Hitting the High Notes

Aggieland’s diverse voice is being heard in the a cappella world thanks to Texas A&M University’s Swaram A Cappella. Named after the Sanskrit word for “note” or “voice,” the group was founded in 2007 and promotes a cappella music by mixing South Asian and Western cultural elements. “We blend elements from different cultures to unify the distinct aspects of our backgrounds,” said Jones Kalarickal ’21, the group’s president.

Swaram previously performed at All-American Awaaz, the national championship for South Asian A Capella, where they competed three times and were named two-time national champions. In 2019, the team represented the South Asian a cappella genre to the nation at Howdy Modi, an event celebrating Indian culture that was attended by 50,000 people, including former President Trump and the Indian prime minister. The group also finished in the top 32 of the 2020 virtual competition UpStagedAID, which received entries from more than 160 teams worldwide.

Since 2010, Swaram has released multiple albums and singles on Spotify and Apple Music, with its most recent, “Defy,” featuring songs from its All-American Awaaz performances.