The Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist, Arooj Aftab, on Sunday scored her first Grammy, winning a prestigious trophy for her song “Mohabbat” in the Best Global Performance category. I feel so happy for Urooj for making Pakistan proud. This is an incredible win for the people of Pakistan. Soon after her win, messages on Twitter started pouring in from all corners of the world. As we all know, Pakistan has a very strong musical heritage, whether we talk about Noor Jehaan, Ghulam Ali, Mehndi Hasaan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Perveen or Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or Atif Aslam.  

Pakistan is one of the most gifted places where art, culture, drama and music have always been at the top. When the other nations were struggling to establish themselves in the field of art and culture, Pakistani drama and songs were entertaining the entire world and people were in awe of Pakistani songs and drama. Arooj’s Grammy award is a testament to that legacy which has a long history. The award will pave the way for other musicians to feel proud of their heritage. I congratulate Arooj for carrying a legacy of Pakistani music at the global stage. I wish her best of luck for the future and hope she gets many more such laurels for her country.

Rashid Ajmal,
By email