Arooj Aftab: Pakistani singer makes her Detroit debut July 24

DETROIT. Grammy winning singer and composer Arooj Aftab plays her first Detroit show July 24 at the Detroit Opera House, opening for St. Vincent's performance with the Detroit Opera Orchestra. The Pakistani born artist blends jazz, folk and South Asian sound into music that rarely spells itself out.

Aftab names Detroit jazz musicians Ron Carter, Yusef Lateef and Regina Carter among her biggest influences. "It's basically where almost every favorite musician of mine is from," she said of the city. She'd rather leave room for listeners to find their own meaning in a song than explain it outright, calling it leaving "a lot of magic on the table."