Latest news with #AroojAftab
Calgary Herald
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Vancouver concerts: Chan Centre's new season includes Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding, Arooj Aftab, Natalia Lafourcade
Article content The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts has just announced its 2025/2026 season, the biggest in the Chan Centre 's 28-year history. The upcoming season will offer new diversified programming streams and a new membership model, as it showcases a mix of internationally acclaimed artists and emerging talent. Article content 'I'm thrilled to be returning to the Chan Centre as part of its upcoming new season!' said in a statement Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab who will be at the Chan on Oct. 25. 'Performing here is always unforgettable — Vancouver's vibrant energy, welcoming audience, and the venue's world-class acoustics make it a truly special experience.' Article content Article content Article content Featuring an expanded roster, the season includes a diverse range of music, conversation, and interdisciplinary performances, showcasing both internationally acclaimed headliners and emerging voices, fostering inclusivity and enhancing cultural relevance. Article content Article content 'We're thrilled to welcome an incredible lineup of performers who inspire, challenge, and bring people together, celebrating artistic excellence and global perspectives. This year's focus is on bringing unique, first-time performances to the city,' said Jarrett Martineau, head curator at the Chan Centre in a statement. 'I'm overjoyed to be making my debut at the Chan Centre in Vancouver as part of their 28th season,' said Fils-Aimé. 'This venue has long been on my dream list, and sharing this moment with my West Coast family in such a stunning space fills me with gratitude. I can't wait to connect through the music.' Article content Article content With an entertainment landscape that is always growing and shifting the ongoing challenge for live venues like the internationally acclaimed Chan Centre is getting people in the seats and keeping membership coming back year after year. The Chan hopes the new three-tired model will help to increase engagement and further foster a sense of community among members. Article content Article content
Vancouver Sun
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver concerts: Chan Centre's new season includes Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding, Arooj Aftab, Natalia Lafourcade
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts has just announced its 2025/2026 season, the biggest in the Chan Centre 's 28-year history. The upcoming season will offer new diversified programming streams and a new membership model, as it showcases a mix of internationally acclaimed artists and emerging talent. 'I'm thrilled to be returning to the Chan Centre as part of its upcoming new season!' said in a statement Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer Arooj Aftab who will be at the Chan on Oct. 25. 'Performing here is always unforgettable — Vancouver's vibrant energy, welcoming audience, and the venue's world-class acoustics make it a truly special experience.' Featuring an expanded roster, the season includes a diverse range of music, conversation, and interdisciplinary performances, showcasing both internationally acclaimed headliners and emerging voices, fostering inclusivity and enhancing cultural relevance. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We're thrilled to welcome an incredible lineup of performers who inspire, challenge, and bring people together, celebrating artistic excellence and global perspectives. This year's focus is on bringing unique, first-time performances to the city,' said Jarrett Martineau, head curator at the Chan Centre in a statement. One of those debut artists is two-time Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Montreal's Dominique Fils-Aimé. 'I'm overjoyed to be making my debut at the Chan Centre in Vancouver as part of their 28th season,' said Fils-Aimé. 'This venue has long been on my dream list, and sharing this moment with my West Coast family in such a stunning space fills me with gratitude. I can't wait to connect through the music.' With an entertainment landscape that is always growing and shifting the ongoing challenge for live venues like the internationally acclaimed Chan Centre is getting people in the seats and keeping membership coming back year after year. The Chan hopes the new three-tired model will help to increase engagement and further foster a sense of community among members. 'With our ever-expanding programming, this new membership model will be the best way for our patrons to take advantage of all we have to offer at the Chan Centre,' said Pat Carrabré, director of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in an email. 'Membership means getting closer to the Chan Centre, creating community with fellow arts enthusiasts who not only recognize the value of what the Chan Centre does, but the value of the arts in our lives.' Basic Membership: The basic tier is free for University of British Columbia's students and those under 30. A $50 introductory offer will be available until September. Members get 10% off up to two tickets per event, early ticket access, and 20% off at the Michelin-recommended Wildlight Kitchen + Bar, and free ticket exchanges. Membership Plus: New members can join for $100 until September, then $200. Benefits include 20% off up to two tickets per event, exclusive event promotions, 25% off concessions (excluding alcohol), lounge access, and invites to exclusive events. Premium Membership: At $1,000, membership perks include up to two complimentary premium tickets to any show of the season, an exclusive private tour of the Chan Centre, and lunch with a curator. Note: Current subscribers will be automatically upgraded to Membership Plus and can begin purchasing tickets on June 4, 2025. Basic Members can access tickets starting June 10, 2025, with general sales opening June 13, 2025. This season includes the following series: Esperanza Spalding Aug. 29 Grammy-winning American bassist, vocalist, and composer known for her unique mix of jazz, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, and funk influences. Natalia Lafourcade — The Cancionera Tour Sept. 27 Multiple Grammys and Latin Grammys award-winning Mexican singer, songwriter, and producer known for blending pop, rock, jazz, and traditional Latin folk music makes her Vancouver debut. Carminho Oct. 2 Blending Brazilian bossa nova and pop the Portuguese singer is recognized as a standout voice in contemporary and traditional fado, Arooj Aftab Oct. 25 Grammy-winning Pakistani-American singer, composer, and producer whose music blends jazz, folk, pop, and Urdu poetry into global soul soundscapes. Ray Chen Nov. 2 The Taiwanese-Australian violinist was a winner of the 2008 Yehudi Menuhin and 2009 Queen Elizabeth competitions and has performed with top orchestras worldwide. Tim Hecker and Fennesz Sept. 17 Hecker, a Canadian electronic musician, and Fennesz, an Austrian guitarist and composer, are renowned for their innovative ambient sounds. ganavya Nov. 18 A vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and scholar who weaves South Indian classical traditions, jazz, and contemporary music makes her debut in Vancouver. Dominique Fils-Aimé March 7, 2026 Inspired by Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, the two-time Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter from Montreal blends blues, jazz, and soul to explore African American history and social realities. An Evening with Louise Penny Oct. 29 Canadian author renowned for her award-winning mystery novels set in Quebec. This event will be an evening of conversation in celebration of her latest novel, The Black Wolf. Susan Aglukark and PIQSIQ April 12, 2026 Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark and throat-singing duo PIQSIQ join forces for a night of performances, blending Aglukark's mix of Inuit folk, country, and pop with PIQSIQ's modern twist on traditional throat singing. GOOD THINGS: An Evening with Samin Nosrat Oct. 16 An Iranian-American chef, author, and educator, renowned for her James Beard Award-winning cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, which was also a Netflix documentary series, comes to Vancouver for the first time. An Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi Feb. 25, 2026 Israeli-born British chef, bestselling author, and culinary innovator is known for vibrant, vegetable-focused, Middle Eastern-inspired creative cuisine. ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) Festival Sept. 20 and 21 Presented in partnership with Musqueam First Nation, this festival celebrates music, dance, storytelling, film, poetry and food and invites all to experience and support Indigenous voices and creativity. The artist roster is scheduled to be released in June.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Music Review: Cautious Clay's dreamy R&B-pop 'The Hours: Morning' is an exploration in time
Cautious Clay, the multi-instrumentalist whose dreamy R&B and indie-pop sound has earned him the attention of everyone from Arooj Aftab and John Mayer to Taylor Swift, embraces the passing of time on his latest EP, 'The Hours: Morning.' Across eight tracks each representing an hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., Clay documents the clarity, optimism and sometimes sinking reality of the start of each day through soulful, funk-pop beats. 'The Hours: Morning' follows Clay's 2023 biographical album 'Karpeh' (titled after his given name, Joshua Karpeh) and joins a discography that shows his instrumental and vocal prowess. Clay's moody, breakout track, 2017's 'Cold War,' was interpolated by Swift on 'London Boy' for her 2019 record 'Lover, ' shortly after it featured in a scene in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy 'Booksmart.' His 2021 song 'Wildfire' accumulated tens of millions of streams on its own before being covered by Rosé of the mega-popular K-pop girl group Blackpink. It's a simple idea, framing songs around eight morning hours, but the structure of 'The Hours: Morning' allows for complex sonic exploration. Clay tasked himself with producing a distinct sound for each, emulating a specific mentality associated with the hour. The smooth R&B opener 'Tokyo Lift (5 am)' embraces early morning limbo, in his case, the afterglow of late-night karaoke. Unburdened by the realities of the day — 'You're in denial / But I'm not talking 'bout a river,' Clay sings in a raspy, whispered tone — the mood is light, the production mellow and synth-heavy. A flute solo adds brightness to the final verse, like a bird's call meeting the morning sun. 'Traffic (7 am)' starts with a string of relationship reflections. 'Every morning felt like traffic / Brain full of static,' he begins, eventually arriving at a sensual chorus of overlapping vocals. 'It's like poetry,' Clay sings, 'I felt the hair on my skin / Raising when you crashed in / To me.' The song is capped by Clay's crisp saxophone. Bass guitar adds funk to 'Amber (11 am).' And by 'Smoke Break (12 pm),' the EP's closer, Clay's voice is more pronounced. The drumbeats behind them, quicker. Clay isn't restricted by his hourly concept. Each song is engaging enough to exist outside of its designated time block, free of its parenthetical label. But together, Clay creates a colorful world — a morning listeners will want to wake up early for.
Express Tribune
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Arooj Aftab reflects on Grammys outcome
Arooj Aftab took to Instagram to admit defeat at the Grammys in true sportsman spirit. "Well we didn't win, but we had a riot at the Grammys as we always do in style," she wrote. Arooj's album Night Reign, which was released in May 2024, earned her two Grammy nominations in the categories of Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Global Music Performance for track Raat Ki Rani. No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin by Meshell Ndegeocello won the former category, whereas the latter was awarded to Sheila E for Bemba Colorá. Championing respect for her fellow nominees and victors, Arooj wrote, "I am in absolute awe of all the nominees and a huge congrats to the giants [Meshell] and [Sheila]. "Thank you for streaming Night Reign, for talking about it in the news, for sharing it with friends, and for coming to the shows! [It] was very inspiring to see the LA music community, [the Recording Academy], and [MusiCares] stand together to rebuild all that was lost in the fires." Back in November, Arooj took to Instagram to share the news of her nominations. "OMG yes! This will be the fourth year in a row that the [Recording Academy] and industry peeps have celebrated my music with these nominations, and it feels so good. Also, I am nominated alongside literally everyone I love so thank you, thank you, thank you for the beautiful music, and keep spinning Night Reign. We are just getting started." The 2025 nominations were only a part of the singer's impressive journey. In 2022, she made history as the first Pakistani vocalist to score a Grammy for her track Mohabbat in the Best Global Performance category. "Thank you so much to everyone who helped me make this record, all of my incredible collaborators for following me and making this music that I made about everything that broke me and put me back together. Thank you for listening to it and making it yours," she spoke after receiving the award. But Grammy or not, Arooj has been making strides internationally for a while now. In December last year, she marked her debut on US television through her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she performed Raat Ki Rani. The feat transcended the limitations of language and was received as such by international users in the comments section of the YouTube upload.
