Sweet Honey in the Rock
Encyclopedia
Sweet Honey in the Rock is an all-woman
, African-American
a cappella
ensemble. They are an American
Grammy Award
-winning (and many times nominated) troupe who express their history as women of color through song, while entertaining their audience. They have together worked from four women to the difficult five-part harmony with a sixth member translating with sign language
. Although the members have changed over 3 decades, they continue to sing and have helped to produce several children's records as well as those intended for adults.
who founded the group out of singers from a vocal workshop she was teaching with the Washington, D.C.
Black Repertory Company. Reagon retired from the group in 2004. The name of the group was derived from a song, based on Psalm 81:16, which tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open, honey flowed from them. Johnson has said that this first song in which four women blended their voices was so powerful, that there was no question what the name of the group should be.
Sweet Honey in the Rock has received several Grammy Award nominations, including one for their children's album, Still the Same Me which received the Silver Award from the National Association of Parenting Publications. They won a Grammy Award
in 1989 in the category of Best Traditional Folk Recording for their version of Leadbelly
's "Grey Goose" from the compilation album Folkways: A Vision Shared
.
, spirituals and hymn
s of the African-American Church. The ensemble tackles difficult five-part harmonies and composes much of their own music. They have addressed topics including motherhood, spirituality, freedom
, civil rights
, domestic violence
, and racism.
, the group is now composed of six African-American women (including a professional American Sign Language
interpreter who accompanies the group on concert tours).
at Tainted Blue Recording Studio during a live recording session of the song. Amanda Navarro researched and provided the video’s archival images and Russel Soder was the cinematographer. Ramon Hervey II served as the project’s executive producer. The band donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of "Are We A Nation?" to The Center for Community Change, and organization founded in 1968 to honor the life of Robert F. Kennedy
to assist low-income communities. Sweet Honey In The Rock also joined The SOUND STRIKE boycotting performances within Arizona in protest of the law.
All-women band
An all-female band is a musical group composed of female musicians exclusively. A distinction is made here with a girl group, in which the members are solely vocalists, though this terminology is not universally followed.-1920s-1940s:In the Jazz Age and during the 1930s, "all-girl" bands such as...
, African-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
ensemble. They are an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning (and many times nominated) troupe who express their history as women of color through song, while entertaining their audience. They have together worked from four women to the difficult five-part harmony with a sixth member translating with sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
. Although the members have changed over 3 decades, they continue to sing and have helped to produce several children's records as well as those intended for adults.
Musical career
Sweet Honey in the Rock was founded in 1973 by Bernice Johnson ReagonBernice Johnson Reagon
Bernice Johnson Reagon is a singer, composer, scholar, and social activist, who founded the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973.-Early life and education:...
who founded the group out of singers from a vocal workshop she was teaching with the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Black Repertory Company. Reagon retired from the group in 2004. The name of the group was derived from a song, based on Psalm 81:16, which tells of a land so rich that when rocks were cracked open, honey flowed from them. Johnson has said that this first song in which four women blended their voices was so powerful, that there was no question what the name of the group should be.
Sweet Honey in the Rock has received several Grammy Award nominations, including one for their children's album, Still the Same Me which received the Silver Award from the National Association of Parenting Publications. They won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1989 in the category of Best Traditional Folk Recording for their version of Leadbelly
Leadbelly
Huddie William Ledbetter was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced....
's "Grey Goose" from the compilation album Folkways: A Vision Shared
Folkways: A Vision Shared
Folkways: A Vision Shared - A Tribute to Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly is a Grammy Award-winning 1988 album featuring songs by Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly interpreted by leading folk, rock, and country recording artists....
.
Influences
Sweet Honey in the Rock has been producing music for more than 30 years. Although the members of the group have changed over time, their music has consistently combined contemporary rhythms and narratives with a musical style rooted in the Gospel musicGospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, spirituals and hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s of the African-American Church. The ensemble tackles difficult five-part harmonies and composes much of their own music. They have addressed topics including motherhood, spirituality, freedom
Freedom (political)
Political freedom is a central philosophy in Western history and political thought, and one of the most important features of democratic societies...
, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, and racism.
Members
Over the years, more than 20 individuals have lent their voices to Sweet Honey in the Rock. Beginning as a quartetQuartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
, the group is now composed of six African-American women (including a professional American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
interpreter who accompanies the group on concert tours).
"Are We A Nation?"
On June 22, 2010, Sweet Honey released “Are We A Nation?,” their response to Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB-1070. An official music video of the song was released online on July 2, 2010. Directed by James Lester, the video was shot in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Tainted Blue Recording Studio during a live recording session of the song. Amanda Navarro researched and provided the video’s archival images and Russel Soder was the cinematographer. Ramon Hervey II served as the project’s executive producer. The band donated a portion of the proceeds from the sales of "Are We A Nation?" to The Center for Community Change, and organization founded in 1968 to honor the life of Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
to assist low-income communities. Sweet Honey In The Rock also joined The SOUND STRIKE boycotting performances within Arizona in protest of the law.
Current group members
- Ysaye Maria BarnwellYsaye Maria BarnwellYsaye Maria Barnwell has been a member of the African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock since 1979. She is a prolific composer, who composes many of the group's songs, and has been commissioned to create music for dance, choral, film, and stage productions...
- Nitanju Bolade CaselNitanju Bolade CaselNitanju Bolade Casel has been a member of the African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock since 1985. Prior to joining, Casel spent four years studying performance and cultural organization in Dakar, Senegal...
- Arnaé (on leave during the 2006-07 season)
- Aisha KahlilAisha KahlilAisha Kahlil has been a member of the African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock since 1981. Her performances of “See See Rider” and “Fulani Chant” earned her the title of “Best Soloist” in 1994 from the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America...
- Louise Robinson (an original ensemble member)
- Carol Lynn MaillardCarol Lynn MaillardCarol Lynn Maillard is an African American actress, singer and composer. She was one of the founding members of the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock.-Early life and education:...
(an original ensemble member) - Shirley Childress SaxtonShirley Childress SaxtonShirley Childress Saxton is an African American American Sign Language instructor and interpreter. Since 1980, she has performed with Sweet Honey in the Rock.-Early life and education:...
(sign languageSign languageA sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
interpreter)
Previous group members
- Bernice Johnson ReagonBernice Johnson ReagonBernice Johnson Reagon is a singer, composer, scholar, and social activist, who founded the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973.-Early life and education:...
(founder) - Mie
- Dianaruthe Wharton
- Evelyn Marie Harris
- Rosie Lee Hooks
- Ayodele Harrington
- Ingrid Ellis
- Tia Juana Starks
- Patricia Johnson
- Yasmeen Williams
- Laura Sharp
- Tulani Jordan Kinard
- Helena Coleman
- Geraldine Hardin
- Akua Opokuwaa
Nominations
- Grammy Awards 2008 Best Musical Album For Children -Experience...101
- Grammy Awards 2000 Best Musical Album For Children - Still the Same Me