Brown Sugar (a cappella)
Encyclopedia
Brown Sugar is the nation's first co-ed South Asian a cappella
group, hailing from Northwestern University
. Brown Sugar is one of the most competitive South Asian a cappella group in the nation and two-time champions of Gathe Raho, the national South Asian a cappella competition at the University of Iowa
. Founded in 1999 by two Northwestern students looking to embrace their South Asian roots, Brown Sugar performs refreshing mix of South Asian and Western music, ranging everywhere from Bollywood classics and Punjabi pop to American rock and R&B.
The group performs around the Chicagoland area and around the country. Brown Sugar has released three studio albums, "Pehla Nasha", "Rhythm Room", and "Cubed", to rave reviews, the latter two available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store.
Brown Sugar has successfully stood out in a growing South Asian a cappella scene in the U.S., winning the National South Asian A Cappella Competition, Gathe Raho, in 2010 and 2011, beating out teams from Stanford, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan
, as well as Northwestern University
's Big Ten rivals University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
and John Mayer
, songs by Karina Pasian
and Alicia Keys
of the R&B genre, as well as several South Asian songs, from Bollywood
hits of the 90's to more contemporary styles. Some popular songs and crowd favorites from Brown Sugar's past repertoire include Aaj Ki Rock, a mash-up of Aaj Ki Raat from the movie Don
and Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolph, Latoo from the movie Ghajini
, and Khuda Jaane from the Bollywood movie Baachna Ae Haseeno. In addition to songs in Hindi, Brown Sugar has included songs from other South Asian languages such as Arabic, Tamil, and Urdu. The group often features stand-alone English and Hindi songs, as well mash-ups of Bollywood and Western songs.
from the movie Fanaa
, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte from the movie Rab Ne Banadi Jodi and a mash-up of Shukran Allah from the movie Kurbaan
and Beyoncé's Halo
. Brown Sugar beat South Asian a cappella groups from Stanford University
, Case Western Reserve University
, Carnegie Mellon as well as other prominent teams from around the U.S.
Brown Sugar performs at many events in the Midwest, from South Asian weddings to benefits for Northwestern University
's charitable events for Relay for Life
and Dance Marathon
.
Pehla Nasha was released in 2003, 4 years after the group's inception. The CD includes a medley from the film Mohabbatein as well as the national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana
.
Track Listing
1. Aaja Mahiya
2. Kehna Hi Kya
3. Eternal Flame
4. Mohabbatein
5. Pehla Nasha / Angel
6. Torn
7. Taal
8. Thousand Miles / Walking Away
9. Suraj Hua Maddham
10. Jana Gana Mana
Brown Sugar's second studio album, Rhythm Rhoom, was released in 2006. It features the hit song Jiya Jale from the movie Dil Se and is originally composed by A.R. Rahman. The CD also includes a remix of Suraj Hua Maddham from the first album.
Track Listing
1. Aao Naa
2. Kaisi Paheli Zindagani
3. Dilbara
4. My Dil Goes Mmmm / Karma
5. Stolen
6. Jiya Jale
7. Suraj Remix
8. Sharara / Desert Rose
9. Aye Udi Udi Udi
10. Main Yahan Hoon / Boulevard of Broken Dreams
11. Khoya Khoya
12. Sajna Ve Sajna / Twisted
13. Secret / Made In India
Brown Sugar's most recent album, Cubed, was released in 2010 and includes the most recent songs from Brown Sugar's repertoire. Tum Se Hi and Aaj Ki Rock were featured during Brown Sugar's 2010 set at Gathe Raho, which won them their first national championship.
Track Listing
1. Barso Re
2. Taking Over Me / Chura Liya Hai Tumne
3. Apologize / Chupke Se
4. Kya Mujhe Pyar Hai / Fa Fa
5. Lesson Learned / Mar Jawaan
6. Khuda Jaane
7. Latoo
8. Lips of an Angel / Bheegey Hont
9. Tum Se Hi
10. Be Without You
11. Aaj Ki Rock
's annual Wildcat Welcome Week program for freshmen.
Current members includes Beau Garrett, Tara Patel, Arvind Krishnan, Mohini Kundu, Anjli Lodhavia, Manu Anjanappa, Kaushal Khambhati, Priyanka Tilve, Gaurav Kikani, Noor Hasan, Mitra Veeramasuneni, Vinithra Rajagopalan, Anjolie Kulkarni, Medhavi Bhasin, Jack Lowrie, Atul Johri, and Farzaan Kassam.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group, hailing from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. Brown Sugar is one of the most competitive South Asian a cappella group in the nation and two-time champions of Gathe Raho, the national South Asian a cappella competition at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. Founded in 1999 by two Northwestern students looking to embrace their South Asian roots, Brown Sugar performs refreshing mix of South Asian and Western music, ranging everywhere from Bollywood classics and Punjabi pop to American rock and R&B.
The group performs around the Chicagoland area and around the country. Brown Sugar has released three studio albums, "Pehla Nasha", "Rhythm Room", and "Cubed", to rave reviews, the latter two available for purchase on the iTunes Music Store.
History
Brown Sugar is the nation's premiere co-ed South Asian collegiate a cappella group. Founded in 1999 by two Northwestern students looking to embrace their South Asian roots, Brown Sugar has expanded and reached out to fans all over the country, recently celebrating their 10-year-anniversary in 2009.Brown Sugar has successfully stood out in a growing South Asian a cappella scene in the U.S., winning the National South Asian A Cappella Competition, Gathe Raho, in 2010 and 2011, beating out teams from Stanford, Vanderbilt, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, as well as Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Big Ten rivals University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Music Style
Brown Sugar's repertoire has historically included a wide variety of songs across genres and languages. The group has performed alternative rock hits by the Goo Goo DollsGoo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
and John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, songs by Karina Pasian
Karina Pasian
Karina Pasian is an American Grammy Award nominated singer and pianist. She is currently signed to Def Jam.-Life and career:...
and Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
of the R&B genre, as well as several South Asian songs, from Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
hits of the 90's to more contemporary styles. Some popular songs and crowd favorites from Brown Sugar's past repertoire include Aaj Ki Rock, a mash-up of Aaj Ki Raat from the movie Don
Don
- People :* Don , a short form of the masculine given name Donald in English, also a masculine given name in Irish* Don , a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian title, given as a mark of respect* Don, a crime boss...
and Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolph, Latoo from the movie Ghajini
Ghajini
Ghajini is a 2005 Tamil psychological thriller film directed by A. R. Murugadoss released on October 14, 2005. The film stars Suriya, Asin, Nayantara, Pradeep Rawat and Riyaz Khan. It was dubbed and released in Telugu by Allu Aravind in November 2005, and both versions enjoyed critical and...
, and Khuda Jaane from the Bollywood movie Baachna Ae Haseeno. In addition to songs in Hindi, Brown Sugar has included songs from other South Asian languages such as Arabic, Tamil, and Urdu. The group often features stand-alone English and Hindi songs, as well mash-ups of Bollywood and Western songs.
Performances
Brown Sugar won Gathe Raho in April 2010 and April 2011. With a diverse set of three Hindi, English, and Arabic tunes in 2011, Brown Sugar won for the second year in a row with a set that included Des RangilaDes Rangila
Des Rangila is a song from the 2006 film Fanaa, which was directed by Kunal Kohli, produced by Yash Chopra and starring Aamir Khan and Kajol.-Song:...
from the movie Fanaa
Fanaa
Fanaa can refer to:* Fanaa , a part of Sufi philosophy* Fanaa , a film directed by Kunal Kohli* "Fanaa" , a popular song from the movie Yuva...
, Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte from the movie Rab Ne Banadi Jodi and a mash-up of Shukran Allah from the movie Kurbaan
Kurbaan
Kurbaan is an Indian Bollywood movie directed by Deepak Bahry, starring Salman Khan and Ayesha Jhulka. The film, which was released on May 31, 1991, marked the debut of Delhi girl Ayesha Jhulka....
and Beyoncé's Halo
Halo
Halo may refer to:* Halo , a glow or ring of light around a head or person in art-Game franchise and spin-offs:*Halo , a video game franchise by Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios...
. Brown Sugar beat South Asian a cappella groups from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
, Carnegie Mellon as well as other prominent teams from around the U.S.
Brown Sugar performs at many events in the Midwest, from South Asian weddings to benefits for Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's charitable events for Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
and Dance Marathon
Dance marathon
A dance marathon is an event in which people stay on their feet for a given length of time. It started as a popular fad in the 1920s and 1930s, when organized dance endurance contests attracted people to compete to achieve fame or win monetary prizes...
.
Discography
Brown Sugar has released three studio albums--Pehla Nasha, Rhythm Rhoom, and Cubed.Pehla Nasha was released in 2003, 4 years after the group's inception. The CD includes a medley from the film Mohabbatein as well as the national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritized Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911...
.
Track Listing
1. Aaja Mahiya
2. Kehna Hi Kya
3. Eternal Flame
4. Mohabbatein
Mohabbatein
Mohabbatein , is a 2000 Indian Bollywood film directed by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in pivotal roles, along with six young debutantes. Aishwarya Rai appeared in flashbacks as Khan's lover. The movie was filmed at Oxford, England and Longleat...
5. Pehla Nasha / Angel
6. Torn
7. Taal
8. Thousand Miles / Walking Away
9. Suraj Hua Maddham
10. Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana is the national anthem of India. Written in highly Sanskritized Bengali, it is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911...
Brown Sugar's second studio album, Rhythm Rhoom, was released in 2006. It features the hit song Jiya Jale from the movie Dil Se and is originally composed by A.R. Rahman. The CD also includes a remix of Suraj Hua Maddham from the first album.
Track Listing
1. Aao Naa
2. Kaisi Paheli Zindagani
3. Dilbara
4. My Dil Goes Mmmm / Karma
5. Stolen
6. Jiya Jale
7. Suraj Remix
8. Sharara / Desert Rose
9. Aye Udi Udi Udi
10. Main Yahan Hoon / Boulevard of Broken Dreams
11. Khoya Khoya
12. Sajna Ve Sajna / Twisted
13. Secret / Made In India
Brown Sugar's most recent album, Cubed, was released in 2010 and includes the most recent songs from Brown Sugar's repertoire. Tum Se Hi and Aaj Ki Rock were featured during Brown Sugar's 2010 set at Gathe Raho, which won them their first national championship.
Track Listing
1. Barso Re
2. Taking Over Me / Chura Liya Hai Tumne
3. Apologize / Chupke Se
4. Kya Mujhe Pyar Hai / Fa Fa
5. Lesson Learned / Mar Jawaan
6. Khuda Jaane
7. Latoo
8. Lips of an Angel / Bheegey Hont
9. Tum Se Hi
10. Be Without You
11. Aaj Ki Rock
Members
Brown Sugar typically holds auditions at the very beginning of the academic year during Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's annual Wildcat Welcome Week program for freshmen.
Current members includes Beau Garrett, Tara Patel, Arvind Krishnan, Mohini Kundu, Anjli Lodhavia, Manu Anjanappa, Kaushal Khambhati, Priyanka Tilve, Gaurav Kikani, Noor Hasan, Mitra Veeramasuneni, Vinithra Rajagopalan, Anjolie Kulkarni, Medhavi Bhasin, Jack Lowrie, Atul Johri, and Farzaan Kassam.