A cappella group finds key to future
Black Voices to unleash talent at Wadsworth
By Rodney Tanaka
Black Voices was an accident waiting to happen.
The all-female British group unleashes its a cappella harmonies
with an African-inspired flavor at the Veterans Wadsworth Theater
on Sunday. The group’s current popularity results from talent. Its
conception resulted from circumstance, a fortunate accident.
Founding member of the group, Carol Pemberton, often invited her
friends to her house in Birmingham to drink coffee, listen to music
and sing. Although they were background singers for other groups,
the women never thought of themselves as a group.
In 1988 they helped their friend and future manager Bob
Ramdhanie by performing at an awards ceremony for the Black Dance
Development Trust. They performed Labi Siffres’ "Something Inside
So Strong" with keyboard accompaniment, but ended the song with
some a cappella verses.
"During the a cappella stanzas the whole auditorium rose to its
feet and wouldn’t let us stop singing," Pemberton says. "So we
thought we had the makings of something."
The trio of friends were surprised when calls began to pour in,
requesting them to perform again. After performing again for a
documentary and a black arts festival they received more accolades.
They decided to form a group and keep the name Black Voices, given
to them by their manager in another odd moment of circumstance.
"To facilitate the Trust award show I said we needed a name for
the program and Bob Ramdhanie shouted from the toilet, ‘You’re
black and you’ve got voices; just say Black Voices.’ The name kind
of stuck," Pemberton says.
The group’s roster evolved to include Pemberton, Anne-Marie
Burnett, Rosielee Sinclair, Beverley Robinson and Sandra Francis.
Members joined not by auditions but by chance. Pemberton found new
members at her management studies course and her local video store.
"I think we really came together as friends rather than as a
group," Pemberton says.
Their togetherness results in music stripped to bare essentials.
Unable to hide behind electric guitars and drum kits, the group’s
talents rise to the foreground. "We see the tradition that we sing
in as coming out of the old traditions of Africa, and so it’s a
very natural way for the women to sing," Pemberton says. "In
singing a cappella you feel totally exposed; there’s nothing to
hide and it’s your voice and it blends with others to make
beautiful noise, we hope."
The group derives inspiration from the members’ heritage and
experiences on tour. "We’ve been to East and West Africa, so we
have songs in our repertoire that reflect those experiences, those
journeys," Pemberton says. "We have all the folk songs that our
parents have taught us from the Caribbean as well as a Black
British experience through which we have written our own songs and
are able to express our own experiences."
One special performing experience involves the Princess of
Wales. Shortly after the death of her father, Black Voices received
an invitation to perform a private concert for Princess Diana. "I
think the song that she most enjoyed was ‘Lean on Me’," Pemberton
says.
The group also met other members of the royal family, including
Her Majesty the Queen. Such company reflects the diversity of their
audiences. "One minute we’re singing for royalty, the next minute
we could be in a remote village in Africa working with children who
have no building they can call a school," Pemberton says.
Despite a probable lack of royalty at the Wadsworth Theater, the
Black Voices performance promises diversity and positive messages.
"We will try to do a broad range of songs," Pemberton says. "Our
strengths here will be reggae music and how we have tried to
successfully create in an a cappella form. There will also be show
songs, Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Marley."
The mix of popular and traditional songs possesses the common
bond of a positive attitude about living in harmony. "I think one
of the strongest messages we hope to convey is that we’re all
living in a world in which we all have a part to play," Pemberton
says. "If we can all do good at every opportunity and try (to) act
in love we can help make this world a better place to live in."
Intricate harmonies blended with messages of harmony result in
the continuing success of Black Voices. This group now leaves
nothing to circumstance.
MUSIC: Black Voices at the Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Sunday,
Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. TIX: $25, $22 and $9 for students. For more info
call (310) 825-2101.