Arooj Aftab wins her first Grammy

KARACHI: If you are a Pakistani music fan and find yourself lost after Coke Studio season 14 ended then we have the perfect suggestion for you. You should probably check out Grammy Award winner Arooj Aftab. The Pakistani composer was nominated in two categories at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Global Music Performance and Best New Artist. Bringing immense pride to the nation and specially women musicians of our country, Aftab bagged a Grammy for Best Global Music Performance.

Aftab’s song ‘Mohabbat’ which is featured on her third album Vulture Prince was a commercial success. It featured on Barack Obama’s summer playlist and has now won her a Grammy. Arooj Aftab is the first Pakistani woman to be nominated for two Grammy Awards and to have won one. The Brooklyn based Pakistani composer was up against the likes of Femi Kuti (“Pà Pá Pà”), Wizkid and Tems (“Essence”), Angélique Kidjo and Burna Boy (“Do Yourself”) and Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo (“Blewu”).

“I think I’m gonna faint. Wow thank you so much. I feel like this category in and of itself has been so insane,” Aftab expressed her disbelief in her acceptance speech and went on to thank all those people who helped her and all those people who listened to her music, Thank you so much to everyone who helped me make this record, all my incredible collaborators, for following me and making this music I made about everything that broke me and put me back together. Thank you for listening to it and making it yours.”

If there is one thing that is for sure, this is only the start of all the great things Arooj Aftab has yet to achieve with her music!