Who We Are

The name “PennYo” is a play on the Mandarin word for friends, “peng you” (朋友). This aptly sums up the group's philosophy of being a tightly knit circle of friends, beginning with the group founders. PennYo members have hailed from the United States, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea and even Hungary. Yet the group has managed to foster an all-inclusive, eclectic culture that is uniquely PennYo.

The group shares a mission to bring the sounds of popular Chinese songs to the United States through a cappella. The process is not so much a direct replication of existing music as it is an evolution into a new form—a form, which the group hopes will appeal to existing fans of Chinese music, as well as those who have never been exposed before.

What is “Chinese a cappella?”

Chinese a cappella is a fledgling phenomenon which PennYo is helping to initiate in the United States. Our source material is drawn largely from the contemporary Chinese pop music scene. PennYo then takes these songs to new dimensions by filtering them through all-vocal arrangements.

Though PennYo sings primarily in Mandarin, it has also performed songs in Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and English. We strive to celebrate the richness and diversity within Chinese culture, as well as the international influences which have infiltrated the Chinese pop mainstream. Songs in the PennYo repertoire come from artists such as Taiwanese pop singers Jay Chou and David Tao, Cantonese superstar Jacky Cheung, Singaporean diva Stefanie Sun, classic Chinese singer Teresa Teng, Korean artist Shin Seung Hun, and Japanese a cappella group Try-Tone.

Brief History

2002: PennYo founded
2005: First CD (Emergence) released
2007: First international tour in Shanghai
2008: Second CD (Luminar) released
2010: Second international tour in Taiwan 2010: Third CD (Extra Spicy) released

2012: Third international tour in Singapore
2012: Fourth CD to be released

Where We Are Going

In January 2011, the group will be going on its third international tour and its first trip to the island of Singapore! Following the success of Emergence (2005), Luminar (2008), and Extra Spicy (2010), PennYo is currently producing its fourth album to be released in 2012. It’s going to be a busy year, so stay tuned for more updates!