Chai Town is an all-male, South Asian

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

group based at the

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

. Formed in 2001, Chai Town is an a cappella group and specializes in mixing South Asian and Western music songs together in unique and complex vocal arrangements. Since its inception, Chai Town has released five studio albums and tours across the United States and Canada to perform their music.

History

Towards the end of 2000, two students, Anish Parikh and Rishi Jain, created a last minute act for a talent competition at the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

. The act ended up being a success and they decided to continue it as a student organization. The two, being avid drinkers of

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

and being from the suburbs of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, combined the moniker for

, Chi-Town, with chai - the word for tea in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

and many

South Asian languages South Asia is home to several hundred languages, spanning the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is home to the fourth most spoken language in the world, Hindi–Urdu; the sevent ...

- to form the name, Chai-Town. In 2015, the group dropped the hyphen in their name. Chai Town still tours throughout the year, across the United States and Canada, performing for humanitarian funding efforts, private events, private fundraisers, and school events. They have performed for multiple events aiming to raise funds for educating children in India, in partnerships with schools.

Notable performances

September 27, 2014 - Performs at University of Connecticut for Asha for Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing education availability in India held

Storrs, Connecticut Storrs ( ) is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The village is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, ...

. August 15, 2014 - Performs at TD presents Mosaic Festival (with

Rekha Bhardwaj Rekha Bhardwaj is an Indian singer and live performer. She has received two Filmfare and one National Awards. In addition to Hindi, she has also sung in Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and Malayalam languages. Personal life Bhardwaj was born ...

Karsh Kale Karsh Kale (pronounced ''Kursh Kah-lay'', ''कर्ष काळे'' in Marathi; born 1 November 1974) is an Indian-American musician born in England. Known primarily for his experimental tabla playing within electronic music contexts, Kale ...

, and

Jonita Gandhi Jonita Gandhi (born October 23, 1989), credited professionally as Jonita, is a Canadian singer known for her work in the Indian film and music industries. Since 2024, she has performed as a solo pop artist by releasing her debut Independent E ...

) in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. February 3, 2013 - Benefit concert at

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

alongside Astha a Cappella and opens for

Penn Masala Penn Masala is an American a cappella group. It is the world's first and premier South Asian a cappella group. Formed in 1996 by students at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Masala's music has been influenced by the Eastern and Western cultur ...

. January 25, 2013 - Performs at Knox College for International Fair 2013. December 1, 2012 - Guest act at The Manhattan Project 4.0, a fusion dance competition held in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. November 13, 2012 - Performs at

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The University offers over 140 undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, education, Legal education, law, and pharmacy. Drake U ...

for the Diwali Night 2012 show. April 6, 2012 - Performs at a fundraiser for

CARE International CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, formerly Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and long-term international development projects. Founded i ...

hosted by the

Delta Phi Omega Delta Phi Omega (commonly referred to as DPO, or ) is a nationally-based, South Asian-interest, multicultural sorority in the United States. It is a social, service, and philanthropy-based Greek letter organization whose main focus is to empowe ...

sorority at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the Universi ...

. March 10, 2012 - Chai-Town holds its tenth anniversary show, The BrewPrint, and releases their third studio album, ''Fresh Brewed''. February 11, 2012 - Chai-Town places 2nd at Gathe Raho 2012. September 30, 2011 - Live performance of ''Amplifier'', originally by

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

, is featured on Desi Hip Hop. February 26, 2011 - Guest act at Naach Nation 9, an intercollegiate dance showcase, held at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. February 19, 2011 - Performance at Knox College. November 13, 2010 - Chai-Town places 3rd at Anahat 2010. April 10, 2010 - Chai-Town places 3rd at Gathe Raho 2010. March 12, 2010 - Performance at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

. March 8, 2010 - Chai-Town participates in the Will-TV A Cappella BEATdown competition with a Cappella groups like the Rip Chords, Girls Next Door, Tone Rangers, Blu Bop, Chandani, Femme Forte, and Cut Time. Chai-Town is declared as the overall winner of this competition by winning the online and phone votes while also being the judges' choice. January 23, 2010 - Performance at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

for a Martin Luther King Jr. Community Event. January 22, 2010 - Featured at the local radio station in Champaign, Illinois on January 22, 2010. November 7, 2009 - Chai-Town places 2nd at Anahat 2009. October 31, 2009 - Chai-Town wins the Homegrown Talent Competition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign while competing with the likes of the Rip Chords, Girls Next Door A Cappella, Dance 2XS, 3 Spot and a lot more. April 13, 2009 - Awarded the Best Organization Award by the Asian American Cultural Center. Spring of 2009 - Chai-Town performs at

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Michigan is one of th ...

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

, and take part in the competition Gathe Raho, hosted by the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

. Chai-Town participates in the South-Asian a cappella competition called Anahat, hosted by

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...

and has achieved first place twice in 2004 and 2007. Chai-Town performs at all major events at

UIUC The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

organized by the Indian Students Association like India Night.

Style

Chai-Town covers a wide range of musical genres. This includes music from Indian movies like

My Name is Khan ''My Name Is Khan'' is a 2010 social action drama film directed by Karan Johar and co-written by Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead roles, and is a co-production between India, the United St ...

and

Anjaana Anjaani ''Anjaana Anjaani'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra as two suicidal strangers who meet and make a pact ...

, such as "Sajda" and "Tujhe Bhula Diya". They have also covered English songs of western artists, for example "Anytime" by

Brian McKnight Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. (born Brian Kelly McKnight; June 5, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, record producer, radio personality, and multi-instrumentalist. An Contemporary R&B, R&B performer, he is recognized for his strong ...

, "Kiss From a Rose" by

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

, and "Rockin' That Thang" by

The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...

. Some of their most recent songs include "Mirrors", by

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

and hip-hop song "All of the Lights" by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, which have been uploaded to

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

, Spotify, and Apple Music. Chai-Town has also covered songs in other

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n languages besides

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

; They have covered a

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

song, "Pachchai Nirame", a

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

song, "Aunana Kaadana", and a

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

song, "Amplifier", further expanding their repertoire of languages. Chai-Town has mixed many Indian songs with English songs. Some among the many are "Rockin' That Thang" by

mixed with "Pehli Nazar Mein" from the movie '' Race'' and "Imma Put It on Her", by

Day26 Day26 is an American male Contemporary R&B, R&B music group formed in August 2007 by Sean Combs, Sean "Diddy" Combs in a handpicked selection at the end of MTV's ''Making the Band, Making the Band 4.'' The group consists of Robert Curry, Brian A ...

, mixed with "Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai" from the movie, ''

Gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...

'', and "Love in This Club" by Usher.

Discography

Thus far, Chai-Town has released five albums and six singles. Two of the albums, Good to the Last Drop and Arohanam, were produced through STTM Productions and their two latest albums, SPECTRUM and The Brewprint, were produced by Plaid Productions. Presently, all of Chai-Town's music is distributed through Loudr. ''SPECTRUM (2017): Arranged by Niranjan Jayanth, Chirantan Neogy, Ali Nizamani, & Shanay Thakkar'' ''The SRK Mix - Single (2015): Arranged by Niranjan Jayanth'' ''The Brewprint - (2014): Arranged by Ali Nizamani, Aalok Gandhi, Arindam Chakravartti, Tanmay Mishra & Kevin Thomas'' ''Mirrors - Single (2013): Arranged by Ali Nizamani & Tanmay Mishra'' ''Boyfriend - Single (2012): Arranged by Tanmay Mishra'' ''Fresh Brewed (2012): Arranged by Arindam Chakravartti, Tanmay Mishra, Kevin Thomas, Amit Vaishampayan & Neesh Shah'' ''Arohanam (2008): Arranged by Ravi Jain, Jaimin Amin, Neal Srivastava & Arjun Venkataswamy'' ''Good Till The Last Drop (2006) : Arranged by Anish Parikh, Rishi Jain & Ravi Jain''

Members

Chai-Town holds auditions at the beginning of every semester. Every semester, the group picks up as many new members as it needs. , members are Satej Sukthankar, Agastya Gaur, Anantajit Subhramanya, Azeem Newaz, Aditya Nair, Dhruv Menon, Dhairya Mehta, Ayaan Gul, Dhruv Auti, Srikar Girijala, Mihir Apte, Shrikar Chennuru, Aryan Chandra, Kaushal Amancherla, and Parthiv Voleti. List of Alumni: Anish Parikh, Rishi Jain, Ashish Shah, Sandip Shah, Aditya Nemlekar, Pritesh Patel, Ashwin Suresh, Rishin Pandya, Rahul Nayak, Paras Mehta, Gaurav Venkateswaran, Vikas Jain, Virag Shah, Terrence Moduthagam, Eric Jensen, Dome Mongkolpradit, Sean Wang, Josh Cho, Jaimin Amin, Aditya Mehta, Ravi Jain, Vishal Desai, Harsh Shrivastava, Gaurav Dubey, Bharat Srikishan, Neal Srivastava, Siddhartha Raja, Akash Kushal, Danial Baweja, Suchun Shah, Raghu Kumar, Vikram Raghavan, Ibrahim Mekki, Saurabh Kukreti, Bimel Thomas, Samarth Bhaskar, Arjun Venkataswamy,

Prashanth Venkataramanujam ''Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj'' is an American comedy talk show hosted by Hasan Minhaj that premiered on October 28, 2018, on Netflix and ran until June 28, 2020. It also had all the episodes, exclusives, and deep cuts on its YouTube channel. ...

, Amandeep Gargi, Amit Vaishampayan, Shazad Ahmed, Gautam Srikishan, Manu Colacot, Eeshaan Roy, Vivek Thyagarajan, Arun Kousik, Andy Castillo, Tim Stilling, Anooj Avashia, Jaison Alexander, Bharat Kusuma, Tanmay Mishra, Amol Gokhale, Neesh Shah, Arindam Chakravartti, Bijoy Varghese, Vinay Srinivasan, Tejas Mallela, Sai Gudimella, Kevin Thomas, Anant Kumar, Jeswin Thomas, Sunil Thomas, Aaron Oraham, Aalok Gandhi, Angad Uday, M. Asif Bhatti, Anshuman Girdhar, Milan Shah, Siddharth Soni, Chirantan Neogy, Ronjoy Kalita, Anto Sagayaraj, Paarth Joshi, Manan Shah, Shanay Thakkar, Mason Qian, Sergio Arroyo, Shan Tulshi, Vignesh Chandrasekar, Siddharth Ray, Sai Rajesh, Nathan Du, Adarsh Ramchandran, Vikransh Aggarwal, Adithya Rajan, Prudhvi Kalla, Yash Hiremath, Sagnik Banerjee, Rishi Krishnan, Keerthi Rajaram, Ninaad Sridharan, Aaron Wang, Abhimanyu Thosar, Aditya Dutt, Sabar Nimmagadda, Vishal Moola, Kavin Lavari, and Suchet Kumar.

External links

Official Chai-Town Webpage

References

{{authority control University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student organizations Collegiate a cappella groups Musical groups established in 2002 2002 establishments in Illinois