Pakistani-born, NYC-based singer/composer Arooj Aftab blends jazz, Hindustani classical, folk, electronica and other influences into cloudlike poem-songs, often inspired by the ghazals (Arabic poetic form) of her homeland but delivered on her own terms. The minimalist frame in her compositions discards anything that’s unessential and invites the listener into an intimate listening space filled with earnest prayers, laments, and queries. She is often compared with the transcendent Abida Parveen, the Pakistani “Queen of Sufi Music.”

Released early this year, Arooj Aftab’s third album Vulture Prince has received accolades from TIME, The Guardian, Pitchfork, and even found its way onto Barack Obama’s Summer Playlist. The Vulture Prince Ensemble features Gyan Riley (Zakir Hussain, Terry Riley), Darian Donovan Thomas, and Josh Hari on upright bass. This performance is co-presented with our friends at Antenna Cloud Farm, a music festival in Gill, MA.