Press
Press
- NPR: Arooj Aftab named in Top 100 Composers under 40 April 17, 2011
by ALEX AMBROSE A few weeks ago, Q2 and NPR Music launched a crowdsourced project to determine listeners' favorite composers under the age of 40 — and, by extension, those pieces which were shaping our contemporary musical scene and defining what it means to be a composer in the 21st century.
- EGO Magazine: Timeless Music for The Now Generation April 4, 2011
By SONIA MANSOOR There was definitely a sense of suspension of linear time during the intimate Nowruz musical celebration at Zora’s Art Space by Arooj Aftab. What greater tribute can one offer Sufi music?
- Daily Times: Arooj Aftab Making Waves March 6, 2011
Check out this Daily Times Interview with Arooj Aftab.
- CHUP! : The Musical Reverberation of Arooj Aftab December 22, 2010
Lahore-born and raised Arooj Aftab is an emerging musician whose music is influenced by an array of artists – from traditional Pakistani singers to contemporary sounds from the likes of Erykah Badu. A self-taught guitarist, Arooj was one of four recipients of Berklee Music’s first merit-based scholarship, allowing this innovative musician to receive a formal music education at the acclaimed college.
- MTV Desi: Bands We Like, The Classical Crooning of Arooj Aftab November 23, 2010
Few young Desi musicians are as true to tradition as Arooj Aftab, a classically trained singer from Pakistan by way of Boston. Her soft voice and controlled vibrato add dimensions of depth to a single note.
- Berklee: Preparing For The Next Step June 5, 2010
Born and raised in Pakistan, Arooj Aftab was an entirely self-taught guitarist in a culture where opportunities for music study—especially for women—are severely limited
- Masti Korner: Girls of The Pakistani Pop Industry Who Truly Rock January 15, 2010
Arooj Aftab is a true internet sensation. Her songs are often viewed on youtube and on her website. Arooj’s music is a breath of fresh air and hopefully she will come to Pakistan very soon and release an album here!
- The News International: "Mera Pyar" - Arooj Aftab & Mizraable May 13, 2007
Composed first by guitar prodigy Aamir Zaki in 1995, this track has been covered many times. Arooj Aftab's version of 'Mera Pyar' is a must listen, primarily because of her voice.
- The Daily Free Press: Berklee Concert Raises Money to Bridge Opportunity Gaps October 10, 2006
More than 100 musicians from various music genres pooled their talents to raise money for the Berklee City Music Outreach Program at the 12th Annual Encore Gala at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on Saturday, an exclusive event with tickets costing $4,000 to $10,000 for a table of 10.
- The News International: Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister August 8, 2006
A prominent monthly magazine two years ago published a pull out poster with the who's who of the Pakistani music industry. One of the striking features of the poster was that amidst an odd 50 musicians, only one was female i.e. Hadiqa Kiyani.
- The Herald: So you wanna be a rocker? January 5, 2006
For an aspiring musician, the traditional approach is still the surest road to fame and success.
- Big Picture Big Sound: Arooj Aftab - A Female Singer/Songwriter to Watch June 10, 2005
Sometimes you stumble across something on the Web that is just too good not to share. Arooj Aftab is a twenty year old woman from Pakistan who taught herself how to play guitar instead of becoming a good little accountant like her parents wanted.
- The Boston Globe: With Her Guitar She Crosses Boundaries January 16, 2005
Two years ago Arooj Aftab was a middle-class Pakistani teenager living her life according to plan: She was working studiously under the watchful gaze of her parents to finish a two-year advanced-level degree in math and economics, and planning a sensible career in accounting.
- The Saturday Post: Rendezvous with Arooj Aftab January 1, 2005
Formally studying music at Berklee College, MA, Arooj is a talented artist with ambitious plans to bring formal music education to Pakistan - in addition to producing her own albums along the way. The inspiring twist to Arooj's story isn't just that she's a Pakistani woman who has decided to make music a career, but that she has lofty plans of educating more Pakistanis, in a formal way, about music.
- All About Jazz: Berklee College of Music Announces First Ever Recepients of Music Scholarship October 26, 2004
Boston, Mass., October 26, 2004 Berkleemusic.com, the online extension school of Berklee College of Music, today announced the recipients of the world's first-ever online music scholarship program. After reviewing applications and demos from talented musicians worldwide, five gifted musicians and future music industry leaders were selected that exhibited significant promise, achievement, and inspired life stories.