A cappella is a unique form of music without the use of instruments, created solely from a group of people with extraordinary voices. NC State is no stranger to a cappella, with the University boasting several student-run a cappella groups with a multitude of talent. Jawaani is one such group.
In Hindi, Jawaani means “youth” or “full of life,” a fitting name for the group. Jawaani defines itself as a South-Asian fusion a cappella group, especially during performances. Marissa Koshy, a fourth-year majoring in psychology, said this is largely because most of the group’s 14 members are South Asian.
“We try to be different coming on campus,” Koshy said. “I would like to think that we’re unique and also bringing some culture to the music platform at NC State.”
The group has performed at multiple events on campus, including Sangeet Saagar and Navarasa; however, many of their past opportunities have been put on pause due to the pandemic. In response, the fusion a cappella group is actively working to record an album.
“We definitely had some really awesome opportunities,” Koshy said. “Then the pandemic happened, of course, but we didn’t let that stop us. We thought that the next best thing would be recording.”
Koshy said the album will span multiple genres – a testament to the group’s unique sound. She also urges everyone to keep an eye out for their release and hopes people enjoy their sound.
“We don’t like to stick to just one thing, and I think people will see that when they see the songs that we selected for the album,” Koshy said. “We tried to bring in some classical elements, also bring in Bollywood, but different aspects of India as well, because there’s more to India than just Bollywood and more to South Asia than just Bollywood. Then like with Western music, we try to bring in different genres, not just like pop music.”
For Koshy, Jawaani is more than just an extracurricular; it is an opportunity to be a part of something larger during her time at NC State. Being a part of Jawaani, for her, is a way to be seen and heard while participating in singing, something she has always loved. Not to mention, lifelong friendships she’s formed along the way.
“I feel like the people in our group just get me, and I love to hang around them; they’re definitely like my family,” Koshy said. “Also, it’s always so fun to have the experiences that we’ve had and, and to just experiment with music. I think it really helps to just get out of that studying bubble and join something where I get to use my artistic mindset and also just be around people that are like-minded.”
Koshy encourages anyone who is musically inclined to learn more about their a cappella, noting that many of the members have varying musical backgrounds.
“We have people that are classically trained,” Koshy said. “We have people that have never really learned music, but that’s kind of the beauty of Jawaani. Like, you don’t have to be fully experienced in music to join our group. We just want to see that you have that passion for music, that talent for it.”
Students who are interested in learning about Jawaani, especially beatboxers, bass or tenors, are invited to reach out via Twitter, @ncsujawaani, to submit an audition for spring 2021. The application deadline is Jan. 21.
