Ali Aziz Sethi (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Sethi rose to prominence with his debut novel, '' The Wish Maker'' (2009). In 2012, Sethi began focusing on his musical career and made his film debut as a singer in

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spher ...

's 2012 film, ''

The Reluctant Fundamentalist ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' is a "metafictional"Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. “Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: ‘An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and ‘Fiction’ in the Making.” Arab Stu ...

,'' with the song "Dil Jalane Ki Baat Karte Ho." In recent years, Sethi has released numerous cover singles and has appeared on several seasons of ''

Coke Studio Pakistan ''Coke Studio'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television programme and international music franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Paki ...

''. Sethi began releasing original music in 2019 and has collaborated with Grammy-winning producer

Noah Georgeson Noah Georgeson is an American musician, producer, engineer, mixer and solo recording artist. Georgeson's debut album '' Find Shelter'' was released through Plain Recordings on November 28, 2006. Early life and education Born in San Anselmo, ...

. His most recent single for ''Coke Studio'' – " Pasoori" (2022) – became the first Pakistani song to feature on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

's "Viral 50 - Global" chart, eventually climbing to the top of the chart in May 2022. With 436 million views on YouTube as of November 11, 2022, "Pasoori" is currently the most watched ''Coke Studio'' music video of all time. Sethi is noted for his ability to blend

Hindustani classical Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

ragas A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a ...

with contemporary Western arrangements and his flair for lending new-age contours to older melodies. He is also known for combining his live musical performances with historical narrative, cultural context, and critical commentary. In September 2022, Sethi was included in ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' magazine's ''Time'' 100 Next list and was recognized for his ability to use ancient classical '' ragas'' "to challenge and expand notions of gender, sexuality, and belonging."

Early life and background

Ali Sethi was born on July 2, 1984, in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. He is the son of award-winning journalists and publishers

Najam Sethi Najam Aziz Sethi (Urdu, pa, ; born 20 May 1948) is a Pakistani journalist, businessman and cricket administrator, currently serving as the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He also is the founder of ''The Friday Times'' and ''Vangua ...

and

Jugnu Mohsin Syeda Maimanat Mohsin (born 1959), commonly known as Jugnu Mohsin, is a Pakistani politician and journalist. She was an independent member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab until 31 March 2022 and then joined PML(N) on 1 April 2022. Previo ...

, both of whom are also politicians. Sethi is the brother of actor and author

Mira Sethi Mira Sethi (born January 12, 1987) is a Pakistani actress and writer. The daughter of journalists Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, she attended Lahore Grammar School and Cheltenham Ladies' College then graduated from Wellesley College in 2010; she ...

and nephew to British-Pakistani writer

Moni Mohsin Moni Mohsin (born 1963) is a British-Pakistani writer based in London, United Kingdom. She wrote a long running satirical column ' The Diary of a Social Butterfly' for The Friday Times and a book with the same name. Early life and career Mohsin ...

. In May 1999, police broke into his family home and arrested his father Najam Sethi for allegedly making a "treasonous speech" in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Sethi, then 15 years old, campaigned with his mother for his father's release. Najam Sethi was later acquitted by the

Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate a ...

and awarded Amnesty International's Journalist of the Year Award.

Education

Sethi attended the International School of Choueifat and Aitchison College in

and describes himself as an above average student, particularly interested in art, drawing, music, and poetry. Sethi attended

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

from 2002 to 2006, initially planning to major in economics. After taking a class on Islamic culture in contemporary societies with Ali S. Asani, Sethi became interested in the intersections of theology, politics, linguistics, and culture and eventually changed his major to

South Asian Studies Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...

. While at Harvard, Sethi took creative writing classes with

Zadie Smith Zadie Smith FRSL (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She has been a tenured professor ...

and

Amitav Ghosh Amitav Ghosh (born 11 July 1956)Ghosh, Amitav
, ''

, in addition to classes on colonial and post-colonial art, and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, and

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

poetry. Sethi also performed every year for ''Ghungroo,'' Harvard's largest student-run production focusing on the South Asian diaspora, in addition to serving on the features board of ''

The Harvard Advocate ''The Harvard Advocate'', the art and literary magazine of Harvard College, is the oldest continuously published college art and literary magazine in the United States. The magazine (published then in newspaper format) was founded by Charles S. ...

''. Sethi wrote his undergraduate thesis on Anarkali, wanting to explore the "articulation of Muslim identity around women."

Writing career

In 2009, Sethi published his debut novel '' The Wish Maker'' which revolved around Pakistani identity and "the political history of Pakistan with three generations of characters who live in a middle-class, liberal enclave of Lahore." Sethi recalls writing the first draft of the novel in 2006 during his senior year at Harvard, a second draft while living in New York City, and the final draft in Lahore, Pakistan. He has mentioned that his goal with the novel was "to document and archive a phase in Pakistan’s history that had been extremely turbulent and had had far-reaching consequences." The novel was published by Riverhead Hardcover and later

Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

Top Ten Summer Books. ''The Wish Maker'' has been translated into Italian, Dutch, German, Hindi, Chinese, and Turkish. In its review of the novel, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called it "a first-rate novel", stating that "Sethi's prose evokes the comic mislocutions of

Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer (; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels ''Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), ''Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (2005), ''Here I Am (novel), Here I Am'' (2016), and for his non-fict ...

and the vertiginous mania of

." ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' stated, "Mr. Sethi is especially alive to the emotional contours of young love, its modes of courtship, its methods of subterfuge...Mr. Sethi's prose, always lucid, often soars to illuminate the quotidian." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' praised Sethi's "sharp handling" of material and "memorably drawn" characters. ''The Wish Maker'' was long-listed for the 2011

DSC Prize for South Asian Literature The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is an international literary prize awarded annually to writers of any ethnicity or nationality writing about South AsiaNote: South Asia for the purposes of the prize is defined as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka ...

, ultimately losing to H. M. Naqvi's, ''Home Boy''. It was also shortlisted for 2010 Shakti Bhatt First Book Award. Sethi has written essays and articles for ''

'', ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', ''

The New York Review of Books ''The New York Review of Books'' (or ''NYREV'' or ''NYRB'') is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of i ...

'', and ''

The Caravan ''The Caravan'' is an Indian English-language, long-form narrative journalism magazine covering politics and culture. History In 1940, Vishwa Nath launched ''Caravan'' as the first magazine from the Delhi Press; it went on to establish it ...

''. In his writings, Sethi advocates for an inclusive and syncretic Pakistan that accommodates the rights of marginal groups. He has received praise for his profiles of the writer

Saadat Hasan Manto Saadat Hasan Manto (; Punjabi, ur, , ; 11 May 1912 – 18 January 1955) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, who was active in British India and later, after the 1947 partition of India, in Pakistan. Writing mai ...

and the '' ghazal'' singer

Farida Khanum Farida Khanum (Urdu: ) is a Pakistani classical singer from the city of Kolkata West Bengal. She is also known by her honorific title ''Malika-e-Ghazal'' (The Queen of Ghazal) in both Pakistan and India. Early life She was born in the fall of ...

. On two occasions, the Pakistani newspaper ''The'' ''Express Tribune'' censored his articles, deeming them too sensitive to be published in Pakistan. Sethi lists

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

Daagh Dehlvi Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi ( ur, , 25 May 1831 – 17 March 1905) was a poet known for his Urdu '' ghazals''. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz Faiz Ahmad ''Faiz'' (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984; Urdu, Punjabi: فیض احمد فیض) was a Pakistani poet, and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated Pakistani Urdu writers of his time. Out ...

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

V. S. Naipaul Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (; 17 August 1932 – 11 August 2018) was a Trinidadian-born British writer of works of fiction and nonfiction in English. He is known for his comic early novels set in Trinidad, his bleaker novels of alienati ...

Alan Hollinghurst Alan James Hollinghurst (born 26 May 1954) is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award, the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the 2004 Booker Prize. Early life and education H ...

, and

Arundhati Roy Suzanna Arundhati Roy (born 24 November 1961) is an Indian author best known for her novel ''The God of Small Things'' (1997), which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. S ...

as his favorite authors and literary influences.

Musical career

Musical training and influences

Sethi recalls his mother signing him up for music lessons with a tutor at the age of eight, but notes that he had no interest in them: "I would prance about the room and constantly urge him to drink more ''chai''..." He recollects that his earliest memories pertaining to music are that of listening to

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...

's Punjabi songs on radio-cassette players and melancholic national songs that played on PTV. Sethi credits his mother for introducing him to traditional South Asian music at a young age and for helping him develop his singing talent: "My mother would make me sing complex songs and verses. She'd pay attention to me and that activated me." Sethi recalls that he initially started singing qawwali and ghazals mostly to impress his parents' friends. In another interview, he recollects that "there was always music being played at home. My mother always played

Iqbal Bano Iqbal Bano ( ur, ; born 1928 in Delhi – died 21 April 2009 in Lahore) was a ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was known for her semi-classical Urdu ghazal songs and classical thumris, but also sang easy-listening numbers in the 1950s films. Iq ...

, Mehdi Hassan's songs at home. Even while travelling in a car, there was light-classical music being played." In an interview, he similarly narrated: "We grew up listening to ''

qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

'' and to '' ghazal'', to folk music from Punjab and the Saraiki belt, to Pandit

Bhimsen Joshi Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi BR (; ; 4 February 1922 – 24 January 2011), also known by the honorific prefix Pandit, was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition. He is known for the '' khay ...

, '' bhajan'' singers – it was all part of one musical landscape." Sethi has asserted that growing up surrounded by the uniquely diverse music environment in Lahore in the late 1990s and early 2000s also shaped his musical tastes: "There was music of the Sufi shrines in the city, a very vernacular form of music...there was Bollywood music coming in, and there was the

azaan Adhan ( ar, أَذَان ; also variously transliterated as athan, adhane (in French), azan/azaan (in South Asia), adzan (in Southeast Asia), and ezan (in Turkish), among other languages) is the Islamic call to public prayer (salah) in a mosq ...

...which you would hear five times a day. But at the same time there were cassettes and CDs, random bits of Western pop music, that would flood the bazaars." Sethi has mentioned that songs composed by

R. D. Burman Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 4 January 1994) was an Indian music director who is considered one of the most influential composers of India. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Burman composed musical scores for 331 films. Burman did major work w ...

and written by

Gulzar Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...

influenced him greatly during his teenage years, claiming: "If you think about it, it is unusual as I am a child of the 90s, and not the 70s. But there was something sublime about that musical combine. Gulzar’s words were suggestive, abstract and playful, and RD's tunes were wayward, epic and phantasmagorical." Sethi lists

Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bha ...

as one of his favorite composers for his musical sensibility and has stated that he admires

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen ( Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned ...

. Sethi formally apprenticed himself to Ustad Naseeruddin Saami of the

Delhi gharana The Delhi or Dilli Gharana, is a tabla discipleship tradition known for being the oldest. This tradition was founded by Sidhar Khan Dhadi in the early-18th Century. The tradition is regarded for establishing a distinction from pakhawaj repertoi ...

in 2008 and to '' ghazal'' and classical singer

in 2012. Sethi has stated that from Saami, he learned "the melody patterns of '' raga'', and how Vedic chants and Turkic and Persian melodies were fused by guilds in medieval India" and that "before the encounter with the West, South Asia had its own microtones and its own notations and its own multicultural sense of what a musical scale is. It was much more flexible than what the West imposes."

2012–2017: Early career and work in Coke Studio

In 2012, Sethi recorded "Dil Jalannay Ki Baat Karte Ho," which was featured in

's political-thriller, ''

.'' The song brought Sethi international recognition as a singer and was named the "highlight of the album" by ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

''. In 2015, Sethi made his singing debut on Coke Studio Season 8 with the song "Umran Langiyaan," a folk song originally sung by

Asad Amanat Ali Khan Asad Amanat Ali Khan ( ur, ; ; 25 September 1955 – 8 April 2007) was a Pakistani classical vocalist and ''ghazal'' singer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. In a career spanning 32 years, Khan sang over 1,000 songs for P ...

. With his rendition of "Umran Langiyaan," Sethi was said to have "cemented his place as an interpreter of classics." Sethi received praise for "expertly channel ngsome of the soaring high-register scatting that made Asad Amanat’s performances so amazing." Indian classical singer Shubha Mudgal lauded Sethi for his "delicacy of expression" and "ease and familiarity with Punjabi and the Saraiki dialect." Sethi went on to perform on the next five seasons of

. His most notable songs from the series are "Aaqa" with

, "Tinak Dhin" with

Ali Hamza H, or h, is the eighth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''aitch'' (pronounced , plural ''aitches''), or region ...

and Waqar Ahsin, " Ranjish Hi Sahi," "Gulon Main Rang," and most recently " Pasoori." Sethi sang the well-known '' ghazal'' ''Ranjish Hi Sahi'' as a tribute to its original singer, the legendary Mehdi Hassan. However, he asserted that his objective with the song was not to sing about lost love (as the original does) but to express hope for a more united Pakistan, stating: "The song is about the anguish and ecstasy of loss...and as the nation celebrates its 70th anniversary, we need to come together despite our differences." Sethi received praise for his emotive and melancholy vocal expression in "Ranjish Hi Sahi" and for adding his own personal touch to the classic ''ghazal''. Sethi stated that singing ''Aaqa'' with Abida Parveen was challenging but life-changing for him: "Her octave starts four-five notes higher than mine...I struggled because I had to sing at her pitch, and then I had to sing the high parts. It was a really acrobatic challenge for me to go there. But it worked somehow and I’m so glad it did. For me it was a great opportunity and it changed my life in many ways." In February 2015, Sethi released his first music video for the single "Kithay Nain Na Jori" at the

Karachi Literature Festival Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) is an annual international literary festival held in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the first festival of its kind in Pakistan. It is one of the world's youngest and fastest growing literary festivals. Till 2019, ten ...

. The video featured Sethi and starred

Sania Saeed Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host. Works mainly in television and theatre, Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including two PTV Awards, three Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards. She first ...

Adnan Siddiqui Adnan Siddiqui ( ur, ) (born 23 October 1969) is a Pakistani actor, producer and model who has worked in Lollywood and Hollywood and also made his debut in Bollywood with the Hindi film '' Mom'' (2017). He also has his own production house, '' ...

, and

and the song was meant as a tribute to Pakistani

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

Reshma Reshma ( ur, ; c.1947 – 3 November 2013), was a Pakistani folk singer. Awarded with Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Distinction), the third highest honour and civilian award in Pakistan among other honours, she is remembered for folk songs and h ...

. On February 5, 2016, Sethi released his original single "Mahi Mera" featuring farmer-turned-folk singer Jamaldin, which was critically well received. The video was directed by Umar Riaz and was shot entirely in Jamaldin's and Sethi's ancestral villages, Hussaingarh and Shergarh respectively. In 2017, Sethi featured in the track "Aaja" with

Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the short ...

and

Heems Himanshu Kumar Suri (born July 6, 1985), better known by his stage name Heems, is an American rapper from Queens in New York City. Best known for being part of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist, Suri is also the founder of Greedhead Musi ...

and Redinho of the Swet Shop Boys as a tribute to

Qandeel Baloch Fouzia Azeem ( ur, ; 1 March 1990 – 15 July 2016), known by her stage name Qandeel Baloch ( ur, ), was a Pakistani model, actress, social media celebrity and activist. She was the country's first social media celebrity. Azeem rose to promi ...

. That year, Sethi also collaborated with Pakistani-American artist

Shahzia Sikander Shahzia Sikander (born 1969, in Lahore, Pakistan) is a Pakistani-American visual artist. Sikander works across a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, printmaking, animation, installation, performance and video. Sikander currently lives ...

and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer

Du Yun Du Yun (traditional Chinese: 杜韻, simplified Chinese: 杜韵) is a Chinese-born American composer, performer, vocalist and performance artist. She won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her opera ''Angel's Bone'', with libretto by Royce ...

on ''Disruption as Rapture'', a multimedia work housed in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The same year, Sethi sang the song "Chan Kithan," a reinterpretation of a Punjabi folk song. Sethi also co-produced and co-directed the music video for the song. The musical arrangement combines a traditional folk ditty from rural Punjab with electronica and indie-rock to create what Sethi described as "Punjabi Gothic music." The music video is based on a retelling of the Cinderella story which takes place in contemporary Pakistan. The song received praise for combining "the ethos of Saraiki language with urban longing" and for fusing various styles and techniques of arrangement. In December 2017, Sethi collaborated with American

dhol Dhol (IPA: ) can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations, throughout the Indian subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes nort ...

player Sunny Jain on a project called ''Resident Alien'' and performed renditions of seven folk songs in

Joe's Pub Joe's Pub, one of the six performance spaces within The Public Theater, is a music venue and restaurant that hosts live performances across genres and arts, ranging from cabaret to modern dance to world music. It is located at 425 Lafayette St ...

in New York.

2018–2019: Original music and collaboration with Noah Georgeson

Sethi recorded a romantic ballad "Yunhi Rastay Mai" for the 2018 film ''

Saat Din Mohabbat In 7 Din Mohabbat In () is a 2018 Pakistani romantic comedy film with fantasy elements. It was directed by Meenu– Farjad under Matteela Films. Written by Fasih Bari Khan, the film features Mahira Khan and Sheheryar Munawar in lead roles and also ...

''. Sethi collaborated with Red Baraat on the song "Kala Mukhra" (a reworking of the traditional "Gora Mukhra"). On June 28, 2018, Sethi released "Waasta" (co-written by Sethi, featuring rapper Faris Shafi), and renditions of "Dil Karda Ay" and "Agar Tum Mil Jao" for season three of music series ''Cornetto Pop Rock'' with

Quratulain Balouch Quratulain Balouch ( ur, ) is a Pakistani American singer-songwriter. Also known as QB or the Humsafar Girl, she became popular for her title track " Woh Humsafar Tha" in Hum TV's serial '' Humsafar''. Career Balouch has no formal music edu ...

. Initially known for his renditions of folk songs and classical ''ghazals'', Sethi began releasing original music in 2019. Sethi announced that he would be collaborating on a new project with American music producer

. Sethi said, "I've admired Noah's work for years, and I'm thrilled to be working with him." Georgeson responded by saying, "Beyond my excitement in working with Ali, and his transcendent talent and voice, I'm looking forward to applying my approach to an unfamiliar tradition of music." Sethi and Georgeson released five songs together: "Chandni Raat," "Dil Ki Khair," "Khabar-e-Tahayyur-e-Ishq," "Ishq," and "Dil Lagaayein." In May 2019, both artists gave a headlining performance together at

Sanders Theater Memorial Hall, immediately north of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an imposing High Victorian Gothic building honoring Harvard men's sacrifices in defense of the Union during the American Civil War"a symbol of Boston's commitment ...

for Harvard University's Arts First festival. In 2019, Sethi's song "Umraan Langiyaan" from Coke Studio Season 8 was featured on HBO's documentary film ''

The Case Against Adnan Syed ''The Case Against Adnan Syed'' is a 2019 true-crime docuseries about Adnan Syed's (later vacated) murder conviction for the killing of Hae Min Lee. It was directed by Amy J. Berg and produced by Working Title Television, among others. The firs ...

''. The same year, Sethi performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall for

and Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar's orchestral multimedia work ''Where We Lost Our Shadows'' which revolved around the theme of human migration. ''

'' review praised his performance for its "rawness and plaintive delicacy." Video footage of Sethi's Carnegie Hall performance was shown on two NASDAQ billboards at

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

as part of a tribute in December 2019. Also in 2019, Sethi presented two talks at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

along with Ali S. Asani. In one of the lectures, titled ''The Covenant of Love'', Sethi discussed the poetic tradition of

Sufi music Sufi music refers to the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrow, and Khwaja Ghulam Farid. Qawwali is the best-known form of Sufi music and is most commonly found in the ...

and the consciousness of Sufi poets and the evolution of Indo-Muslim Sufi thought. In the other lecture, titled ''The Art of the Ghazal'', Sethi discussed the ''ghazal'' as a literary genre and explored mystical themes in Urdu ''ghazals''.

2020–present

Sethi began his Spring 2020 Tour on February 16 with a performance at the Royal Geographical Society in London. In March 2020, Sethi shared that his performances in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Coun ...

, and

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

had been postponed. The same month, when the global lockdown began due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, Sethi initiated a series of virtual concerts with Indian artists on Instagram. These included musicians

Rekha Bhardwaj Rekha Bhardwaj (born 24 January 1964) is an Indian singer and live performer. She has received two Filmfare and one National Awards. In addition to Hindi, she has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and Malayalam languages. Personal l ...

and

, singer

Shilpa Rao Shilpa Rao (born Apeksha Rao; 11 April 1984) is an Indian singer born and raised in Jamshedpur. She completed her Post Graduation in Applied Statistics from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, before working as a jingle singer for three years. During ...

, screenwriter Varun Grover, and comedian Zakir Khan. The sessions highlighted the shared history and culture of India and Pakistan and advocated for peace between the two countries. However, the initiative came to an end after a circular issued by FWICE on April 11, 2020, warned Indian artists to not collaborate with Pakistanis. On May 17, 2020, Sethi took part in a conversation with Nirupama Rao, former

Foreign Secretary of India The foreign secretary of India ( IAST: ''Videśa Saciva'') is the top diplomat of India and administrative head of the Ministry of External Affairs. This post is held by an Indian foreign service officer of the rank of secretary to the govern ...

, to discuss how art intersects with issues of interconnectedness, identity, and culture in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

. Sethi and Rao discussed the historical and cultural bonds between

and

. The conversation was hosted by the Bangalore International Centre and the South Asian Symphony Foundation. Sethi sang and composed the song "Pehla Qadam" which was released on September 18, 2020. The song was produced by

Danish Renzu Danish Renzu is an Indian born Los Angeles based film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is also the Founder of Renzu Films. Renzu is best known for directing and producing films like ''Half Widow'', '' The illegal'', and ''Songs of Paradi ...

and Abubakar Khan and featured Sunny Jain on drums. Its lyrics were written by Sunayana Kachroo. During Harvard University's Worldwide Week in October 2020, Sethi performed a rendition of

Amir Khusrau Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian sub ...

's well-known

, "

Aaj Rang Hai ''Aaj Rang Hai'' (; ) also known as Rang or Rung () is a Qawwali written by the 13th-century Sufi poet, Amir Khusrau in Hindavi and Braj Bhasha dialects. In the song, Khusrau describes to his mother his ecstasy upon finding his ''murshid'' (spirit ...

," as part of a presentation titled ''Khusrau's River of Love: Cosmopolitanism and Inclusion in South Asian Traditions''. In May 2021, Sethi released the song "Yakjehti Mein" () composed by Chilean-American composer Nicolás Jaar. The song was made for the Palestinian online radio station, Radio Alhara, and was broadcast live from

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

in May 2021. Sethi used verses from two poems ("

Hum Dekhenge Hum Dekhenge ( ur, - In english ''We shall see'') is a popular Urdu nazm, written by the Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Originally written as ''Va Yabqá Vajhu Rabbika (And the countenance of your Lord will outlast all)'', it was included ...

" and "Aaj Bazaar Mein") penned by eminent Pakistani poet

Faiz Ahmad Faiz Faiz Ahmad ''Faiz'' (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984; Urdu, Punjabi: فیض احمد فیض) was a Pakistani poet, and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated Pakistani Urdu writers of his time. Outsi ...

for the song which was meant to show solidarity and support for the people of Palestine. Describing the process of developing the track and the mixing of the two poems, Sethi stated: "It was an unorthodox mix of music but Nicolas felt that it went well with my words. The part where the beat paces up sounded to me like a march or a procession, which is why I suggested a second poem by Faiz to be sung to its tune." In September 2021, Sethi collaborated with Indian author

Amitav Ghosh Amitav Ghosh (born 11 July 1956)Ghosh, Amitav
, ''

for his first book-in-verse, '' Jungle Nama: A Story of the Sundarban,'' based on the legend of

Bonbibi Banbibi, the lady of the forest, also Bandevi, Bandurga and Byaghradevi is a guardian spirit of the forests venerated by both the Hindu and the Muslim residents of the Sundarbans (spread across West Bengal state in eastern India and Banglades ...

. Sethi narrated the musical audiobook of ''Jungle Nama'' in addition to composing and performing music for it. Sethi stated that he wanted to "evoke the wonder of the Sundarban through its sound and poetry" while working on this project. He described that he drew on "syncretic raga traditions" and folk tunes to compose the music for ''Jungle Nama,'' using "traditional instruments like surmandal and dhol" and combining different musical traditions. One of the songs from the audiobook — "Baya Jao" — is Sethi's first song in the

language. In February 2022, Sethi co-wrote, co-composed, and sang the song " Pasoori" for Coke Studio Season 14 with debutant singer

Shae Gill Anushae Babar Gill (Urdu, Punjabi: ), popularly known as Shae Gill, is a Pakistani singer and cover-artist, mostly known for her Punjabi duet song "Pasoori" with Ali Sethi. Early life Shae Gill was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan to a Ch ...

. The song became the fastest in the season to garner one million views on YouTube. It went on to become the first Coke Studio Pakistan song to feature on Spotify's "Viral 50" global chart and also ranked at number one on Spotify India's "Viral 50" chart on March 7, 2022. On April 26, 2022, "Pasoori" debuted at the 161st spot on Spotify's Global Chart. On May 4, 2022, it climbed to the top of Spotify's "Viral 50 - Global" chart and on May 7, 2022 – 90 days after its release — "Pasoori" hit 100 million views on YouTube. With 436 million views on YouTube as of November 11, 2022, "Pasoori" is currently the most watched ''Coke Studio'' music video of all time. In September 2022, Sethi performed at the inaugural celebration of the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University. To commemorate 75 years of independence for both India and Pakistan, Sethi performed at Harvard University's 75 Years of Azadi: A Celebration of South Asia''' event in September 2022, with keynote addresses delivered by Nobel Laureate Dr.

Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher, who since 1972 has taught and worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, econom ...

and former Finance Minister of Pakistan, Syed Babar Ali. The same month, Sethi performed at the

O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decem ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, UK with

and

Leo Twins Haroon and Sharoon Leo (born July 27, 1993), professionally known as Leo Twins, are Pakistani musicians and multi-instrumentalists. Leo Twins started their career in popular TV show Nescafé Basement. The twin brothers have been a regular part of ...

. On October 14, 2022, Sethi performed at the first ''

Coke Studio Coke Studio may refer to: * ''Coke Studio'' (Pakistan), a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio'' (India), an Indian television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio Bangla'', a Banglade ...

'' live concert held at the

Coca-Cola Arena Coca-Cola Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in the City Walk area in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The venue was opened on June 6, 2019. It has a capacity of 17,000. Owned by Meraas and operated by ASM Global, the arena hosts events ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

along with

Faisal Kapadia Strings () was a Pakistani pop/rock band composed of two members, plus four live band members from Karachi, Pakistan. The band was initially formed by four college students— Bilal Maqsood (vocals and guitars), Faisal Kapadia (vocals), Raf ...

Hasan Raheem Hasan Raheem (born August 2, 1998) is a Pakistani singer, songwriter and rapper. He is known for his subtle, laid-back R&B, hip hop and indie pop styles of music. Early life and education Raheem was born in 1998. He belongs to a Shina family h ...

Young Stunners Young Stunners are a Pakistani hip hop duo formed in Karachi in 2012. The duo is composed of Talha Anjum (rapper) and Talhah Yunus. Much of their music is produced by Jokhay. Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus rose to fame as rappers on YouTube afte ...

, and

Justin Bibis Justin Bibis (; translation: "Justin Sisters" or "Justin Girls)" is a Pakistani music duo of sisters Sania Sohail and Muqadas Jandad, who found fame as an Internet sensation for their viral video of the song "Baby (Justin Bieber song), Baby" by ...

. Sethi was among the first headliners to be announced for the show in July 2022. On November 8, 2022, Sethi announced his 2023 North American tour featuring 11 stops across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, including

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

Artistry

Revitalizing the ''ghazal''

Sethi is well known for "performing iconic ghazals and putting his spin on them" and has mentioned in various interviews that the '' ghazal'' is one of his favorite genres of music. He has also stated that he is drawn to "obscure and outdated forms of poetry and music" and that he is "interested in reviving lost techniques and lost cultures" while redefining the traditional as experimental. Sethi acknowledges that the popularity of ''ghazals'' has declined in recent decades, but contends that "''ghazals'' are actually a young person's genre," claiming that "it just has an image problem." He has mentioned that one of his objectives is to revitalize and reposition the ''ghazal'' through contemporary arrangements while doing justice to the spirit of the original work, asserting: "If you just filter western pop music into our music without much thought, the result is very dissatisfying. I earlier rendered

's classic '''Mohabbat Karne Walay and added the

sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is ...

and electric guitar to the music. I'm all for innovating, but while remaining connected to the source." In his live musical performances, Sethi frequently offers critical discourse about the ''ghazal'' as an art form, its evolution as a genre, and adds commentary and anecdotes on the origins of various classical '' ragas'' as well as

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Sethi has discussed his opposition to the traditional binaries of tradition and modernity, contending in an interview: "What I found through traditional music, through my immersion in and engagement with South Asian forms of folk and classical music, is this wonderful paradox: you find through these 'traditional' things genuinely radical, freeing, subversive, cosmopolitan, experimental worldviews." He has also stated that one of his goals is to raise greater awareness and enthusiasm for classical music and the great South Asian poets through his music.

Protest and dissent

Sethi notes that due to his parents' professions as journalists and politicians, his formative years were spent amidst "a lot of dissenting voices" and that he grew up around journalists, artists, activists, and politicians as a child. His childhood home was "full of jail-going writers and activists," shared Sethi in a profile in ''

''. Sethi claims that these early life experiences influenced his thinking and shaped his musical philosophy in that many of his songs and music videos seek to address social issues. "Song and protest reintertwined for me," Sethi asserted in ''The New Yorker'' profile. At his performance at the Royal Geographical Society, London, in February 2020, Sethi juxtaposed two images on the large screen – one of the 2020 NRC protests in India and the other of the Zia-ul-Haq protests in Pakistan in the 1980s, as he sang

's "

." Writing for ''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English language, English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the ''Daily Express (Urdu newspaper), Daily Express'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliat ...

'', journalist Shuja Uddin noted: "The images are powerful because they aptly told the narrative of Pakistan in post-colonial South Asia as one of reflection and warning for other neighboring countries. Sethi's particular visual became viral and brought together hurt citizens from both countries to find resonance in each other's tragedy." In an op-ed published in ''The Guardian'' on August 14, 2022, Sethi and co-writer

Pankaj Mishra Pankaj Mishra FRSL (born 1969) is an Indian essayist and novelist. He was awarded the Windham–Campbell Prize for non-fiction in 2014. Early life and education Mishra was born in Jhansi, India. His father was a railway worker and trade unioni ...

stated: "As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of

partition Partition may refer to: Computing Hardware * Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive * Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job Software * Partition (database), the division of a ...

, it is abundantly clear to us that politics in India and Pakistan are doomed to keep forging a history of irresolvable enmity between Hindus and Muslims. It is also clear that any reasonable hope for peace between these two nuclear powers cannot rest on a political and economic breakthrough alone." Sethi and Mishra go on to claim that "hopes for a survivable present and viable future depend a great deal on how we understand our inheritance – the long, deep, and still alive past of the Indian subcontinent." Through his work, Sethi believes in collapsing the traditional boundaries of religion, caste, class, gender, and geography. He has stated that he aims to "revive an interest in...layered ways of being and of experiencing poetry, music, art, visuals…insist on these multiple interpretations, and allow people from different backgrounds and perspectives to take part in a conversation." Sethi's musical work often explores the myriad intersections of art, philosophy, scripture, and music. Sethi is a vocal advocate for pluralism and tolerance and is known for his experimental approach to music. His music is known to touch upon themes that challenge prevailing views on

gender identity Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent, and consistent with the ...

and sexuality. This stems from his own experiences as a queer artist.

Sufi influence

Sethi often uses or references source material from

Sufi poetry Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, Persian, Turkic and Urdu. Sufi doctr ...

in his music which adopts an inclusive and liberal view on such issues. He has claimed that "Sufi poems and metaphors revel in ambiguity, undoing such binaries as sacred and secular, male and female, spiritual and material. In that sense I think they are like this incredible technology of the heart – one that can help us do dialogue across difference in this highly polarized time". Sethi also acknowledges that "the appetite for

in Pakistan allows people like me to get away with a lot of potentially subversive stuff through the metaphors of Sufi poetry – these beautiful, deliberate ambiguities."

Diasporic identity and culture

Sethi's music frequently delves into notions of self and identity, particularly in brown history and diaspora culture, and he has stated that he sees himself and his music as a "diasporic voice." In a 2020 interview with Nirupama Rao, Sethi noted: "I arrived in Harvard in 2002, one year after 9/11 – there was very little 'connectivity' in the world at that time. If you wanted to delve into the history of the region, you really had to go to the library. I remember being haunted by this question – what does it mean to be Pakistani, to come from an Indo-Muslim context? Where do you draw your sense of identity and genealogy, what do you include and exclude?" Sethi contends that through his performances at Harvard's ''Ghunghroo,'' he found a "scholarly environment

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

could give me a way into my own heritage, a way to convey to people where I was coming from." As an artist, Sethi has been described as "the face of post-colonial Pakistan, reconciling with its checkered past and contextualizing its mysterious future."

Voice

Sethi's voice has been described as having a "rich tenor," being powerful but controlled, "soulful," "soft but polished," ranging from "plaintive to raw to warmly intimate," and as having a "moving and melodic quality." He is often lauded for his "soaring vocals," skillful harkats, and "vocal gymnastics." In a 2015 opinion column, Indian classical singer Shubha Mudgal described Sethi's voice in the following words: "Sethi's voice bears the unmistakable signs of ''taaleem'' and ''riyaaz'', that is, of being both well-trained and well-rehearsed. But it is the bit of heartbreak in his voice that makes his singing sit apart for me. This is not an attribute that can be imparted by training. Neither can it be carefully cultivated. It really is an inexplicable quality that a singer is lucky to be gifted with."

Reception

Sethi's work has been praised for combining classical

Pakistani music The Music of Pakistan ( ur, , lit=pákistáni mosíqi) includes diverse elements ranging from music from various parts of South Asia as well as Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and modern-day Western popular music influences. With these multiple ...

and poetry with contemporary pop music. He has been credited with resurrecting the lost art of the '' ghazal'' by reinventing it for present-day audiences and making the genre more approachable for younger generations, in both mainstream Pakistani culture as well as internationally. Haroon Rashid of

BBC Asian Network BBC Asian Network is a British Asian radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station's target audience is people "with an interest in British Asian lifestyles", especially British Asians between the ages of 18 and 34. The station has ...

described Sethi as "the king of modern ''ghazal.''" In 2020, ''

'' characterized Sethi's musical style as highlighting "the narrative of Pakistan that does not stem from nationalistic ambitions but rather acknowledges the crevices and folds in Pakistani life, albeit in a fantastical fashion the ''ghazal'' genre so spectacularly lends itself to."

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

singer and rapper

Yo Yo Honey Singh Hirdesh Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh or simply Honey Singh, is an Indian music producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and an actor. He started out in 2003 as a session and recording artist, and became a b ...

compared Sethi with playback legend Mohammed Rafi. The Bollywood actor and singer Ayushmann Khurrana has also praised Sethi's singing. Sethi's work has also been hailed for its consistent message of inclusivity. Lydialyle Gibson of Harvard Magazine said of Sethi's work that "boundaries fall away – between past and present, earthly and transcendent, between art and religion and politics."

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Cover singles

* "Chan Kithan" (

Punjabi folk Punjabi folk music (Shahmukhi alphabet, Shahmukhi: پنجابی لوک موسیقی pa, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਲੋਕ ਸੰਗੀਤ or Punjabi Folk) is the traditional music on the traditional musical instruments of the Punjab region of the Indian ...

song) * " Kithay Nain Na Jorin" (

cover) * "Haal Aisa Nahin" ( Ghulam Ali cover) * "Yaad Mein Teri" (

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...

and Mohammed Rafi cover) * "Dil Jalaane ki Baat Kartey Ho" (

cover) * "Dil Karda Ay" and "Agar Tum Mil Jao" ft.

* "Mere Hamnafas" (

Begum Akhtar Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thu ...

cover) * "Mere Aur Hain Iraday"

Original singles

* "Mahi Mera" (2016) * "Waasta" (2018) *"Chandni Raat" (2019) *"Ishq" (2019) *"Dil Ki Khair" (2019) *"Dil Lagayeein" (2019) *"Pehla Qadam" (2020) *"Rung" (2021) *"Yakjehti Mein" (2021)

Featured Artist

* 2016: " Aaja" – Swet Shop Boys ft. Ali Sethi * 2018: Sound The People – "Kala Mukhra"

Awards and nominations

Sethi was nominated for Best Playback Singer - Male at

15th Lux Style Awards 15th Lux Style Awards ---- Official Poster July 29, 2016 ---- Host: Ahmed Ali ButtAli Zafar ---- Venue: Expo Center, Karachi, Sindh ---- Film '' Moor'' ---- Television Play: '' Diyar-e-Dil'' ---- Album: ''Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh'' --- ...

, and Best Playback Singer - Male at 2nd ARY Film Awards for performing "Aah Ko Chahiye" in the film ''

Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer), Greek singer * Manto Mavrogenous, Greek national heroine * Saadat Hasan Manto, Urdu short story writer known by his pen name Manto * Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician * Manto ...

''. His single '' Kithay Nain Na Jorin'' was nominated for Best Music Single and

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

at the

4th Hum Awards The 4th Hum Awards ceremony, presented by the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC), sponsored by Servis, honored the best in fashion, music and Hum Television Dramas of 2015. It took place on April 23, 2016 at the Expo Centre ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sethi, Ali 1984 births Living people People from Lahore

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...

Punjabi people Pakistani novelists Aitchison College alumni Harvard University alumni Harvard College alumni LGBT singers from Pakistan Pakistani expatriates in the United States Pakistani non-fiction writers The New York Times columnists Pakistani male journalists Pakistani columnists Pakistani musicians Pakistani male singers Singers from Lahore Pakistani classical musicians English-language writers from Pakistan Pakistani composers Pakistani male singer-songwriters Punjabi-language singers Queer musicians Hindi-language singers Urdu-language singers Sufi music Performers of Sufi music Coke Studio (Pakistani TV program)