The ad hoc trio have teamed up not only for this tour, but also to release an improvisation-based record under the prestigious ECM record label. The three performers' musical meditation is that characteristic music which stirs the imagination, opening up a fresh, luxuriant yet cathartic and ritualistic sound. Of the three figures, the singer Arooj Aftab could be considered the most recent discovery on the wider music scene, and grabbed even more of the limelight when he became the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy, in 2022. He received the award for a truly unique record that combines pop music with traditional Pakistani music, and that received acclaim from both Western pop music and world music press alike. One of his current partners and a keen collaborator, Vijay Iyer, is of Indian origin, and has already performed several concerts in Hungary. He is both one of the most decorated American pianists of the past decade and an influential composer. In this project, he add further diversity to the overall sound by playing the synthesiser in addition to the piano. We can also look forward to the harmony the pair enjoy with Shahzad Ismaily, a multi-instrumentalist of Pakistani origin (playing bass guitar and synthesizer in this project), who has long been performing with noticeable aplomb. His list of collaborators speaks for itself: from Björk to Laurie Anderson and Tom Waits.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest