Arooj Aftab

Arooj Aftab’s liminal sound floats between classical minimalism and new age, Sufi devotional poetry and electronic trance, jazz structures and states of pure being. NPR praised her single “Lullaby” as one of the “Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+”; the New York Times called her “Island No. 2” one of the “25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2018”; and—if that’s not enough—Barack Obama just added Aftab to his 2021 Summer Playlist.

On Vulture Prince, the composer’s remarkable voice, backed by a team of renowned musicians, transports listeners to worlds once known. “Vulture Prince is about revisiting places I’ve called mine, places that don’t necessarily exist anymore,” Aftab says. “It’s about people, friendships, relationships—some relationships that were unexpectedly short term, and how to deal with that.” While composing Vulture Prince, Aftab lost her younger brother, Maher, and she dedicates this album to his memory—a signal of her gradual emergence from loss and grief.

Aftab’s signature songwriting style has an uncanny ability to produce layer upon layer of instrumentation that somehow still feels light and uncluttered. Similarly, her vocal quality is both ethereal and heavy—like a cloud crossed with a boulder.

Read more

• Interview: “On ‘Vulture Prince,’ Arooj Aftab Finds New Meaning in Familiar Words,” NPR
• Feature: “The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+, NPR
• Feature: “The 25 Best Classical Music Tracks of 2018,” New York Times