 "Photo: Curt Youngblood/The Daily Texan")
The Indian Students Association and the UT chapter of Nourish International brought University of Pennsylvania a cappella choir Penn Masala to UT for a benefit concert Friday.
Penn Masala is the world’s first Hindi a cappella choir, and its popularity has led them to perform internationally since their inception in 1996. Made up of 12 Indian-American students, the choir performs a fusion of popular American songs and traditional Hindi songs to create a unique a cappella experience.
“Most of us grew up in the United States, but we’re still very much tied to the culture of our parents,” said Nikhil Marathe, the choir’s music director. “That transfers into a musical sense. By infusing these two types of music, we’re connecting with our heritage but still remaining contemporary.”
The choir has produced several albums, always using the name Penn Masala despite varying lineups as students graduate. Ankit Dir, the president of the choir, said performing is the most important way to develop a following. The group’s last performance at UT was in the fall of 2007.
“We like to go to new places to develop a fan base, but we also like to return to places that have an existing fan base and a supportive fan base, and UT is definitely one of those places,” Dir said.
Varun Jindal, publicity chair for the Indian Students Association, said the event was successful and served as a great benefit concert.
“During the week, we were selling tickets, and we were scared that maybe the auditorium would be empty. But the day of the event, everything fell into place,” Jindal said. “Even the group itself was very happy and said it was one of the best shows they have had.”
Around 700 people came to the concert, raising $2,500 for Nourish’s summer project in Ecuador. The group’s fundraising goal for the year is $5,000. The group will send five to 10 representatives for a two to three month venture to help a group of indigenous tribal women establish a sustainable business and become financially independent using their native arts and crafts.
Suchi Pahi, Nourish’s international project director and a biology and government senior, said their organization is unique because they fund the project and are involved with its execution. Last summer, they went to Guatemala and helped women there establish a shampoo and soap business that has maintained success.
“We actually send our own people and all of the money,” Pahi said. “And all of our projects are sustainable. We follow the philosophy of ‘Teach a man to fish.’ These arts and crafts are part of [the Ecuadorian women’s] culture, we’re just giving them the financial acumen to take it further.”
4 comments
Wonderful to see the involvement and care and Nourish International is a good organization to receive this enormous support.