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Filling Leith Theatre with her jazz-infused neo-Sufi sound is the Pakistan-raised New York-based musician Arooj Aftab. Accompanied by Gyan Riley on guitar and Petros Klampanis on double bass, this trio calmly inhabit the low-lit stage and gather around a small table which holds a bottle and glass of red wine (the singer’s tipple of choice) and a vase of red roses.

After a few reverb adjustments, Aftab settles into the space, her vocals effortlessly reaching every crevice of the building. Sustained notes and spine-tingling runs layer over the top of syncopated rhythms played by Klampanis alongside Riley’s nimble classical guitar lines. Together they create a magical fusion of jazz, 70s psychedelic rock, traditional Sufi and reggae, which reveals itself in ‘Last Night’ (the only song sung in English on last year’s Vulture Prince) with the help of some subtle pre-recorded percussion.

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‘Any non-Urdu speakers probably think my music is super meditative and tranquil,’ jokes Aftab during one of her charming rambles, before admitting they’re usually about the messy ins and outs of falling in love. But those who can’t follow the lyrics can simply let the compositions speak for themselves; they are simultaneously minimal and epic, able to both entertain and soothe. Of course this relies heavily on masterful playing from the band, who remain tight and harmonious while giving each other space to improvise and absorb gentle applause. 

‘Now for the banger,’ Aftab smirks, as she closes with ‘Mohabbat’, the song that won her a Grammy this year. She gesticulates to the words being sung as if she’s casting a spell over the room. A signal to her guitarist makes him pull out a mysterious instrument (a mini electric sitar of sorts) and begin shredding and chugging until the show’s climactic end. Swaying people are reinvigorated when they launch into aggressive applause as Aftab’s spell slowly fades, its aftermath leaving a lasting sense of calm.

Reviewed at Leith Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.