Ali Sethi

Ali Sethi
علی سیٹھی
Sethi performing at House of Blues, Chicago, January 2023
Born
Ali Aziz Sethi

(1984-07-02) July 2, 1984 (age 40)
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Citizenship
  • Pakistan
  • United States
Alma materAitchison College
Harvard University
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • author
  • columnist
Years active2010–present
Parent(s)Najam Sethi
Jugnu Mohsin
FamilyMira Sethi (sister)
Moni Mohsin (aunt)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • harmonium
Labels
  • True Brew
  • Mainstage Productions
  • Other People Records
Websitealisethi.info
beacons.ai/alisethiofficial

Ali Aziz Sethi (Urdu/Punjabi: علی عزیز سیٹھی; pronounced [əˈliː ˈseːʈʰiː]; born July 2, 1984) is a Pakistani-American[1][2] singer, songwriter, composer, and author.[3][4][5] Born to journalists and politicians Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, Sethi rose to prominence with his debut novel, The Wish Maker (2009). Although Sethi received some musical training as a child, he did not begin to formally train in Hindustani classical music until after graduating from college. He trained under the tutelage of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami (widely considered a master of both the qawwali and khyal forms of singing) as well as under noted ghazal and classical singer Farida Khanum.

In 2012, Sethi began focusing on his musical career and made his film debut as a singer in Mira Nair's 2012 film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, with the song "Dil Jalaane Ki Baat Karte Ho."[6][7] He followed this up with numerous independent covers of popular ghazals as well as traditional Punjabi folk songs. In 2015, Sethi made his debut on Coke Studio Pakistan with the well-known Punjabi folk song "Umraan Langiyaan" for which he received significant praise, quickly establishing himself as a millennial practitioner of traditional folk and classical music. Sethi has since appeared on several seasons of Coke Studio where he has performed covers as well as original music. His most recent single for Coke Studio – "Pasoori" (2022) – became the first Pakistani song to feature on Spotify's "Viral 50 - Global" chart,[8] eventually climbing to the top of the chart in May 2022.[9] With over 700 million views on YouTube as of May 2024, "Pasoori" is currently the most watched Coke Studio music video of all time and the first Coke Studio song to reach this milestone.[10][11]

Sethi is particularly associated with the ghazal format of singing and is often hailed for attempting to revive the ancient art form by experimenting with it and repositioning it as a young person's genre. He collaborates frequently with Grammy-winning music producer Noah Georgeson and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Harvard University, Brown University, Georgetown University, and the Royal Geographical Society among others. Sethi is noted for his ability to blend Hindustani classical ragas with contemporary Western arrangements[12][13] and for his flair for lending new-age contours to older melodies.[14] In his live performances, he often combines his songs with historical and cultural context, critical commentary, and etymological roots of Urdu words.[15][16]

In September 2022, Sethi was included in Time 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."[17][18][19] In September 2023, the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University announced that Sethi would serve as its first Artist in Residence as a visiting scholar.[20][21][22] According to data released by Spotify in 2022 and 2023, Sethi is among the most streamed Pakistani artists in the world.[23][24][25]

  1. ^ "Ali Sethi, Nicolas Jaar - Intiha". Rough Trade. 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :52 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Hottie of the week: Ali Sethi". The Express Tribune. December 10, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Ali Sethi | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Sabeeh, Maheen (February 2, 2020). "Behind the gospel of Ali Sethi". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Ibrahim, Iram (May 19, 2022). "Pasoori: Pakistani singer Ali Sethi's love letter to South Asia". Firstpost. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Baloch, Shah Meer (May 13, 2022). "Global hit Pasoori opens doors for Pakistani pop". The Guardian. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  9. ^ "How 'Coke Studio Pakistan' is building bridges through music". The National. May 11, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Pasoori has hit a new milestone with 500 million views on YouTube". bolnews.com. January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :35 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Kaushik, Aarya (October 5, 2022). "'Pehla Qadam:' Global Stardom and the Future of Diasporic Art with Pakistani Musician Ali A. Sethi '06". thecrimson.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  13. ^ "Ali Sethi wows crowd on Coachella's second weekend". The Express Tribune. April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Sabeeh, Maheen (2016). "The undimmed light". The News. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  15. ^ "Where We Lost Our Shadows – Performer Portrait: Ali Sethi – American Composers Orchestra". March 19, 2019. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  16. ^ "Ali Sethi '06 Sings a Spectacle of Ecstasy at the Sinclair". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved February 10, 2023.}
  17. ^ "2022 TIME100 Next: Ali Sethi". Time. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  18. ^ Mukhopadhyay, Sounak (September 29, 2022). "'Pasoori' singer Ali Sethi storms into Time Magazine's list of emerging leaders". mint. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Ali Sethi featured in 'Time' 100 list". The Express Tribune. September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "Ali Sethi | Center for Contemporary South Asia". watson.brown.edu. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  21. ^ "Visiting Faculty | Center for Contemporary South Asia". watson.brown.edu. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Mehta, Neil (October 10, 2023). "Ali Sethi starts as Saxena Center's first artist in residence". browndailyherald.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  23. ^ "Spotify in 2022: Atif Aslam, Talha Anjum top list of most-streamed Pakistani artists". brecorder.com. December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  24. ^ "Atif ranked Spotify's most-streamed Pakistani Artist of the Year". The Express Tribune. December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  25. ^ "Spotify Celebrates Its 2nd Anniversary In Pakistan By Revealing Insights!". Fuchsia. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.