Singer. Songwriter. Storyteller.

I've been ashamed of who I am for a lot of my life and didn't even know it. I covered myself by going to college, competing in pageants, and doing the whole reality show thing. I still don't quite have it figured out, but I sure am damn closer to feeling comfortable in my skin. 

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I'm biracial. I am a proud bangladeshi AND I am a proud american. I'm a bleeding feminist. I get high on making the world a better place. I truly think that is what art is for, right? As a storyteller, it's my responsibility to use art to make the world a little bit better than it was before. Or, at the very least, I can say I tried. 

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I'm pretty outgoing, but secretly a true introvert. Hence, the juxtaposition you hear in my music. I believe in storytelling with every breath I take. Listen to the lyrics, always. Someone asked me recently what my dream was. Three years ago I would have said 3 things: 1) tour the world with my music 2) star in a Broadway show 3) write and lead in my own TV show. Now I'm not saying I no longer want those things / glad I have accomplished some of them, but that definitely is not the "dream" anymore. I dream to have a small part in changing culture ie making the world a better place and I dream that my art and storytelling will do just that. 

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xo ari 

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Bio for press: 

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Ari Afsar (she/her) is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. A graduate of Ethnomusicology from UCLA, Afsar recently released her album distributed by Sony Masterworks. She is the composer of Broadway-bound We Won’t Sleep, as named by Playbill. Afsar has opened for Michelle Obama, Gloria Steinhem, Jane Fonda, Misty Copeland, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Kwan, Ani DiFranco and Bryan Stevenson. Her credits include starring in the top 10 Netflix original movie, “Wedding Season”, co-composing a song with Pasek & Paul & Shawn Mendez in Sony’s upcoming movie “Lyle Lyle Crocodile”, originating Eliza in Chicago's “Hamilton”, starring in the world premiere of “Bhangin’ It” at La Jolla Playhouse, winning Miss California 2010, placing top 10 at Miss America 2011, winning the Lyricist Award at The O'Neill NMTC 2018, and placing top 36 on American Idol. She is the co-founder of "Until We Do It" which provided 1 Million masks to communities disproportionately affected by Covid-19 in 2021.