Arooj Aftab, a Pakistani singer based in Brooklyn, has put another feather in her cap with a performance at the highly regarded Coachella music festival.
She performed a show focusing on her beautiful Urdu poetry amid the California desert, making history as the first Pakistani to perform at the famous event.
The language barrier is no longer an issue for Aftab: “This is a door that has been opened.”
She acknowledges the Latinx community for making significant progress in this area, including Rosalia, Becky G, Karol G, J. Balvin, and Bad Bunny as influential.
Aftab claims that the openness has given her greater freedom in her compositions, allowing her to release music based on emotions without restriction.
She explained, “It’s personal music.” “It’s not a case of my country, my country,’ but rather global music. It’s all we experience and all the individuals we meet.” “Music has everything that makes my heart sing.”
With three studio albums under her credit, Aftab made history by being the first Pakistani solo vocalist to win a Grammy, in the Best Global Performance category, for her song “Mohabbat.”
She was also nominated for the prestigious Best New Artist award, which went to pop star Olivia Rodrigo, as predicted.
Aftab, on the other hand, is relishing the moment of recognition, reminiscing about her professional achievements as well as her two appearances at the prestigious Coachella festival.
She’s also excited to be performing in front of live audiences again, with Coachella returning after a three-year hiatus due to the epidemic.
The 2022 Coachella poster, which features performers from all over the world, is a reflection of music’s globalization and genre flexibility.