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Behind the South Asian folk and jazz blends that won a Grammy

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Asian America


BEHIND THE SOUTH ASIAN FOLK AND JAZZ BLENDS THAT WON A GRAMMY

Arooj Aftab’s poetic Grammy-winning song “Mohabbat” was recorded entirely in
Urdu. She’s the first Pakistani singer to win the award.

Arooj Aftab performs at the Brudenell Social Club with bassist Petros Klampanis
in Leeds, England, on Feb.7.Gary Calton / Guardian / eyevine
Link copied
April 5, 2022, 7:24 PM UTC
By Sakshi Venkatraman

The Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab dedicated her most recent album to spaces that
don’t exist anymore. Blending together traditional Sufi Muslim and Hidustani
classical sounds with folk, jazz and minimalism, many critics credit the artist
with pioneering a new genre, a merging of two worlds. 

“For me, Lahore has been this place that’s sort of time-encapsulated,” she said
in an interview with YouTube series Momina’s Mixed Plate. “I left when I was
like 19 or 20, and I haven’t really come back since then.”




Following a career that transcends continents and languages, Aftab, now 37,
became the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy. She took home the best global
performance award on Sunday for her song “Mohabbat,” part of her album “Vulture
Prince,” recorded entirely in Urdu. 

In her acceptance speech, she described “Mohabbat” as a record that “broke me
and put me back together.” 

“Mohabbat,” meaning love or affection in Hindi and Urdu, is a
nearly-eight-minute melody that uses folksy guitar sounds, South Asian flutes
and longing lyrics that make up ghazal, a traditional Arabic poetry form.
Whether it be a house demolished back home or a relationship cut short, she said
lost experiences have heavily inspired her work. 

The lyrics describe the pain of separation from a loved one, which Aftab says
she draws from the experience of losing her younger brother and another close
friend over a short time. 



“With relationships, you think that you’ll be friends with someone forever,” she
said to Momina’s Mixed Plate. “You don’t think your relationship with your
brother will be short-term.”

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Arooj Aftab accepts the Grammy for best global music performance for "Mohabbat"
in Las Vegas on Sunday. Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

In representing those feelings, she said English-language lyrics or poetry
couldn’t quite capture it. 

“I haven’t seen poetry in English that has clicked with me as yet as this old
Urdu poetry has done,” she said. 


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Born in Saudi Arabia to Pakistani parents, Aftab says the memories of her
childhood heavily informed her album. While growing up in Lahore, Pakistan, she
taught herself the guitar and promoted her songs to Pakistani audiences online. 



She moved to the U.S. to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, later
settling in New York City, where she has worked on editing tracks and scoring
films. 



“Vulture Prince” became her first solo success, bringing Aftab critical acclaim
and attention from the likes of former President Barack Obama, who included
“Mohabbat” on his 2021 summer playlist. Later this month, she will also become
the first Pakistani artist to perform at Coachella. 

Her success puts her in a small group of South Asian performers who have
achieved notoriety in the U.S. But in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in
December, she says she has no interest in those labels. 

“I’ve been part of this industry for so long that I don’t deserve to be
other-ized anymore,” she said. 

Sakshi Venkatraman

Sakshi Venkatraman is a reporter for NBC Asian America.



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