overwhelmed by the response the first time around , and we ’ re so excited to be coming back to perform for you all again . Performing in India is always a ton of fun for the group because it gives us the opportunity to perform some throwbacks and other Hindi songs that we don ’ t normally get to perform in the US .
Everybody is crazy about your group and it is a landmark for the a cappella genre of music . Though we love Penn just the way it is , when do we see women artistes in the group ?
Hari : The group started off as all-male perhaps by coincidence , but we ’ ve maintained that as a tradition since then . From a musical standpoint , we ’ ve developed a core style through the male vocal register , and incorporating female voices now presents a pretty big change and challenge . We are definitely not opposed , however — we collaborated with Jonita Gandhi for the track ‘ Manwa Laage ’ off of our previous album , Resonance . She has a beautiful voice that added diversity to our album , and we really enjoyed what she brought to the song . We hope to collaborate with more female artists in the future .
Are all the band members trained singers / musicians ? What is the criterion for selection of the members and how are the members trained for a cappella ?
Praveen : Through our audition process each fall , we work hard to find the best possible freshman and sophomores to join Masala . That being said , our first round of auditions is open to any male student — no singing experience required ! We ask them to prepare a verse & chorus of an English and / or Hindi song , and if we like what we hear , we invite them for another more intensive round of auditions . After joining , new members have a great amount of responsibility early on as they learn the full repertoire of the group prior to the semester ’ s tour . Over time , they are exposed to different facets of the group ’ s operations and traditions .
With members passing out every year from the University , the members from the band also leave with new members joining in . How does this affect the group dynamics ?
Hari : One of the major challenges we experience as a college group is its rotating nature , as seniors leave and freshmen join each year . Of course , this system brings with it a need to adjust to changes in lead talent as well as getting the freshmen up to speed on their parts for the music we perform . At the end of the day , though , they contribute to the evolution of our sound as a whole , helping us continue to push the boundaries of Hindi a cappella .
Yamir , you ’ re from Kolkata and the crowd went crazy seeing a local boy perform with Penn Masala . We hear you applied to the group only six days before auditions closed . What is the story behind this ?
Yamir : I actually applied to the University of Pennsylvania 6 days after the deadline because I got an email saying the application deadline was extended . As far as my Masala auditions themselves go , it ’ s quite funny how things worked out . I auditioned for Penn Masala on a whim , more to meet the guys and get their autographs for a friend back home .
Since I was there already , I thought why not . I ’ ve always loved singing in the shower , so I just closed my eyes and went for it . A couple years later , here I am !
The live shows are super fun to attend and we can see how much fun you guys have performing as well . Tell us about your best performance till date and why ? Also , where do you find the most enthusiastic crowd ?
Nikhil : I think every member of the group would have a different answer for our best performance till date , but speaking personally my favorite show till date was definitely our show in Bangalore last year . It was the first time I had been back to visit India in a long time , and it was the first time I had ever sung in front of my grandmother , who made the trip from Mysore to come see me perform . Honestly , it ’ s really hard to say where we find our most enthusiastic crowd . We ’ re lucky to have such wonderful fans wherever we go in India . They make every performance one to remember .
Phir Le Aaya Dil features snippets from past performances of the band and Photograph / Aayat / Lal Ishq feature clips from the band members ’ childhood . Both the videos have a nostalgic feel to them . Is it a tribute to the graduating batch of Penn or is it a celebration of the work done over the past twenty years ?
Pranay : Last year was the 20th anniversary of the group since its inception , so we created the video for Phir Le Aaya Dil as a tribute to the history of the group and what those before us have accomplished for the group , giving us the privilege of being who we are today . This year , we released the video for Photograph / Aayat / Laal Ishq , which used footage from our childhoods . We were inspired by Ed Sheeran ’ s music video for his song Photograph , and we felt that using childhood footage fit well thematically with our album Yuva celebrating youth in its many forms .
Yuva has a great collection of songs and we love all the songs . Which is the band ’ s most favourite song from this album ? And which is the band ’ s favourite song from all the albums created till date ?
Brendan : Every member of the group probably has a different answer , but personally , my favorite song on Yuva is definitely Sau Asmaan / If I Lose Myself . It ’ s one of my favorite arrangements on the album , as I ’ m a huge OneRepublic fan and I love the songs on the soundtrack for Baar Baar Dekho . From all the albums created , my favorite song is Aadat / Apologize . Like I said , I ’ m a huge OneRepublic fan , and ever since I joined Masala this mash-up is one I ’ ve always loved .
Please tell us about the future projects of Penn Masala and what is next on the cards after the Yuva tour ?
Pranay : Now that Yuva is finished , we ’ re already working on some new content for the future . We try to start working on the next album as soon as the one prior is released , and we ’ ve already got some cool ideas for video projects for the coming year . Make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram and pages , and be on the lookout for announcements about what we ’ re working on next !
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