SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK HARMONIES CAPTURED TO PERFECTION AT THE MELBOURNE CONCERT HALL

Been a long while since i talked about any indigenous music
on here. Indigenous meaning black music. In fact there has
only been two other instances, once about soulful crooner
& singer/songwriter Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu & the
other time the caucasian but very Aboriginal and Dream-
time inspired didgeridoo player Andrew Langford from
Alice Springs. So i thought it is long overdue for me
to add another take on an indigenous recording that
really takes my fancy. The women belonging to the
vocal harmony group SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
were really a bunch of troopers who were capable
at times of being a world class act in the genre
of what you might call alternative soul. Perhaps
it would be stretching it to identify their unique
harmonies as world music considering the lack
of instruments backing their harmonies. Apart
from their ALIVE IN AUSTRALIA live recording
which was recorded only with some financial
assistance from the Australian Broadcasting
Network Radio network and the backing of
family, friends and closer aqaintances in
the australian indigenous music business,
i dont know anything else about SWEET
HONEY IN THE ROCK and how they were
in a position to make such an inspiring
recording based on three live concerts
between 1994 & 2000 at the much re-
vered venue Melbourne Concert Hall.
With the complete lack of a rhythm
section, you have to be pumping out
some good vocals to maintain an au-
dience's interest for the duration of
one album, but Arnae, Ysaye Barn-
well, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha
Kahlil, Carol Lynn Maillard & Ber-
nice Johnson Reagon in many
places of ALIVE IN AUSTRALIA
were simply breathtaking and
adorable with their harmonies.
A very original Afro-american
outfit who continue to inspire.