Penn Masala

I don't know how many people here have watched American Desi. Its a cross over movie made about Desi kids at a US university each coming from a different background. There was a song in the background 'Aap Jaisa Koi', it was almost like a remix, but it sounded really good because the singer didnt try to ape the original..which made it sound good.

After that I heard a couple of their songs, one of my fave became 'show me the meaning of being desi', a pun at the famous backstreet boys song, 'show me the meaning of being lonely'. But I always felt something different with their music. Just a while ago I was watching an uncensored episode of SRGMP. In case any of you didnt catch it its there on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0TRuusMroE&search=SRGMP

So they interviewed Penn Masala and I found out that they create music with their voices !

Here is a short write up about them

Penn Masalais a group of college students from the University of Pennsylvania who sing a medley of popular Hindi songs and hit English music, backing up their lead singers by creating all of the instrumental components with their voices.

They have gained immense popularity and fame since their founding in 1996, singing to sold-out audiences all over the nation and touring across countries such as the United Kingdom and India. "In the beginning, we were little more than random noises coming from the stage," one of the singers reminisced. Now, they are an icon of desi pop culture and the Indian-American experience. Since their early days, Penn Masala has perfected much more than its music; they have mastered the art of entertaining. They thrill audiences with their jokes, antics, and even dancing, from bhangra to the moonwalk — without missing a note.

The group has produced three complete albums (titled "Awaaz," "11 PM," and "Soundcheck"), as well as a full-length music video to the song "Chhamak Challo" (which was in the top 10 on Channel V when it debuted in 1999). They also sang the soundtrack of the hit movie "American Desi." Penn Masala even recorded the first-ever fully original Hindi a capella song, "Desi Ladki," written and composed by one of the founding members of the group. "We've broken the boundaries between western and non-western music," they boast. Attend their April concert to find out if you agree.

I researched a bit on capella, and this is what I found out.

A capella

A capella music is always for voices. It describes vocal music that has no instrumental accompaniment.

A capella music can be polyphonic, homophonic or unison - so you might see a piece of music described as 'homophonic a capella' or 'polyphonic a capella'.

The words 'a capella' in Italian mean 'In the style of the chapel'. This is because early music for the church was for unaccompanied voices.

Capella is indeed a beautiful form of music, and the untapped potential of our voices.. I will try to upload songs of Penn Masala soon !

More info:

Penn Masala is the nation's premier Hindi a cappella group from Univerisity of Pennsylvania. Masala uses a classic American style to fuse Eastern and Western pop music to create a new musical medium. A cappella, a musical art form void of instruments, is the purest form of vocal expression - an art that Penn Masala has truly mastered over the past ten years. Featuring a list of Bollywood favorites and English hits, Penn Masala captures the awe of audiences from all backgrounds. With their ability to transcend ethnicity and language, Penn Masala has set its sights on reaching people throughout the world.

Penn Masala rocked the house at the Peter Norton Symphony Space in Manhattan. The audience couldn't help but get involved, clapping to the beat of the music, singing along, even dancing at the back of the auditorium. "They were amazing!" exclaimed several who were in the audience. - From Asha-NYC/NJ

Article in asianweek.com :

Penn Masala Croons A Cappella
By Anhoni Patel

When you first hear the music of Penn Masala, you might be inclined to think they're using instruments. How else could this group of fourteen singers perform such harmonious acrobatics like the electric sound of a drum machine and the deep booming of a bass? Well, with the skill of their voices and a whole lot of practice. This is no ordinary band or hip hop crew; these are young men, mostly of South Asian origin, studying at the University of Pennsylvania, who belt out a cappella tunes that fuse together Hindi Bollywood classics with contemporary pop.

The group formed in 1996, when several visionary freshman decided to sing the popular songs they grew up dancing to at cultural gatherings and functions, with an added second-generation American twist; thus, the first and foremost South Asian-oriented a cappella troupe was founded and quickly took off. In a musical genre which usually conjures up images of white faces doo-wopping to Western pop music, the group has formed a niche like no other. Although their main influences stem from diverse groups such as Philadelphia natives Boyz2Men, Bally Sagoo, Bidoo and U2, Penn Masala assimilates them in a distinct way that they can call all their own. In their latest album, 11 pm, they write that, "Exactly two years ago, we thought we had reached the pinnacle of our musical careers: releasing the world's first Hindi a cappella album. Our experiences since have surpassed our expectations, and played an integral role in shaping this second album."

People from all over the country, as well as Canada, write in applauding the group on their innovative efforts, and begging, pleading with them to pay a visit to their university or town to do a show. Indeed, they have toured Europe and India, and taken at least two major tours around the country each year; they've graced audiences in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Bombay, London and Chicago. Last year, they performed at the Zee Gold Bollywood Movie Awards in New York City, which was telecast around the world, giving the group a viewing audience of over one million people. When they were in Bombay, Penn Masala taped a music video for their biggest hit and self-described marquee song "Chamak Challo," which aired in Asia and on local South Asian shows here in the U.S.

Their latest claim to fame was a spot on the soundtrack for the well-received independent film, American Desi. The romantic comedy tracks the experiences of an Indian American college student, Krishna "Kris" Reddy, who is grappling with his identity and is decidedly ashamed of his ethnic background. Against his wishes, he is placed in housing with three other very amusing roommates, Salim, Jagjit and Ajay, who embrace their culture. While in Engineering 101, Kris meets Nina, a strong, independent and hip Indian American woman who exposes him to the nuances of South Asian culture, and changes his notions of what it means to be a Desi. Director Piyush Dinker Pandya had been a fan of Penn Masala's work and personally asked to use two of their songs in the movie. Member Pankaj Kakkar notes that, "It was a great fit. Both of us are exploring the dichotomy of cultures and breaking ground in an art form."

American Desi exposed the group to even more audiences across the globe and gave them a spot on a soundtrack right next to the likes of Talvin Singh and David Bowie.

The group seems to take the attention all in stride. After all, they are still college undergrads and their singing is done for pure fun. Sophomores Gaurav Kapadia and Viral Juthani were quick to state that they were not star struck and appreciated all the calls and audience responses. "We simply enjoy doing music," they say. "And all the status makes us a bit uncomfortable."

As proof of their humbleness, at their shows Penn Masala pokes fun at their culture as well as themselves; they do skits in between their sets that has the audience rolling. At one performance, they parodied the television show Behind the Music. In between each set, they reenacted the fictional rise and fall of the group complete with melodrama and trauma. On their latest CD, they offer an original song "Show Me the Meaning of Being Desi" which explores the group's multi-culturalism. The chorus of the song goes, "Show me the meaning of being desi, FOB (fresh-off-the-boat, referring to new immigrants) or ABCD (American-born-confused-desi), Indian, but no we're not all the same. And this is how we play the game." When asked why Penn Masala blends English songs with Hindi ones, one singer responded that, "Both the members and the majority of our fan base are from two different cultures themselves. The music represents and speaks to this complex identity." In fact, one of the original members, Brian Hong, was of Korean descent, and when the group first performed it was to a mostly Caucasian audience who appreciated the music and talent in full measure.

Penn Masala's groundbreaking work has inspired other culturally oriented groups to take the next steps. The all-female South Asian-oriented a cappella group NY Masti got its start after attending one of their shows, and worked closely with the group when it launched its own troupe.

So, will we be able to turn on the radio and hear the group belting out its songs alongside Madonna or N'Sync? As Pankaj Kakkar says, "We just want to keep doing the music we're doing, expand our horizons and make our work more available." At the rate they're going, such goals seem to be in the imminent future.

Found a few of their songs on cool toad, I havent heard all, so just putting those which I heard, you can search for them on cooltoad:

Dholi Taro: http://as01.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=152968

Mere Sapno ki Rani:
http://as01.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=153085

Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain:
http://as01.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=152969

Try to over look their singing, its not that great especially coz of the 'accent', but nonetheless, their talent is FANTASTIC. i mean this is true harmony !!!

Watch the youtube episode where the top 4 challengers interact with Penn Masala, you get to see a live performance as well.. its pretty neat !

And please do post your comments..

Thanks. I've seen American Desi and heard of Penn Masala too. Some of their songs are fusion, mix of English and Hindi while some are purely in Hindi. Another Penn Masala song that was in American Desi is Mere Sapno Ki Rani. A characteristic of A Capella is that one person usually sings the main verses while the grp members 'make the music'.

Originally posted by: sonyaee

Thanks. I've seen American Desi and heard of Penn Masala too. Some of their songs are fusion, mix of English and Hindi while some are purely in Hindi. Another Penn Masala song that was in American Desi is Mere Sapno Ki Rani. A characteristic of A Capella is that one person usually sings the main verses while the grp members 'make the music'.

Ya, I just found out ! I've been listening to their music for so long, tat Aap Jaisa Koi was my ring tone for a while last year, NEVER NEVER realised that there is no music in the background...

Now I understand why they are so famous!!

I am totally getting addicted to their music.. I mean their singers are plain average, but the whole making music with voice makes the song sound really good..i wonder how they do this in concerts..

Penn Masala is the world's first Hindi a cappella group, formed in 1996 by students at the University of Pennsylvania. Combining South Asian music with a Western musical style, Penn Masala has been featured in the soundtrack of American Desi, and has released five CDs: Awaaz, 11 PM, Soundcheck, The Brown Album, and the compilation album Out of Stock.

Contents [] 1 History 2 Shows 3 Songs and Style 4 External link

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History

Penn Masala was formed in 1996 by four students at the University of Pennsylvania, who wanted to represent their Indian culture and music on campus through a capella. The students initially called themselves the "Bomb Squad" but soon changed the name to Penn Masala. Among other, more long-standing a capella groups on campus, Penn Masala stood out as the only a capella group in the world that sang Hindi music. This defining characteristic of the group brought it immediate attention as members fused Hindi and English tunes in original song formats. Soon, the group began to bill itself as "The world's first and premier Hindi a cappella group". In just four years since its inception, Penn Masala had gained close to 20 members. By 2002, the group had released its first two CDs: Awaaz (Hindi for sound) was released in 1999, and 11 PM was released in 2001. Over the next 3 years, Penn Masala released two more full albums, Soundcheck and The Brown Album, and a compilation CD entitled Out of Stock, which included favorites from the first 3 albums. All four full-length albums of the group went on to garner critical acclaim and generate an immense fan base for the collegiate group.

Shows

Penn Masala has performed shows all around the globe. Much of their traveling is done domestically; the group performs at numerous universities across the country regularly, spanning cities from San Francisco to Chicago to Boston.

In 1999, soon after the release of Awaaz, Penn Masala, went on its first international tour to England, hitting the airwaves and performing all across the United Kingdom. The group performed two large shows in New York City: once in 2000 at the Zee Gold Bollywood Awards in the Nassau Coliseum, and again in 2002 at the Bollywood Music Awards in the Hammerstein Ballroom.

The group has also travelled to India on two ocassions. In 2002, the group travelled to Mumbai, India to perform at the Star Screen Awards, during which time the members appeared on MTV Asia. In 2006, the group celebrated its 10th anniversary with a tour of India, performing at such venues as the National Centre for the Performing Arts at Nariman Point in Mumbai and Swabhumi in Calcutta.

The group also holds a large annual spring show at the University of Pennsylvania itself. The group sings a wide selection of its songs, and incorporates humor throughout the show using skits and videos that often parody or spoof television shows and movies. For example, the 2001 spring show featured a 'Penn Masala Behind the Music', parodying the VH1 show of the same name. The end of the show is usually marked by a traditional gathering of Masala alumni and current members on stage, singing various Penn Masala songs to finish the program.

Songs and Style

Penn Masala combines various types of music in its songs, including Hindi film music, pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock, and Indian Classical styles. The group also uses a wide array of languages in their songs. Their compositions are primarily sung in English or Hindi, but they occasionally use lyrics in Arabic, Punjabi, and Tamil, as well.

Many of the album tracks are medleys: half the song is an a capella cover of an English song (in the past the group has sung songs from artists such as U2 and Boys II Men), while the other half is an Indian song, often a well-known Hindi film song, readapted into a capella style. Some songs are purely Hindi; for example, "Nahin Samne" on The Brown Album. Other songs, such as "Aicha" and "Aankhon Mein Tu Hai", incorporate Hindi and English lyrics into a single song. One song, on 11 PM, entitled "Show Me the Meaning of Being Desi", is a parody of the Backstreet Boys' "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"; the song follows the same melody but changes the lyrics to lampoon common Indian stereotypes.

While most of the group's songs are re-adaptations of already existing songs, the group has also composed songs of their own, such as "Midnight" on the album Soundcheck and "Desi Ladki" on 11 PM.

Some songs have been especially favorite among fans and critics alike. "Meri Sapno Ki Rani" and "Aap Jaise Koi" were both featured in American Desi, while a music video was made for "Chamak Challo", which debuted in the Top 10 on Channel [V] India. Both "Chamak Challo" and "Bharat Humko Jaan se Pyara Hai", a celebration of India's 50th anniversary of independence, brought immediate attention to the group in the fall of 1997, and have been fan favorites ever since.

Some more info on A cappella:

A cappella

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the contemporary Christian singing group named Acappella, see Acappella (group).

A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. A cappella is Italian for like in the chapel (music); the term is due to restrictions on the use of instruments in medieval churches. It is often misspelled as a capella, which is derived from the Latin spelling, or even acappella.

The roots of a cappella music

A cappella music was and is often used in church music. Gregorian chant is an example of a cappella singing, as is the majority of sacred vocal music from the Renaissance. The Madrigal, up until its development in the early Baroque into an instrumentally-accompanied form, is also usually an a cappella form.

Present-day religious bodies known for conducting their worship services without musical accompaniment include the Amish, Old Regular Baptists, Primitive Baptists, most congregations of the Church of Christ, and the Old German Baptist Brethren, as well as some Presbyterian churches devoted to exclusive Psalmody. Eastern Orthodox Christian Church music is sang unaccompanied by instruments. Sacred Harp, a type of religious "folk" music, is an a cappella style of religious singing. It is more often sung at singing conventions than at church services. Some Muslims have adopted the idiom of a cappella music since traditional Islam prohibits the use of instruments except for some basic percussion. Muslim a cappella songs are known as nasheeds. Similarly, some who practice Judaism has adopted a cappella as a style of music used during the traditional counting of the omer period between Passover and Shavuot. During this period it is traditional for orthodox Jews to refrain from any instrumental music. Many Jewish groups have therefore taken to a cappella to produce music that can be heard through this period.

Modern a cappella

Many standard choral works are a cappella in that no accompaniment is written in except perhaps for rehearsal purposes. But in the modern parlance, it applies to vocal performers who disdain instrumental accompaniment in all cases.

A cappella music attained renewed prominence from the late 1970s onward, spurred by the success of songs by popular recording artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, The Bobs, Bobby McFerrin, The Nylons, Flying Pickets, Die Prinzen, Rockapella, Take 6, Eclipse, Voice Male, Octapella and Boyz II Men. This prominence in turn led to a resurgence in collegiate a cappella—some larger universities now have a dozen groups or more.

Some of the major movements within modern a cappella are Barbershop, doo wop, and contemporary a cappella. Contemporary a cappella includes many vocal bands who add vocal percussion or beatboxing to create a pop/rock sound.

Arrangements of popular music for small a cappella ensembles usually include one voice singing the lead melody, one singing a rhythmic bass line, and the remaining voices contributing chordal or polyphonic accompaniment . (In Japan, these parts are known as vocal, bass, and chorus, respectively.)

A cappella can also describe the practice of using just the vocal track(s) from a multitrack recording to either remix or put onto vinyl records for DJs. Artists will sometimes release the vocal tracks of their popular songs so fans can remix them.

Thanks sonya for that info...

I just heard their Bharat Humko, great job there !!

I am thoroughly impressed.. I mean after hearing such solid classical songs and music, this is like fresh breath !

wish they performed in SRGMP !!!

bump before it gets buried !