The Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist has won the global prestigious award for singing song of "Mohabbat".
NEW YORK: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-April 4th, 2022) Arooj Aftab, a Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist, became the first Pakistani who won her first Grammy, a prestigious global award, for singing song of "Mohabbat" in the Best Global Performance category.
The vocalist who had lived in New York for some 15 years has now come to the limelight owing to her work that fuses ancient Sufi traditions with inflections of folk, Jazz and minimalism.
She's also up for the coveted Best New Artist prize, which would be presented during the main Grammy telecast later Sunday.
Aftab said, "I am beyond thrilled," adding that it felt great. She was talking to the reporters backstage at the pre-gala ceremony where vast majority of awards are handed out.
The artist said, "I've been very nervous all day. And we're off to a good start."
Arooj Aftab who was born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia spent her teenage years in Lahore before joining Boston's prestigious Berklee school of Music to study musical production and engineering.
The artist released her third studio album "Vulture Prince" to critical acclaim, and gained even more attention after former US president Barack Obama included the track "Mohabbat" on his 2021 summer favorites list.
Aftab has performed at a number of major New York venues including Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, also opening for Mitski at The Brooklyn Steel in 2018.
According to the reports, Aftab congratulated and praised her fellow artists over their nomination for the Best New Artist. Olivia Roddrigo along with rappers Saweetie and The Kid Laroi were also among the nominees.
"We feel so cool, it’s a great achievement, " said the singer.
