Arooj Aftab’s life is in a bit of a whirlwind

Enlarge this image

Arooj Aftab Blythe Thomas/Courtest of the artist hide caption

toggle caption Blythe Thomas/Courtest of the artist

Arooj Aftab

Blythe Thomas/Courtest of the artist

Set List

• "Udhero Na"
• "Suroor"

When I spoke to Arooj Aftab, it was just over a week since she had won the Grammy for Best Global Performance for her beautiful, moving song "Mohabbat." That victory was a lot of "firsts." It was a new category, so she was the first artist to ever win it. It was her first Grammy. And she was the first Pakistani woman not only to win a Grammy — but to even be nominated for one! Her life, as you might imagine, was in a bit of a whirlwind. But she was able to take a moment between packing and catching flights to talk about the album that winning song came from — called Vulture Prince — and about her life. When Arooj was about 10 years old, her family moved to Lahore, Pakistan, from Saudi Arabia. You'll hear how music brought her to America coming up — but first, that Grammy-winning performance.

Episode Playlist

World Cafe: 6/1/22Original Article