Dubai, get set for Penn Masala's musical magic

For the musically inclined who want to spend an evening listening to some engaging Hindi-English mash-ups, this should come as good news: Popular college a capella group Penn Masala are heading back to Dubai after a successful summer performance here last year.
Praveen Rajaguru, Kashish Hora, Pranay Sharma, Hari Ravi, Brendan McManus, Yamir Tainwala, Nikhil Raman, Wrik Sinha, Vishnu Rachakonda, Atman Panigrahi, Sanjit Chakravarty, Ajay Vasisht, Anvit Reddy, and Anirudh Bikmal currently make up Penn Masala, who are bringing their Yuva Tour to Dubai tomorrow, May 18, at DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates.
Penn Masala was conceived in 1996 by four Indian-American University of Pennsylvania undergraduates in a quest for a sound that best showcased their third-culture identity.
Their unique mash-ups have garnered an international YouTube fan following, with most of their viral hits scoring close to 2 million views including Tonight (I'm Lovin' You) / Dilliwaali Girlfriend, The Bollywood Breakdown and Evolution of Bollywood Music.
The group remains diverse, with new freshmen joining each year and graduating classes moving on.
Even though the majority of the members are Indian Americans, the group is open to members of different cultural backgrounds - like Brendan McManus, a white Wharton junior who doesn't speak Hindi but liked the chemistry of Penn Masala and joined.
We caught up with some of the members prior to their Dubai gig.
Hari Ravi, Class of 2017
How does it feel to be part of an iconic college band, and what is the best thing about being in this group?
Being part of a college band with a storied past like ours is a privilege that we try not to take for granted. The members of the group in the past have worked incredibly hard to give us the opportunities we have today, and we do our best to remember that as we try and take the group to new heights. The best part of being in this group, though, is how close we have become. It's safe to say that each and every one of us have made some of the closest and most lasting relationships during our times in the group.

Do you have a message for your fans here in the UAE?
We're so excited to be coming back to the UAE. It's a blessing to have such amazing fans, and we're so excited to share new music from our just-released album Yuva during our live performance. Now that Yuva is finished, we're already working on some new content. Follow our Facebook and Instagram and pages, and look out for announcements about what we're working on next!
Atman Panigrahi, Class of 2019
Who are your favourite artists and how do you go about choosing a song to cover?
Picking mixes is simultaneously one of the most exciting and difficult aspects of the group. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as audience appeal, the thematic fit between two songs, and a potential song's musical fit within an album. At the end of the day, anyone in the group can suggest ideas for mash-ups, but we think critically about styles that we haven't covered recently and artists we would like to cover before making a final choice on which mash-ups we move forward with. Every member has different favourite artists, ranging from Coldplay and Arijit Singh to Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Sanjit Chakravarty, Class of 2019
What is your favourite track by the band so far?
I think it's different for all of us, but a recent group favourite is definitely Sooraj Dooba Hain/Sugar off of our most recent album, Yuva. It's a mix of two great party songs, and it's always a lot of fun to perform live for a dancing crowd.
Praveen Rajaguru, Class of 2017
What can you tell us about the new album, Yuva?
Yuva is our tenth studio album and focuses on the theme of youth. While staying true to what we believe describes our core sound, we have experimented with other elements depending on the songs we cover, by our group adding in gang vocals, elemental sounds (such as 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 our fans enjoy!

Who would Penn Masala's dream collaboration be with in the music industry?
Honestly, having the opportunity to collaborate with any big name artists in Bollywood right now would be a fantastic privilege for us as a group. Arijit Singh, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, the list goes on. But being able to collaborate with one of these artists would be an amazing opportunity to continue to grow our music in India and elsewhere.
Pranay Sharma, Class of 2017
Recently Justin Bieber was accused by many of lip-syncing at his Mumbai concert. What are your thoughts on this and on lip-syncing in general?
In terms of Justin Bieber's performance, we weren't at the show of course, and with these kinds of things it's very hard to tell. In terms of our own performances, we strive to provide our fans with a unique experience with our live performances, and as such we aim to be as authentic as possible.
Nikhil Raman, Class of 2018
In your opinion is singing a cappella a true test of an artist's talent?
I wouldn't say so. I think singing a cappella, at least the way we do, is a bigger test of the group's ability to work as a team than anything else. So much of our practice goes into coordinating the different background parts and the vocal percussion and making sure that all the different parts in the arrangement blend well together.
Praveen's five tips for aspiring singers:
*Be confident! Half of being a good singer is being confident in yourself.
*Practice, practice, practice.
*Listen to yourself sing! It's definitely hard at first, but it can help you grow so much.
*Don't be afraid to take opinions from others as well. It helps to hear what other people think.
*Have fun! Singing well is about feeling the emotion of what you're performing and enjoying the music.
Penn Masala will perform at DUCTAC tomorrow from 8pm. Tickets: ductac.org
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