Earlier this year, then-freshmen members of Sur Taal Laya—the South Asian a cappella group that performs yearly at Diwali—decided it was time to expand beyond their Diwali roots to become a year-round a cappella group.

In past years, Sur Taal Laya assembled for Diwali in full force, dissolving shortly after the event passed. The group that spearheaded the initiative to go full-time realized that Sur Taal Laya was already a great outlet for the students involved and could be a great addition to the Wash. U. a cappella and music scenes.

Jiyoon Kang | Student Life

Members of Sur Taal Laya perform for Diwali in Edison Theatre last year. The group, which blends South Asian and American musical styles, recently decided to perform year-round.

“I think there’s such a lack in diversity of a cappella on this campus,” Public Relations Chair and sophomore Noor Bekhiet said. “I think there are a lot of different genres of music that are being sung across all the [A Cappella Advisory Council] groups, but there isn’t something that highlights a diverse experience. There are so many people at this University that come from so many different backgrounds, especially in music.”

Since conceptualizing their role on campus, they’ve taken all the necessary steps to become official: Applying and receiving Student Union recognition, getting funding and hosting auditions for new members. Now they get to focus on exploring their group’s sound and writing and rehearsing new music arrangements.

The group’s signature style of arranging is to create mashups of Bollywood songs and popular English songs. This fusion creates beautiful sonic experiences that blend South Asian and American cultures.

“Bridging [our] American side makes such a beautiful combination,” Bekhiet said. “So, having that as an experience for others to enjoy and also for us is so fun—like we love arranging and mashing all these songs together.”

For members of Sur Taal Laya, performing South Asian music on the a cappella scene is an empowering experience.

“This is something that’s very near and dear to your heart that you’re singing—it’s tied so strongly to community and your background,” Sur Taal Laya Treasurer and sophomore Shruthi Ramalingam said. “We grew up as children listening to these kinds of songs. Like this is what our parents played.”

Ramalingam also shared that the group hopes to expand beyond Bollywood and start exploring other genres central to South Asian music culture.

“The thing about having it year-round is that we have so much room for creativity and so much more room for new ideas and different genres—we don’t have to just stick to Bollywood,” Ramalingam said.

Above all, Sur Taal Laya is a community of 13 Washington University students who have come together to share their story through music.

“Having this community of people where we’re all passionate about the same thing and all here for the same purpose is really beautiful,” Bekhiet said.

Sur Taal Laya’s first performance of the year will be at Diwali during the first week of November.