Arooj Aftab becomes first-ever Pakistani to win prestigious Grammy award 

Las Vegas: Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab on Sunday bagged her first Grammy award, winning a prestigious trophy for her song "Mohabbat" in the Best Global Performance category.  

The 37-year-old crooner has been steadily gaining global attention for her work that fuses ancient Sufi traditions with inflections of folk, jazz and minimalism. 

The artist told journalists backstage at the pre-gala ceremony, at which the vast majority of awards are handed out. “I am beyond thrilled, it feels great.”

“I’ve been very nervous all day. And we’re off to a good start.”

Born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia, Aftab spent her teenage years in Lahore before relocating to Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music to study music production and engineering.

She 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. 

The vocalist 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.