When describing the phenomenon that Penn Masala, touted to be ‘the world’s first South Asian a cappella group’, has come to be, it’s hard to leave out the fact that they have performed for Barack Obama, for Bollywood’s biggest stars at a number of awards ceremonies, and that they even had a cameo role in the film Pitch Perfect 2, starring Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld and Rebel Wilson, among others. But all that fame notwithstanding, for this group of young men, it’s their music that continues to be the focus. Formed by the students of the University of Pennsylvania, the group prides itself on mashups that feature
popular Bollywood songs and chart-topping English tracks. How they manage to deftly blend Eastern and Western musical sensibilities and deliver consistently is anyone’s guess.
The current group (which keeps changing every year as seniors graduate), comprises Hari Ravi, Praveen Rajaguru, Brendan McManus, Pranay Sharma, Kashish Hora, Yamir Tainwala, Vishnu Rachakonda, Nikhil Raman and Sanjit Chakravarty. They come to Bengaluru for a performance on May 27. The group talks to us about what to expect, their musical influences and more.
What has Penn Masala been up to this past year?
Hari: We’ve mainly been working on our 10th studio album, Yuva, and few other projects. The singles that we released before the album were Agar Tum Saath Ho / Treat You Better and Photograph / Aayat / Laal Ishq, two songs that reflect different aspects of youth that we are very proud of. We have also released projects, such as the Desi 4-Chord Medley, which expands upon the idea that many popular songs we know are based on four basic chords. After releasing Resonance (our previous album), we have continued experimenting and covering different genres of music, while retaining our core sound.
What are the different musical influences of the current group?
Praveen: The group is constantly evolving as seniors graduate and freshmen are brought into the group. This results in an influx of new talent and influences, and we believe this keeps our music fresh and keeps us on our toes. Currently, we heavily draw from Indian classical, pop, R&B, and rock.
Tell us more about Yuva.
Praveen: Yuva is our 10th studio album and focuses on the theme of youth. While staying true to our core sound, we have experimented with other elements depending on the songs we cover, by adding gang vocals, elemental sounds (rain), and EDM effects. We have covered a variety of songs, from classics like Baar Baar Dekho, Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka, and Humma Humma, to current hits like Nashe Si Chadh Gayi and Sau Asmaan. Each mashup highlights a different aspect of youth that we hope each of our fans can relate to in their own way.
What can one expect from your India tour?
Hari: Our setlist for the shows in India will comprise songs and projects from the new album, but will also incorporate hits from our previous albums. Since we will be performing in South Indian cities, we will also be including a few Tamil and Telugu covers, so get excited!
Songs on loop on your playlist right now.
Praveen: Shape of You - Ed Sheeran, Cheez Badi - Udit Narayan, Neha Kakkar, Something Just Like This - Coldplay & Chainsmokers, Baarish - Arjun K & Shraddha K, Passion Fruit - Drake.
May 27 (In Bengaluru). Venue yet to be announced. Tickets (Rs.750) on insider.in