A whiskey shot for everyone is much needed—just ask Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab.
The fires have subsided, the first rains have come, and everyone at the El Rey has swapped their work attire and doomscrolling for blue jeans and casual blazers for an after-work soirée.
The night started with bright lights flashing quickly before settling into a soft spotlight on LA-based artist Zsela, who was accompanied by guitarist Cole Berliner. They performed tracks from her upcoming 2024 project, “Big For You.”
After that intimate performance, I found myself next to an elderly man who was reading a book during the 30-minute intermission while the room filled with chatter, overpowering the smooth sounds of “I’ll Call U Back” by Erykah Badu.
The crowd was ready for some meditative moments when Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy Award, emerged on stage, bringing humor as she joked about the shady things we do at night, photo pit angels, and melodic moments.
“Tonight, you can meditate and feel connected with each other. It’s okay. It’s just us. We’re just a bunch of sad people. Make friends with each other; we’re the rare, emotionally mature group,” she said.
She mentioned that there would be songs from her old album, Vulture Prince, which are quite sad and depressing, as well as tracks from her new album, Night Reign, which are more upbeat.
“And at some point, someone should bring— I don’t know how many you are, 12000 whiskey shots,” she joked, leading the crowd to erupt in laughter. “Is this an all-ages event? Maybe just a few.”
“Spotify still sucks. You should buy vinyl, but we don’t have any,” she added humorously.
The rest of the night, the audience listened attentively, in-trance by the music and daydreaming into the stars with closed eyes with hands clasped or enjoying someone’s warm embrace. For a little under an hour, Aftab sang her heart out, from songs like “Diya Hai,” “Raat Ki Rani,” and “Whiskey,” and fan favorite, “Mohabbat,” we all immersed ourselves in the final show of her 2025 tour. The air of the room was filled with Urdu poetry, and Aftab filled the room with light as she took us on a journey of fluidity, neo-Sufi Music.
Arooj Aftab is an incredible vocalist bridging the gap between tradition and the modern world. Seeing a room full of people from multiple cultures enjoying music from another language was beautiful. If you are a jazz and world music fan, I highly recommend adding Arooj Aftab to your Sunday playlist. It is perfect for those easy listening moments where you need to decompress and/or sink into your sadness.
Photos & Words by Asha Moné
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