Twenty-five years have passed since Ladysmith Black Mambazo first came to the attention of Western ears through their work on Paul Simon‘s seminal Graceland album. Since that time, the South African a cappella group has toured the world continuously, spreading its gospel of peace and harmony. Every Mambazo performance is a completely uplifting experience, presenting the audience a chance to witness a group of men whose goal is to attain pure joy, both for themselves and those listening.

Bobby McFerrin, photo by Stewart CohenOver the past 20 years, Bobby McFerrin has conducted some of the world’s finest orchestras, bringing a fresh energy to classical music. His collaborations with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock have topped the classical and jazz charts, and he founded the vocal ensembles Voicestra and Circlesongs, earning Grammy nods along the way. Combining formidable musical knowledge and technique with an unbridled enthusiasm and curiosity,…

There are not many performance ensembles to which the word “institution” is applicable. And when it is, we are often discussing groups that rest on past accomplishments, preserve what has come before, and live on nostalgia. All of this could not be further from the truth when discussing Sweet Honey in the Rock, the colorful and world renowned African American women’s a cappella ensemble that was founded here in the District, 35 years ago….

There’s just something endearing about watching two earnest college a cappella groups vie to win the big competition, squabbling and smooching their way through school in the process. It’s what lies behind the appeal of such works as Disney’s High School Musical and Fox’s “Glee” series, and helps to make The A Cappella Party a fun way to spend an hour during this year’s Fringe festival. Sure, the plot’s kind of thin (so was…

Bobby McFerrinThe 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…