he phrase #futureisfemale is not something that should be thrown around without a concrete, compelling reason. It applies to the human condition. It also applies to music. In context of performing arts, there are two major reasons. One is a reflection on how South Asia is rising, with women leading from the front.

The second is a larger conversation about how women were seen – at least in Pakistan – primarily as vocalists and how that reality has shifted. This is a much larger essay. So, for now, cutting to the chase, one phenomenal example (that falls in both categories) is Arooj Aftab.

Having done the unthinkable – winning a Grammy as a Pakistani-American artist – she has continued her run by being nominated again and performing at the ceremony earlier this year.

Aftab followed it up by joining two accomplished artists for a record as well as touring. Apart from her, the supergroup included Shahzad Ismaily and Vijay Iyer. Their album, Love in Exile, in a nutshell, is an astonishing piece of music.

And, just when we thought that Arooj Aftab is heading into musical hibernation, the news arrived that she is producing iconic sitar player Anoushka Shankar’s mini-album. Though they collaborated on the single ‘Udhero Naa’, this is more than a single. And roles have changed.

This is not conjecture.

Recorded in Berlin, the mini-album contains four tracks. The first single from Chapter I: Forever, For Now called ‘Stolen Moments’ has been released. The single has unique powers: if you are open to entering a realm of music that not only feels divine, but awakens deeply personal sentiments, this is the song for you. With an ability to see the lacerations on your broken heart and go about putting it back together like a perfectly executed surgery, it is a strong, arresting start. Depending on the state in which you arrive at the song, a new impression will emerge each time.

With this effort, Aftab has, as a music producer, helped a great deal in dismissing the notion that women are one-dimensional art-ists. Nope, they can do more than sing. They can sing, write, compose, engineer, produce and play instruments and there are several right here in Pakistan in addition to Arooj Aftab.

From personally knowing Anoushka’s discography like the back of my hand, I have always loved watching her perform live, and have always been moved by the recordings where she’s just playing alone, uninterrupted by form or production. So, this is an instrumental storytelling album, where you’ll get to spend a lot of time with Anoushka Shankar in a way that you may not have before.

To that end, when we asked Aftab about this beautiful collaboration, the American-Pakistani artist who is taking our music and poetry to global audiences told Instep how it all fell into place. “I was ecstatic when Anou-shka asked me to produce her new material,” began Aftab.

“She’s a legendary artist who’s been producing innovative and beautiful music for decades. Being asked to join her in creating what’s next was incredibly thrilling.”

This recognition of each other’s talent – whether you’re a celebrated Pakistani-American artist (G.O.A.T.) or a British-Indian one (also G.O.A.T.) - and doing it without any malaise and only with purity of the purpose ahead is how South Asia has risen together.

Both Aftab and Shankar are playing a crucial role in that space.

Back to Arooj Aftab, she further told Instep: “I imagined Ano-ushka at the center of power! But she had an idea that was more of a lullaby. In general, her disposition was gentler and guiding. It ended up seeing her emerge at the center of this beautiful soundscape of strength and subtlety.

“I also wanted to be sure that we create a minimal ambience that was both composed, but it had to have a lot of space and needed to be giving and free. It needed to be felt without time, but not without pulse.

Anoushka picks up the sitar and tells us an unhurried story on each song, and we hear beautiful characters of the plot coming and going, like Nils Frahm on glass harmonica, or fluttering Magda Giannikou on accordion. Juxtaposing Gal Maestro’s flamenco bass timing sensibilities against Anoushka’s own classical sense of timing without making them actually meet in the middle, or one person following the other, resulted in a really stunning musical dialogue.

“From personally knowing Anoushka’s discography like the back of my hand, I have always loved watching her perform live, and have always been moved by the recordings where she’s just playing alone, uninterrupted by form or production. So, this is an instrumental storytelling album, where you’ll get to spend a lot of time with Anoushka in a way that you may not have before.”

As for Shankar, this mini-album is first in a trilogy that the iconic sitar player will write between tours.

– Arooj Aftab on producing Anoushka Shankar’s mini-album

Photo credit: Markus Werner