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.

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.

Sethi is noted for his ability to blend Hindustani classical ragas with contemporary Western arrangements[13][14] and for his flair for lending new-age contours to older melodies.

[39] 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.

[40][41] 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.

"[48] In 2009, Sethi published his debut novel The Wish Maker, "a semiautobiographical coming-of-age novel"[42] which revolved around Pakistani identity[50] and "the political history of Pakistan with three generations of characters who live in a middle-class, liberal enclave of Lahore.

[53] In its review of the novel, The New York Times called it "a first-rate novel", stating that "Sethi's prose evokes the comic mislocutions of Jonathan Safran Foer and the vertiginous mania of Zadie Smith.

"[13] Sethi has mentioned that songs composed by R. D. Burman and written by Gulzar influenced him greatly during his teenage years, claiming: "If you think about it, it is unusual as I am a child of the 90s, and not the 70s.

[42] At a social gathering during his visit, Sethi sang the ghazal "Dil Jalaane Ki Baat Karte Ho," originally sung by his teacher, Farida Khanum.

[75] In 2015, Sethi made his singing debut on Coke Studio Season 8 with "Umran Langiyaan,"[76] a Punjabi folk song originally sung by Asad Amanat Ali Khan.

[80] His most notable songs from the series are "Aaqa" with Abida Parveen, "Tinak Dhin" with Ali Hamza and Waqar Ahsin, "Ranjish Hi Sahi," "Gulon Main Rang," and most recently, "Pasoori.

[70] That year, Sethi also collaborated with Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun on Disruption as Rapture, a multimedia work housed in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

[99] In December 2017, Sethi collaborated with American dhol player Sunny Jain on a project called Resident Alien and performed renditions of seven folk songs in Joe's Pub in New York.

[110] The same year, Sethi performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall for Du Yun and Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar's orchestral multimedia work Where We Lost Our Shadows which revolved around the theme of human migration.

[118] On May 17, 2020, Sethi took part in a conversation with Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India, to discuss how art intersects with issues of interconnectedness, identity, and culture in South Asia.

[147] On October 14, 2022, Sethi performed at the first Coke Studio live concert held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE along with Faisal Kapadia, Shae Gill, Hasan Raheem, Young Stunners, and Justin Bibis.

[150][151][152] On November 8, 2022, Sethi announced his 2023 North American tour featuring 11 stops across the United States and Canada, including Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver.

In March 2023, Sethi performed at the second annual South Asian Excellence pre-Oscars event hosted by Paramount Pictures, Priyanka Chopra, and Mindy Kaling among others.

[159][160] In May 2023, an unreleased single by Sethi was featured in a short fashion film based on Misha Japanwala's gallery show titled "Beghairati Ki Nishaani: Traces of Shamelessness" — a project that offered commentary on gender-based violence and the concept of shame as experienced by Pakistani women.

[170] The same month, as part of his artist residency at Brown University, Sethi delivered a seminar titled "Raga Saga: Theory and Practice in North Indian Music.

"[78] In his live musical performances, Sethi frequently offers critical discourse about the ghazal as an art form, its evolution as a genre, and adds commentary on the origins of various classical ragas and philological roots of Urdu words.

Writing for The Express Tribune, journalist Shuja Uddin noted: "The images are powerful because they aptly told the narrative of Pakistan in post-colonial South Asia as one of reflection and warning for other neighboring countries.

"[183] In an op-ed published in The Guardian on August 14, 2022, Sethi and co-writer Pankaj Mishra stated: "As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of partition, it is abundantly clear to us that politics in India and Pakistan are doomed to keep forging a history of irresolvable enmity between Hindus and Muslims.

Sethi and Mishra go on to claim that "hopes for a survivable present and viable future depend a great deal on how we understand our inheritance – the long, deep, and still alive past of the Indian subcontinent.

He has stated that he aims to "revive an interest in...layered ways of being and of experiencing poetry, music, art, visuals…insist on these multiple interpretations, and allow people from different backgrounds and perspectives to take part in a conversation.

[190] Similarly, in a 2024 profile by T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Sethi claimed that traditional South Asian music has always contained the "antibodies" that are necessary to "heal a divisive culture from within" because it has always been cosmopolitan.

[202][203] Sethi has been credited with helping to resurrect the lost art of the ghazal by reinventing it for present-day audiences and making the genre more approachable for younger generations[183][204][205] in mainstream Pakistani culture as well as internationally.

"[44] In 2020, The Express Tribune characterized Sethi's musical style as highlighting "the narrative of Pakistan that does not stem from nationalistic ambitions but rather acknowledges the crevices and folds in Pakistani life, albeit in a fantastical fashion the ghazal genre so spectacularly lends itself to.

[208] Sethi's approach to music is frequently described as being innovative,[14] and he has been lauded for exploring "the fertile frontier of experimenting outside the confines of his education, and collaborating with musicians spanning genres including jazz, reggaetón, hip hop and salsa.

"[209] Sethi's work is often hailed for its consistent message of inclusivity and challenging social norms,[4][194][201] and his music has received praise for "pushing boundaries, eschewing conventions and venturing into unknown new territories.