Event Brief
Declared “the coolest rock star in the world right now,” by UNCUT magazine, Arooj Aftab, released her fourth solo album, Night Reign (Verve), to universal acclaim, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Jazz Album, while the song “Raat Ki Rani” was tabbed for Best Global Music Performance.
The album expands on the musical universe Aftab has created over the years. Night Reign features an all-star cast of musicians (Cautious Clay, Vijay Iyer, Elvis Costello, James Franceis, Moor Mother, Joel Ross), united beneath the steady, brilliant hand of the queen of the night. As put by the Wall Street Journal, “[Night Reign’s] beauty is self-evident, and it stands on its own” which helps explain its inclusion across so many Best of 2024 album lists.
Night Reign’s predecessor, Vulture Prince, ushered Aftab into the cultural zeitgeist, including a place on President Barack Obama’s Summer 2021 playlist. Recognition for the record propelled her to a Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 2022 and a win for the song “Mohabbat.” The following year she collaborated with Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily on a “masterclass in space,” the improvisational Love in Exile (Verve 2023), also Grammy nominated and winner of a 2023 Edison Jazz award.
Aftab spent her adolescent years in Lahore, Pakistan, the birthplace of her music-loving parents. Her viral cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at age 18 aided in her passage to study jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston, while Brooklyn, New York would be her next and most fertile workshop for creation of her genre-defying music.
Over the last few years, she has delivered “rapturous performances” at major venues and international festivals including Primavera, Glastonbury, Coachella, Le Guess Who? (which she curated), and both Newport and Montreal Jazz. She has appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk, Later with Jools Holland, Brodie and Mahogany sessions. Aftab has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The Financial Times, The Quietus, and Time, to name a few. She is a 2023 United States Artists Fellow and recipient of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music.
Presented by Live Nation Middle East.
Event policies
- Age limit: 16 years +
- Duration: 90 min
Experience Jumeirah Zabeel Saray:
Discover an extravagant array of restaurants, lounges, and Bars at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray with exclusive savings of 20% as you immerse yourself in the tradition and splendor at the most opulent resort on the iconic Palm Jumeirah.
Benefits include:
- 20% savings on Food & Beverage at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.
Terms & Conditions:
- Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotions/offers
- Offers cannot be transferred or exchanged for cash
- Zabeel Theatre ticket needs to be presented to avail the offer on the same day of the show
- Advance booking is required and is subject to availability
- Jumeirah Zabeel Saray reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions without prior notice
How to get there
By car: Take Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), exit onto Al Safa Street, turn left onto King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, and find the theater within the hotel premises.
By taxi: You can also take a taxi to the hotel from anywhere in Dubai. It’s a popular destination, and most taxi drivers will be familiar with the location.
