Congratulations Varshil (Patel)! The group’s Evolution of Bollywood Music video has gone viral and is trending on the social network. Why did you suddenly think of doing this?

Thank you so much! We initially had heard the a cappella group called Pentatonix do an Evolution of Western Music video. We loved it, and it gave us the inspiration to make a similar video for Bollywood music. The Bollywood genre has evolved so much over the decades, we really wanted to show the progression in a musical format. From there, the project really took a life of its own as we chose songs for different decades, arranged them together, and moved forward with recording the track.

Let’s rewind to 1996. Tell us the story of what triggered an a cappella group doing Hindi songs in University of Pennsylvania, America?

Penn Masala was a brainchild of four founding members who shared a similar passion for both Hindi and Western music. They did something that had not been done before — combining the two continents’ music styles to synthesise a sound that was entirely new. With the support of friends and South Asian societies, Penn Masala’s early tape recordings were well received. It all started from there. Next thing you know, the group started receiving invitations to perform at college campuses around the US and even got an opportunity to be featured in the Kal Penn-starrer American Desi in 2001. Eight studio albums and many tours later, we are grateful to our fans all over the world for the support they’ve given us over the past two decades.

But still no girls in the group!

Masala began as an all-male Hindi a cappella group, and it’s stuck since then! The group has a lot of traditions and this could be considered one of them. Regardless, we really do love singing songs by both male and female playback singers in the industry today.

How does one audition and qualify as a Penn Masala member?

As seniors graduate we take in new talent picked through weeklong auditions in the fall and spring by the existing group. It gives the group an opportunity to hear some incredible talent and meet many of the guys who we’ll be spending countless hours with in rehearsals! The only criteria to be considered for the group are a good voice and passion for Hindi and Western music.... The ultimate question is whether or not they have the potential to develop as both singers and brothers in the group.

We have 12-15 members per year and currently 14. Upon entering the group, new members have a training period where they get up to speed with the veteran members. We often have shows towards the beginning of the college semester, so many times they have up to two weeks to learn an entire show’s arrangements. It can be challenging.

Take us through the process –– from the repertoire to picking the songs to the arrangement to the vocal choreography...

The musical process for every song that Masala releases is unique in its own way. Everyone in the group has a general voice part that they sing — be it the meaty bass notes or the sweet tenor parts and many of us sing varied voice parts given a specific song. Many members of the group also beatbox which provides for diversity. We choose every song and mash up individually. From there, we spend months arranging the song, tweaking and fine-tuning the mash until we are completely happy with it. This is one of the most intensive processes that the group undertakes (which is why we also have multiple arrangers), but it is also one of the most rewarding. We don’t have any set choreography during shows, but the group does make sure that our fans and friends at shows have an amazing time!

How many songs do you usually pack into a performance?

Most performances comprise three sets of four or five songs. This makes our shows a healthy length and gives us the opportunity to showcase our hit songs, deeper cuts and new releases altogether. And, of course, an encore here and there.

What kind of challenges does an a capella group face as opposed to a regular music band?

Not having a physical instrument inherently introduces different challenges to a performing group than a regular band. For starters, we have to sound like an entire ensemble despite only using our mouths! This lends itself to many creative opportunities for us to mimic Western and South Asian instruments –– from tablas to guitars to sitars! The group takes a lot of precautions to make sure that we all stay healthy and on our A-game.

Tell us about your meeting with President Obama. How did that come about and what did he have to say?

That experience was unlike any other. We were fortunate to be asked to perform at the White House for President Barack Obama’s Diwali celebration and the signing of an important Asian-American initiative. Actor Kal Penn of Harold & Kumar fame was working at that time as the associate director of the White House office of public engagement in the Obama administration. As the liaison with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, he contacted us a few weeks before the ceremony. Walking through the White House, meeting President Obama, performing for him and other dignitaries and having the President say the name ‘Penn Masala’ to dozens of cameras was indeed surreal. It’s actually funny, because later on that year we went on to put up a similar performance for UN secretary-general Ban Ki- moon and he said to us ‘Was this as exciting as performing for Mr Obama?’

As University students, how do you balance your studies with such extensive rehearsing, performing and touring?

Being in the group has been an amazing way to learn time management. Balancing a commitment like Penn Masala with studies and other extracurricular activities makes us better at prioritising and being efficient. Every member of the group is also involved in numerous other activities on campus, so while the group is a big commitment, it does not take away from our other interests.

After 18 years, is Penn Masala looking at breaking any new grounds with a cappella?

Penn Masala is definitely striving to continue innovating in the a cappella sphere. Every album we produce marks a new step forward for our sound and creativity. Our eighth studio album, Kaavish, highlights some of these changes. We sought to experiment with new languages, arranging styles and really changing the perception of what a cover should be and that they do not necessarily have to sound exactly like the original.

“Walking through the White House, meeting President Obama, performing for him and other dignitaries and having the President say the name ‘Penn Masala’ to dozens of cameras was indeed surreal...”

When do we see you guys in Calcutta again? And any Bong connection?

We cannot wait to return to Calcutta soon. We had an incredible experience the last time we came to Bengal (in 2006) and would love to explore the area a bit more. As for a Bong connection, we’ll have to get back to you when Anjan Dutt gets back to us! A Calcutta collaboration would be pretty incredible!