Stanford Live’s first Bing Concert Hall performance of 2025 will feature Grammy® Award-winning Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab. Arooj is known for blending sufi with jazz, classical, minimalist, and indie musical styles. Her work is deeply influenced by her South Asian roots, seamlessly merging traditional Pakistani music with modern, experimental soundscapes, earning her a position at the vanguard of creative music. Arooj Aftab's music defies traditional genres and cultural boundaries, crafting a sound that deeply resonates with listeners worldwide whom she refers to as “global soul”.
[My music is] displacement, reinvention, exile, chaos, feminism and the maddening fabric of love and loss and tragedy in the world.
Arooj Aftab's 2021 album Vulture Prince was a major breakthrough, receiving widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth and genre-defying musicality. The album features reimagined ghazals (a form of Arabic poetry) and original songs that explore themes of love and nostalgia. Her song “Mohabbat” was included in former U.S. President Barack Obama's 2021 summer playlist.
In 2022, Arooj Aftab made history as the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy® Award, receiving the award for Best Global Music Performance with her song “Mohabbat.” She has also won the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music, an award for immigrant musicians, composers, and performers.
Night Reign (2024), unfolds as a meditative reverie, capturing the stillness and introspection of late-night hours. Tracks like “Aey Nehin” and “Raat Ki Rani” showcase her poetic sensibilities that guide listeners through an intimate, nocturnal journey. Her voice grows richer and more nuanced with time. In her reimagining of “Autumn Leaves,” Arooj infuses the classic with renewed vitality, layering it with dreamlike qualities.
Patrons that purchase two or more tickets to the featured artist’s Stanford Live performance will be entered in a raffle to win an autographed copy of the artist's latest album. Raffle winners will be announced at the performance.