This week’s campus celebrity happens to be one of my closest friends, someone who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing since one of the first days of freshman year. He’s extremely talented, intelligent, and involved in many organizations on campus including AED, one of the pre-medical fraternities, as well as Naya Zamana!
1. For any who don’t know, what is Naya Zamana?
Naya Zamana, also known as “The New Age”, is an amazing A Capella group that was started in 2006. Many of the singers come from backgrounds such as classical Indian traditions (Karnatak), modern Hindi style (Hindustani), and Western. This distinct mix of Indian and Western cultures fuses a variety of unique voices into a harmonious sound.
2. When did you start singing?
I’ve never taken singing classes or even thought about trying to, but I would definitely say that my freshman year at UCLA is when I really picked up singing. Whether it was humming my favorite tunes while I was doing my homework or even belting out in the shower, I always found myself singing.
3. What made you decide to try out for Naya Zamana?
I first heard Naya Zamana perform at the annual Jhoomti Shaam show I attended my freshman year. The passion they had during that performance really caught my attention and I was amazed at the talent they had. Surprisingly enough, one of the captains approached me about joining the team during the Fall Activities Fair and the rest was history.
4. Do you think you will continue this hobby throughout the rest of college?
Without a doubt, I plan on being a part of Naya Zamana throughout my college career. Even though the craziness of practices and performances can be a lot to handle, I’m truly honored to be surrounded by my unbelievably talented teammates and captains. Not to mention the heart-pounding rush of performing on stage is worth it a thousand times over and I cherish it every time I’m out there pursuing my passion in singing.
5. What else do you like to do apart from singing?
As much as I love singing, I’ve been a sports junkie since I could remember. I’ve been playing basketball and tennis since I was a child and I’ve always kept up with my two favorite teams, The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. Other than that, I’m also a pretty big fan of movies. You can always find me up late at night reading the latest reviews, watching trailers for the next up-and-coming box office hit, or just watching a classic movie.
6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’ve asked myself this question way too many times and many different variations of it as well, but all I could ask of myself in 10 years is just to be happy. In a decade, I want to be excited with the career I chose, happy with the friends and family I’m surrounded by, and proud of the decisions I’ve made as a person. It’s simple, but that’s all I could ever really want.
7. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Over the last 19 years, I’ve traveled all over the world and I’m ridiculously lucky to have gone to places like London, Paris, Barcelona, Ibiza, and New Delhi. That being said I have not stopped thinking about how amazing of an experience it would be to travel to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. From everything I’ve heard and seen, it’s a place filled with so much culture, music, and beauty. It would be a dream to be there during either the upcoming Olympics or World Cup. I would love to be apart of that mixing-pot of cultures as people from all the world travel to experience the excitement of Rio.
Favorites:
-Food?
Any type of Indian food- cook for me and I’m all yours.
-Artist or Band?
I’m a huge fan of The Weeknd and everything about him is pure genius-from the way he’s been marketed as an artist to the sheer talent that he has.
-Color?
White, because it has all the colors!
-Movie?
This question is evil. One movie?! I’m going to say my top 3: The Godfather, Scarface, Shawshenk Redemption
-Memory at UCLA?
Naya Zamana winning 2nd place at an A Capella competition at UC Berkeley. At first, I was disappointed we didn’t win first for the amount of time we sacrificed, but I realized how far our team came and how well this group really connected after that competition.