A capella show uplifts, falls flat

While it may seem on the surface that the a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock is composed of six talented women with unique abilities, there is, in fact, a seventh member of the ensemble that they like to include in their performance — the audience. Being a part of the show makes for an engaging performance, even if the music itself lacks in originality.

At their performance at the Carpenter Center on Saturday, Sweet Honey proved that their experience is more than just an audible musical experience. It is a conversation about the important themes of life, and is a personal exchange of culture and ideas.

Instead of simple transitions between songs, the audience heard a soft, melodious tune about the grace of God before the music stopped. During these silent moments, one of the ladies spoke about the burdens of poverty or preserving the environment and then seamlessly began another song based on the topic. Each song carried that message and each message had a different voice. One of the members of the group repeated the lyrics in sign language for people who were hard of hearing so that their message reached all.

During the show, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, a Sweet Honey member, performed a chant from a central African tribe that lives in the rainforest. When she chanted "Ama-ibu owi-ay," she almost pierced the air with its intensity. She continued the chant for about 30 seconds until she unexpectedly stood up and told the audience about where the chant came from. Barnwell taught the chant to the audience and asked them to recite it along with her.

Some of the music was uplifting, catchy and surprising. At other times, the music fell flat, endlessly repeating similar baselines for different songs. Barnwell, who once dazzled the crowd with her stimulating conversation, supplemented every tune with a kind of "toomp, toomp, toomp" sound that became frustrating after a while.

Louise Robinson usually led the more soulful songs that uplifted the audience in the show. Robinson was described by her fellow group member, Aisha Kahlil, as being the person who "takes us to church every time" during every performance.

Unfortunately, songs with gospel choir-influences were the only creative and interesting music in Sweet Honey's repertoire. While the harmony of their voices were awe-inspiring, some of their original compositions like group member Nitanju Bolade Casel's "Give Love," drummed along and never really reached a peak. Their adaptation of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" featured Kihlel spouting out one-syllable notes for several minutes, transitioning into a song which repeated the word "freedom" more often than people who quote the movie "Braveheart."

Sweet Honey in the Rock appeals to a crowd looking for music with more of a message than a melody. They can, however, find great melodies in this musical essay about life. Unfortunately, those melodies can be all too rare sometimes.

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