Monday, February 2, 1998
Swedish vocalists are Real thing
MUSIC With a strong background in jazz,
a cappella quintet exudes distinct sensuality
By Jessica Holt
Daily Bruin Contributor
They groove. They swing. To use the lingo, they are tight.
The Real Group, a Swedish vocal quintet, brings their cool,
jazzy rhythms and harmonies to UCLA for the first time Sunday at
Schoenberg Hall.
"The Real Group knows how to swing together, groove together,"
explains Megan Beltran, a member of UCLA’s a cappella group Awaken.
"Their sense of rhythm, pitch and creativity really make them
special."
Created 14 years ago, the
a cappella vocal group has been perfecting their repertoire of
American jazz, old standards and pop music ever since.
Formed while they were still college students, the group now
serves as an inspiration to singers all over the world. Yet The
Real Group began by accident.
"It was a coincidence, really," says alto Katerina Nordstrom in
perfect, if not slightly lilting, English. "The three men (Anders
Edenrot, Peder Karsson, Ander Jalkeus) in the group were studying
at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. They had a free subject
once a week to do something like form a band. But they couldn’t
find a drummer and they thought, let’s sing instead."
The men asked Nordstrom and soprano Margareta Jalkeus to sing as
well, and thus the birth of The Real Group.
Their intricate, lush sound has proved to last well beyond that
free subject at the Academy. With nine CDs under their belt, star
status in their native Sweden, and appearances through Europe, the
Far East and several North American cities, The Real Group is
slowly capturing the imagination of American music lovers as
well.
"The Real Group is an at-the-moment group. They are so tight.
All of their voices blend so perfectly," Beltran comments.
The group is comfortable singing all kinds of music from Count
Basie big band to the Beach Boys surfer tunes. To unite all these
genres, the group relies on a shared love and respect for jazz
which forms the backbone of their music.
"Jazz is our mutual background. That’s the style of music where
we can find each other," Nordstrom explains.
While they draw inspiration from many genres of music, The Real
Group tends to separate themselves from comparisons and parallels
to other music groups.
"Since we are a vocal group, we can’t sound like a pop or jazz
group because you need instruments. We have to look at ourselves as
if we are doing something completely different," Nordstrom says.
"Not jazz, not pop, not choir, but vocal group singing. It’s
completely unique."
Although there are inevitable comparisons to popular American a
cappella groups like Take 6 and Manhattan Transfer, The Real Group
distinguishes themselves with a different repertoire and style.
"We never really look at other vocal groups except to make sure
we don’t do anything they do," Nordstrom says.
This integrity for originality and creativity impresses Lily
Liu, president of Awaken.
"They don’t sound like a whole lot of other a cappella groups.
The Real Group sound different because they are willing to try new
things with their voices and try new kinds of styles," Liu
says.
One thing that makes this group stand out especially from others
is their sense of sensuality and playfulness.
"A lot of a cappella groups don’t sound sexy," Liu says. "I
listen to the King Singers or Manhattan Transfer who sing a
cappella and I am in awe of what good singers they are but they are
seldom described as sexy or sultry. But when you listen to The Real
Group’s music, it’s so sexy."
The unique, sultry sound is expressive and nuanced but The Real
Group works hard to maintain that level of excellence. They
rehearse five to six days a week, four to five hours a day. With
all that time together, the group knows all the little quirks in
each other’s personalities, good and bad.
"It’s like a family," Nordstrom laughs. "I think when we’re 55
years old we’re probably going to be telling people about group
dynamics. We’ll give inspirational talks."
It is this sense of family that keeps The Real Group excited
about their music and performing.
"I really love my friends and I think that’s mutual from
everybody. It’s really special," Nordstrom reflects. "We’re very
different; politically, religiously, we’re all different. But I
think that’s very good because it’s inspirational. There’s always
discussions about everything and that’s how you develop as a human
being."
MUSIC: The Real Group will perform at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall on
Sunday at 4 p.m. This event features a Center Stage Lecture at 3
p.m. with company members. Tickets are available at the UCLA
Central Ticket Office for $25 and $9 for UCLA students with a valid
I.D. Call (310) 825-2101.
UCLA Center for the Performing Arts
Swedish a cappella quintet The Real Group makes its West Coast
debut Sunday. With nine CDs and star status in their native Sweden,
the members exhibit a unique style.