The Ohms from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology won first place in front of 500 guests at the South Asian a cappella contest Sangeet Sagaar in the Talley Ballroom Saturday evening.
Sponsored by NC State’s Delta Sigma Iota Fraternity, this was the first year that this type of event was held on the East Coast.
“It had never been done by us, and we didn’t know how it would turn out, but we just kept going with confidence and the result was pretty great,” said Akshay Iyer, the event’s lead organizer and a senior studying electrical engineering.
The event helped raise money for Drive Education, a nonprofit organization that works toward helping nearby schools improve education methods, and Ekal Vidyalaya, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate students in rural India.
“A few months ago we decided we wanted to bring back all the things we love,” Iyer said. “We love the community, we love music and we love unifying the community. And tonight I believe we found the ingredients to bringing all the things we love together.”
Many of the teams incorporated both Bollywood and American music into their routines and performed in elaborate costumes.
Some of the songs that were performed during the competition were popular hits such as “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, “Royals” by Lorde, “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift and “Power Trip” by J. Cole, all of which were mixed with South Asian Bollywood-style music.
The six competing teams each performed three songs, consisting of a mash-up, a ballad and a song of the team’s choice. Dhamakapella from Case Western Reserve University came in second place after the Ohms from MIT.
The final act of the night was NC State’s own a cappella team, the Grains of Time, which was an exhibition act. The group performed popular hits such as “Animals” by Maroon 5, “Centuries” by Fall Out Boy, and “Problem” by Ariana Grande to close out the show.
“They did such an awesome job, and I would say this was one of the best a capella events I’ve seen on campus so far,” said Joshua Apke, president of the Grains of Time.
Apke said it was amazing to see the event come together, especially seeing how the competing teams mixed together the two styles of American pop and Bollywood music.
“I definitely recommend people on campus checking out and getting involved in events like this,” Apke said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Three judges familiar with South Asian culture judged the performances: John Caldwell, a Department of Asian Studies professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, Madhumita Saha, a vocalist who trains others in Indian classical vocals, and Afroz Taj, a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill who teaches courses related to South Asian cultural aspects, such as film, media, music and theater.
