Arooj Aftab
b. 1985
Pakistani
Summary
Arooj Aftab is a Pakistani singer, composer, and producer. Aftab was born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia before they returned to Pakistan. She moved to the United States in 2005 and earned a degree in music production and engineering at Boston's Berklee College of Music. After moving to New York she edited and scored films, and joined the city's jazz and new music worlds.
In 2011, NPR noted Aftab in its list of "100 Composers Under 40." She was awarded an Emmy in 2018. That same year, The New York Times included her song "Island No. 2" in its "25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2018" list and her "Lullaby" was ranked number 150 on NPR's "200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women."
"Mohabbat," from her 2021 album Vulture Prince, was recognized as one of the best songs of 2021 by Time and The New York Times. Aftab won a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance award for "Mohabbat" at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in April 2022, the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy.