The A cappella group performed at the White House on Thursday ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit. The Indian Prime Minister received a ceremonial welcome from US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
For the unversed, Penn Masala is a South Asian A cappella group formed in 1996 by the University of Pennsylvania students who grew up listening to Bollywood classics. They specialise in a fusion of Bollywood with pop songs. The band has been producing music for over 25 years and has established itself as one of the biggest A cappella groups in South Asia.
Upon PM Modi’s arrival, the group performed Jashn-E-Bahaaraa from the Hritik Roshan-Aishwariya Rai historical epic Jodha-Akhbar and Chhaiya-Chhaiya from Shahrukh Khan’s Dil Se. The group then also performed Coldplay’s Viva La Vida from the album of the same name.
This is the second time Penn Masala has performed at the White House. A large crowd of 2000 to 3000 people were present to witness the moment. The White House then proceeded to hold a state dinner in honour of PM Modi as a sign of strengthening the relationship between the two countries which have also stepped up their arms sales and trade relations. This is also an attempt to strengthen ties between the two countries as well as discuss the growing influence of China’s rise.