Arooj Aftab won her first Grammy on Sunday, taking home the prestigious award for her song “Mohabbat” in the category of Best Global Performance.
The Pakistani vocalist based in Brooklyn – who has been in New York for nearly 15 years – has been steadily gaining global attention for her work, which fuses ancient Sufi traditions with folk, jazz, and minimalism influences.
She’s also a contender for the coveted Best New Artist award, which will be presented during Sunday’s main Grammy telecast.
“I am overjoyed,” the artist told reporters backstage at the pre-gala ceremony, which presents the vast majority of awards. “It feels fantastic.”
“I’ve been nervous the entire day. And we’ve already made a good start.”
Aftab was born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents and spent her adolescent years in Lahore before enrolling in the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston to study music production and engineering.
She received widespread critical acclaim for her third studio album, “Vulture Prince,” and gained even more attention when former US President Barack Obama included the track “Mohabbat” on his summer favorites list for 2021.
Aftab has performed at a number of notable New York City venues, including Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art. In 2018, he opened for Mitski at The Brooklyn Steel.
In an interview with AFP in the days preceding the Grammys, Aftab lauded her fellow nominees for Best New Artist, which include Olivia Rodrigo and rappers Saweetie and The Kid Laroi.
“We’re all so chill — the group as a whole is a win,” she explained…
