One of several highlights of the 2024 Gala was the evening-opening musical performance by the South Asian a cappella group, Penn Masala. 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. Among other, more long-standing a cappella groups, Penn Masala stood out as the world’s first group to sing Hindi music. This defining characteristic brought the group immediate attention as its members fused Hindi and English music in original song formats.
Penn Masala has performed around the world, with much of their traveling done in the United States; the group performs at numerous universities and events across the world, spanning cities from Kolkata to London to Montreal and San Francisco. At the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama, Penn Masala performed in the Blue Room of the White House. More recently, they performed at the Paris Olympics and had a cameo role in Pitch Perfect 2, as competitors to the film’s featured Barden Bellas.
Penn Masala is a living, evolving group. Made up of University of Pennsylvania students, the group’s membership constantly changes as veteran members graduate and new members enter the group through an audition process.
We at the Foundation wish to thank the eleven members of Penn Masala, who so graciously traveled to New York City to entertain the guests of our 4th annual gala event. Please take a moment to view their gala performance:
