Arooj Aftab, born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, raised in Lahore, Pakistan, moved to the U.S. at age 19. She studied jazz at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and has lived in New York since 2010. Aftab has released several solo albums, including “Vulture Prince” (New Amsterdam Records 2021). In 2023, she released an album in trio with Vijay Iyer and Shazad Ismaily, titled “Love in Exile” (Verve). In 2021, Aftab was nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best New Artist and Best Global Music Performance categories. She became the first Pakistani to win, taking home the 2021 award for Best Global Music Performance for her song “Mohabbat”. In 2022, she was nominated again in the same category for her song “Udhero Na” featuring Anoushka Shankar.