McGill’s first South Asian A Capella group Raag Fusion has been hitting high notes ever since its formation in 2012. I had the chance to interview the co-presidents of the talented group–who affectionately refer to themselves as the Raagfam–Annie Kalarickal and Jeanelle Sequeira.
2016 Raag Members. Soprano: Aastha Nagar, Ann-Marie Kalarickal, Reshma Rajagolappan, Nashwa Rezwan; Alto: Rachel Sankhe, Jeanelle Sequeira, Vijidha Shree, Alisha Kapur, Sneha Desai; Tenor: Esha Sanyal, Mandy Chandra, Izza Sheikh, Mujtaba Noor Khan; Bass: Puru Kumar, Rashad Nilamdeen, Ankit Yelamurthy, Kishore Daggupati
About Annie and Jeanelle
Cleona Tsang for HerCampus McGill (HC McGill): Hi guys! Can you tell me a little about yourselves? What are you majoring in, what year are you, and where are you guys from?
Annie Kalarickal (AK): I am in computer science, in my fourth year here, and I am from New Jersey.
Annie Kalarickal, Co-President of Raag A Capella
Jeanelle Sequeira (JS): I am in Sustainability Science and Societies, which is an interfaculty program, in my second year, and from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Jeanelle Sequeira, Co-President of Raag A Capella
AK & JS: Although we are both very energetic people, we love to take naps because we are super emotional.
About Raag a Capella
HC McGill: When did Raag Fusion form, and what about it makes it such a unique a cappella group?
AK: Raag was formed in 2012 by Praniet Chopra and Kam Ganesan. It is unique from any other a cappella group at McGill University because we specialize in mashing up English, western music with South Asian music such as south Indian, Bollywood, etc.
JS: We have created an inclusive, fun-loving, and close-knit family that we lovingly call Raagfam. Many of the members hail from different places such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Canada, Australia, the United States, and more! Raag is an opportunity for people to explore their roots and share it with the other members, the McGill community and Montreal at large.
HC McGill: If you were to choose an animal that best embodies the essence of Raag, what would it be and why?
AK & JS: Our essence can be described as a peacock. Just kidding, that’s too stereotypical. We think we’re more like a phoenix. We’ve been through many ups and downs but we come back stronger than ever. We recently just had a really big year after a rough 2014/2015. We’re like the phoenix because we’ve renewed ourselves and are back with a new fire.
HC McGill: So, with all this talk about South Asian Fusion, we never got down to the nitty gritty. What exactly is South Asian Fusion?
JS: South Asian Fusion is the union between various South Asian cultures with a western twist. Our soloists usually sing in Hindi, Tamil, Panjabi, and English.
HC McGill: What have been your favourite performances so far, and what about those experiences stood out to you?
JS: Our favourite performances have been at the Yellow Door Coffeehouse because the crowd is so welcoming and warm. It’s always a fun experience and you get to see lots great talent amongst the other performers.
AK: This year we especially enjoyed performing for our friends and the McGill community at our very first, official Spring Showcase. We loved performing at our own event so much because it showed us just how far a group can come in a year with dedication and spunk.
HC McGill: How do you guys prep for a show? What do you usually do to celebrate after a successful performance?
AK: We usually do a full run-through of our set-list two hours prior to our performance and get everyone pumped up to give it their all. After gigs we usually go out to eat then proceed to dance really hard.
HC McGill: What are rehearsals like? Are they serious/fun/goofy/frustrating?
JS: You hit the nail on the head. We go through a range of involvement and engagement such as goofy warm-ups up to one-on-one pitch matching.
AK: Before gigs we are more serious, running through our repertoire multiple times and fine-tuning all the details. We usually release our stress by partaking in playful jam sessions.
HC McGill: Which fusion piece has been your favorite to perform so far?
AK: Our throwback Bollywood medley is our favorite fusion piece because it includes ten of our all-time favourite Bollywood songs from our childhood. When we sing, we bring lots of energy to the piece because we become kids again.
HC McGill: How many gigs does Raag do per semester?
JS: On average we do about five gigs per semester, including our own semester concert.
HC McGill: Can you give us a heads up about what you have in store for next year? ;)
AK & JS: We are coming back with new arrangements that explore more South Asian and western languages. With auditions, there will be lots of new talent added to the group in the fall and winter semesters. And potentially two Raag concerts within the academic year.
Give Raag a Like on Facebook, and check out their performances on their YouTube channel!
Images provided by interviewees.