Ali Sethi

Ali Aziz Sethi (Urdu/; ; born July 2, 1984) is a Pakistani-American singer, songwriter, composer, and author. 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." 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, eventually climbing to the top of the chart in May 2022. With over one billion views on YouTube as of January 2025, "Pasoori" is currently the most watched ''Coke Studio'' music video of all time and the first ''Coke Studio'' song to reach this milestone.

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 and for his flair for lending new-age contours to older melodies. In his live performances, he often combines his songs with historical and cultural context, critical commentary, and etymological roots of Urdu words.

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." 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. According to data released by Spotify in 2022 and 2023, Sethi is among the most streamed Pakistani artists in the world.

Early life and background

Ali Sethi was born on July 2, 1984, in Lahore, Pakistan to award-winning journalists and publishers Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, both of whom are also politicians. Sethi is the brother of actor and author Mira Sethi and nephew to British-Pakistani writer Moni 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, India. 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 and awarded Amnesty International's Journalist of the Year Award.

Education

Sethi attended the International School of Choueifat and Aitchison College in Lahore, Pakistan and describes himself as an above average student, particularly interested in art, drawing, music, and poetry. In a 2024 interview with '' T: The New York Times Style Magazine'', Sethi shared that while he was recognized at school for his artistic and academic talents, he was also "taunted by both students and teachers for being part of a queer cohort."

Sethi attended Harvard College 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. While at Harvard, Sethi took creative writing and world fiction classes with Zadie Smith and Amitav Ghosh