Presented by Small World Music and Toronto Jazz Fest

Declared "the coolest rock star in the world right now," by UNCUT magazine, Arooj Aftab has earned her position at the vanguard of creative music for her embrace of risk and nonconformity.

In 2024, she 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. 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." Over the last few years, she has delivered "rapturous performances" at major venues and international festivals including Primavera, Glastonbury and Coachella. 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.



Doors open 7:00 PM

The 2025 Small World Music Series is sponsored by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment and funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.