"Universal themes that transcend geography and religion," Karel Veselý describes the work of the Pakistani composer Arooj Aftab, who settled in Brooklyn. Last year, the special artist released the magical album Vulture Prince, which, in addition to commendable reviews on Pitchfork or The Guardian, also earned her a nomination in one of the main Grammy Award categories - Best New Artist, as well as in the genre section Best Global Music Performance.

Arooj Aftab draws inspiration from traditional Pakistani music, which she combines with various genres from jazz to samba to minimalism. The emotional tension of her work is underlined by the expressive vocal expression in which the musician returns to Sufi poetry and the mystical poet from the 13th century to Rumi.

On the new album Vulture Prince (New Amsterdam Records), her proven meditative approach and feeling met with the need to cope with the sudden death of a loved one. The album thus received darker contours during its creation, but the ability to accept its own grief and mediate this process to the listeners opened up a new intimate plane of Aftabina’s work.

“The Vulture Prince mourns the people she loved and lost, but also the dream future in which love (for God, for God, but for all of humanity) would prevail over the divisive politics and resistance that tears apart her homeland and the countries that they became her home. ” evaluates the album server Pitchfork, which gave her the award Best New Music.

A world-renowned artist who mesmerized Le Guess Who? visitors and whose confession will be heard at Primavera, will be heard in the main hall of the Archa Theatre. 

https://aroojaftab.bandcamp.com/album/vulture-prince

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