Dhamakapella

Dhamakapella

The Dhamakapella Logo
Background information
Origin Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Genres Fusion, A cappella
Years active 2005–present
Website dhamakapella.org

Dhamakapella is an award-winning coed South Asian fusion a cappella group based in Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.[1] Formed in the spring of 2005 by students Mayank Prasad, Raksha Soora, and Manoj Nair, Dhamakapella’s music has been influenced from both Eastern and Western elements, and mixes contemporary Western songs with popular Eastern music. Within the last two years, Dhamakapella has placed and been ranked in four distinct competitions, and released its debut album, Pehli Nazar: First Look. The group released its new sophomore album, "Naya Zamana / Welcome to the New Age" on February 28, 2015.

History

Dhamakapella was formed in 2005 by student Mayank Prasad at Case Western Reserve University. With help from students, Raksha Soora and Manoj Nair, Mayank organized and established the first university-recognized coed a cappella group, which would feature genres from both Western and Eastern cultures. Within three years, Dhamakapella grew into a sixteen-member group, with singers of various and diverse styles. Due to the untraditional arrangements and unique compositions, the group instantly stood out on University campus and downtown Cleveland.[1] In 2011, Dhamakapella released its debut album Pehli Nazar: First Look,[2] and "Naya Zamana / Welcome to the New Age" on February 28, 2015,[3] following the group's growing popularity across the city and the University. The group derives its influences from Indian classical, contemporary Bollywood, pop, dubstep, and electronic genres.

Performances

Dhamakapella performs across the United States and various universities as well, spanning cities from Philadelphia to Berkeley.[4]

Dhamakapella has placed at four different competitions, being considered one of the top South Asian a cappella groups in the nation. Their awards include placing 2nd at Anahat 2011,[5] hosted by UC Berkeley Indus; 2nd place at Phillyfest Phillharmonic 2013 in Philadelphia,[6] 1st place at Gathe Raho 2013 hosted by the Indian Student Alliance at the University of Iowa,[4][7] and most recently placing 2nd at the first annual Sangeet Sagar (2015) hosted at North Carolina State University

Other competitions that Dhamakapella has partaken in include SingStrong A Cappella Festival 2012, and Wooster VoiceFest 2013.[8][9]

Discography

Reception

Pehli Nazar: First Look received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. The Recorded A Cappella Review Board, which assigns a normalized rating out of 5, gave the album a 3, based on various reviews.[10] Jonathan Minkoff quoted that “The unique vocal flips, melismas and haunting scale forms of Indian music are by far the most interesting elements of the group's debut” and “The merger of East and West is a compelling artistic concept and one that Dhamakapella is uniquely suited to present.” Writer Catherine Lewis praised the album’s arrangements and complexity, stating “When Dhamakapella is on, the group absolutely hits it out of the park.”[10]

References

External links