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Penn Masala, the world's first and premier Hindi a cappella group, was formed in 1996 by a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania. After breakthrough performances at Bhangra Blowout in 1998 and SASA 1999, the group took the nation by storm and went on to perform for sold-out crowds in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, and Philadelphia. Over the last decade, Penn Masala has spread the popularity of Hindi a cappella music abroad by performing in Toronto, London, and at the 2002 Star Screen Awards in Mumbai, where they had the honor of performing alongside the Indian sensation, Sunidhi Chauhan. In 2003, the group was invited to perform at the Zee Bollywood Awards in New York and was honored by receiving the Project IMPACT Award for Outstanding Contribution to the South Asian-American Community. Penn Masala completed its first tour of India in the January 2006 by performing for thousands in Mumbai and Kolkata. During this trip, the group was featured on the hit Zee TV Show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005 as well as on multiple TV and radio talk shows.
Penn Masala’s music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultures that represent the group’s membership and it continues to inspire the South-Asian American population. In ten years, Penn Masala has released five albums, all of which have been well-received by fans of all ages. The group also released its first compilation CD, Out of Stock, of some of its most popular songs, two of which were featured on the soundtrack of the 2001 hit movie, American Desi. Currently, the group is promoting it's sixth studio album, On Detours, which will be released on March 28th, 2009. The album features a mix of popular Hindi and English covers as well as two originals: Kal Ka Sapna and Distant Places.
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