Arooj Aftab
Describing Arooj Aftab's music simply as "fusion" does it a disservice. The Pakistani singer, composer and producer has refined a sound that's defiant in its uniqueness, a blend of classic jazz and swing, Hindustani classical music, 20th century minimalism and folk that's found her success in the mainstream (she won a Grammy in 2022 for her modern interpretation of the Urdu ghazal 'Mohabbat') and in the underground. And since 2024, she's been performing her dark, experimental album 'Night Reign', an idiosyncratic amalgamation of Pakistani traditional music and bebop that features appearances from Shahzad Ismaily, Moor Mother and Terry Riley's son Gyan Riley.
