Bobby McFerrin

The show opened with a couple dozen or so sprightly young women taking the stage, dressed in traditional eastern European folk garb. Their conductor, also in costume, raised his hands, signaled the opening downbeat, and out came the sound of serenity. Their voices blended into a rich harmony that recalled the music of cloisters and other forms of early European classical music. The ensemble was Jitro, a celebrated girls choir hailing from the Czech Republic. Their utterly charming performance was the start to A World of Voices, a colorful and joyous two-and-a-half hour concert mounted by the Kennedy Center, which showcased the power of the human voice through some of the finest a cappella ensembles from around the world.

The evening’s host and main attraction was the great Bobby McFerrin. Those who know nothing of McFerrin outside of the campy “Don’t Worry Be Happy” are missing out on one of this country’s artistic treasures. With a voice that would put any “American Idol” to shame, McFerrin transcends genres, having performed and recorded with artists as varied as Yo-Yo Ma and Chick Corea, breaks barriers with his choral ensembles, and has even become a respected orchestral conductor.

Last night, his body was his instrument and the audience was his orchestra as he used both to accompany his prodigious vocal improvisations and comedic delivery. Dressed in simple jeans and a black dashiki, and rarely resorting to words, McFerrin used sheer charisma and the seductiveness of his voice to connect with everyone in the sold out concert hall. At one point, he was using the stage as if it was the giant piano from that scene in Big, only, there were no keys on stage and the pitches were coming from the audience. You just had to be there.