kind of basking it in and doing this touring, staying healthy and safe and trying to enjoy what has happened.”

GEO

 

[daytrader]

Arooj Aftab narrates Rumi at White House Eidul Fitr celebration
Brooklyn-based Grammy-winning Pakistani artist also shared a laugh with the US President, Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at a reception to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at the White House. Last year's White House Eid celebration was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. The said reception was also attended by Brooklyn-based Grammy winning Pakistani artist, Arooj Aftab.

Aftab also spoke at the event. On Monday afternoon, Aftab spoke alongside US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House celebration of Eidal Fitr.


During her speaking portion, the Grammy-winning performer, who was born in Pakistan, read The Promise by Rumi, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet. Posting the moment to Instagram, Aftab jokingly captioned, “I am the president now.”

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden congratulated Muslims worldwide on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramazan.

The first day of Eid falls on Monday for most Muslim-majority nations.

"As Muslims in the United States and around the world conclude the month of Ramazan and celebrate Eidul Fitr, Jill and I extend our warmest wishes to all who are celebrating this joyous occasion," said Biden in a statement.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2355260/arooj-aftab-narrates-rumi-at-white-house-eidul-fitr-celebration

 

[daytrader]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Biden earns a sunnat on EID by giving a thirsty me some water &#55357;&#56836; <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EidMubarak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EidMubarak</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteHouse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhiteHouse</a> <a href="https://t.co/ANoM2aoJ26">pic.twitter.com/ANoM2aoJ26</a></p>— arooj aftab (@arooj_aftab) <a href="https://twitter.com/arooj_aftab/status/1521297577676881924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[daytrader]

Two Pakistanis shortlisted for South Asia’s biggest art prize

Marium Agha and Ayessha Quraishi were finalised from 400 entries

Two Pakistani have made it to the final round of South Asia's biggest art prize, The 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. Ayessha Quraishi and Marium Agha were selected from over 400 entries. The finalists hail from 16 countries and regions across Asia-Pacific, of which Hong Kong has the strongest representation, followed by China, Iran, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The finalist, Marium Agha, 40, holds a BFA from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, an MFA from University of The Arts London, Central Saint Martins, London and completed a course in Curating Contemporary Art from Chelsea School of Art And Design, London (2009).

According to the outlet, Marium "by surveying the relentless nature of love for over a decade through images, theory, and the self, the artist finds a safe process in deconstructing elements of popular culture which no longer validate contemporary sensibilities." It further reads, "Agha’s deconstructed tapestries, drawings, and text serve to create newer, relevant narratives of the ‘given real’, that is, love, and the supposed representational: the concupiscence of the flesh."

Shedding light on her art, Marium shared, "Created using found tapestries from a Karachi flea market, Agha has deconstructed the fabric and altered the weave to create a new narrative. Each thread is then meticulously carved into the existing surface with an “ari” (embroidery needle)."

The second finalist, Ayessha, 52, works in a way natural to her since childhood, her process appearing like braille. Physically, she maintains constant contact with two materials: the surface and the paint. The outlet shared, "Quraishi’s hands perform two roles simultaneously, the right applying colour to the surface while the left removes it with a turpentine-soaked rag. This series of repeated hand gestures and motions results in a visceral language of sequential mark marking. The duality between form and formlessness, making and un-making, adding and subtracting, explores themes of memory, absence and presence, separation and union."

Detailing Ayessha's art, the statement further read, "The day could not pen what the night painted, encapsulates the artists’ belief that the day and night are strung through a continuum of breaths; we have no memory of sleep, sensory experience or recording. During sleep, we are not aware of sleeping and only upon waking do we realise we have slept. In the absence of a sensory register, the body finds rest. According to Quraishi, just as the day rests in the lap of night and its volumed emptiness, our perceptions, varnished by the light of consciousness, come to rest not in conclusions but imaginings of what life could be."

Of the finalists, 27 are new to The Prize this year.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2356956/two-pakistanis-shortlisted-for-south-asias-biggest-art-prize

 

[MenInG]

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[SalimBhai]

Just started listening to her . Not my taste but you can tell she is very talented. Good on her. Also a fellow New Yorker. Another plus

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I only know her for her Comfortably Numb cover which I heard back in 2000s. Didn't know she was still active.

 

[MenInG]

Arooj Aftab sparked a debate on social media after expressing her frustration over being labelled solely as a ‘Pakistani’ or ‘Urdu’ artist. Aftab, who bagged a Grammy for her song Mohabbat (Also rendered by Mehdi Hassan), questioned whether artists of colour will ever be able to escape generic categorisation based on their heritage and not their music.

On Saturday, Aftab, took to Twitter, saying “Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, Urdu singer Arooj Aftab, Arooj Aftab’s amazing Urdu singing… like, it’s fine I guess? But can a person of colour musician ever just get to be without this tag to whatever someone else is presuming is our root or heritage? Yes, can I make contemporary music in peace?”

Aftab's tweet drew a mixed response, reflecting a clash of perspectives on the issue. Some fans also empathised with her, acknowledging that regardless of her accomplishments, she would always be seen through the lens of her Pakistani heritage.

“Sister, you can spend your life trying to break the glass ceiling by abandoning your heritage/roots but in their eyes, you will never be anything but your heritage. so why not embrace it and achieve all you can and want to while carrying that tag?” wrote a user who encouraged her to embrace her roots, suggesting that the cultural tag could serve as a source of strength and motivation in her artistic journey.

Express Tribune

 

[SalimBhai]

Arooj Aftab sparked a debate on social media after expressing her frustration over being labelled solely as a ‘Pakistani’ or ‘Urdu’ artist. Aftab, who bagged a Grammy for her song Mohabbat (Also rendered by Mehdi Hassan), questioned whether artists of colour will ever be able to escape generic categorisation based on their heritage and not their music.

On Saturday, Aftab, took to Twitter, saying “Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, Urdu singer Arooj Aftab, Arooj Aftab’s amazing Urdu singing… like, it’s fine I guess? But can a person of colour musician ever just get to be without this tag to whatever someone else is presuming is our root or heritage? Yes, can I make contemporary music in peace?”

Aftab's tweet drew a mixed response, reflecting a clash of perspectives on the issue. Some fans also empathised with her, acknowledging that regardless of her accomplishments, she would always be seen through the lens of her Pakistani heritage.

“Sister, you can spend your life trying to break the glass ceiling by abandoning your heritage/roots but in their eyes, you will never be anything but your heritage. so why not embrace it and achieve all you can and want to while carrying that tag?” wrote a user who encouraged her to embrace her roots, suggesting that the cultural tag could serve as a source of strength and motivation in her artistic journey.

Express Tribune

Plenty of people of color who are super stars in the music industry.