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Their songs cross languages and cultures, drawing on the vast resources
of black music for their uniquely arranged versions of polyphone
songs from areas as far apart as the Caribbean and South Africa,
and traditions ranging from spirituals, gospel and blues to calypso
and reggae. With the female a cappella group "Black Voices",
traditional rhythmic and melodic pieces come in a pure, contemporary
guise, spirituals take on an expressive urgency for today's issues,
while the modern standards appearing in between are imbued with
that infectious ease marking all their music. But whether traditional
standards are treated with complete respect or appear in a surprisingly
altered form, "Black Voices" is noted for a remarkable
blend of harmonies and styles, from the sheer virtuoso to undisguised
joyous entertainment.
The group was established in 1988 as a young female a cappella
group from Birmingham's black community, and has performed ever
since as a quintet with a variety of line-ups under musical director
Carole Pemberton. Each performer is also a soloist and together
they form a collective of voices that has long made a name for itself
both in England and abroad. "Black Voices" on stage are
an electrifying experience, a fascinating mix of individual vocal
presence and highly energetic joint harmonies. It's all summed up
under quintet, black, female - a self-confident statement
of black cultural identity in today's Europe. Their performance
during the opening of IN TRANSIT 04 marks "Black Voices"
first live concert in Berlin.
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