Penn Masala

Penn Masala
Penn Masala in 2023.
Penn Masala in 2023.
Background information
OriginUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
GenresWorld, a cappella
Years active1996–present
WebsiteOfficial website

Penn Masala is an American a cappella group. It is the world's first[1][2] and premier[3][4] South Asian a cappella group.[5] Formed in 1996 by students at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Masala's music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultures that represent the group's membership. The group was featured on the soundtrack of American Desi,[6] and has released twelve full-length albums: Awaaz, 11 PM, Soundcheck, The Brown Album, Pehchaan, On Detours, Panoramic, Kaavish, Resonance,Yuva, Musafir, Midnight Oil, an EP titled Vol. 1 and the compilation album Out of Stock. The group has performed at the White House (in October 2009 via invitation of Barack Obama and June 2023 via invitation from Joe Biden).[7]

Penn Masala performs in the Blue Room of the White House in October of 2009 due to invite from President Barack Obama

Penn Masala has also performed for the Indian Filmfare Awards, and for prominent leaders including Henry Kissinger, Ban Ki-moon, Mukesh Ambani, and Narendra Modi. The group also had a cameo role in Pitch Perfect 2,[8] released in May 2015.

  1. ^ Rapkin, Mickey (2009). Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. Penguin. ISBN 978-1-59240-463-6.
  2. ^ Penn Masala performs at the White House Penn Current - October 15, 2009
  3. ^ Penn Masala to perform in city The Hindu - January 10, 2010
  4. ^ Penn Masala - The World's Premier South Asian A Cappella Group Archived 2012-01-13 at the Wayback Machine India West
  5. ^ Matheson, Kathy (2007-02-24). "UPenn group spices up college a cappella scene with Hindi songs". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  6. ^ Patel, Anhoni (May 18, 2001). "Penn Masala Croons A Cappella". AsianWeek. Archived from the original on June 22, 2001. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  7. ^ "Penn Masala sings SRK's 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' at White House for PM Modi's welcome". The Times of India. June 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Lim, Eunice (2014-08-24). "The South Asian a cappella group is the only real collegiate performance group in the movie". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2015-05-18.