Eric Whitacre

He was full of tenderness;
She was very hard.
And as much as she tried to stay thus,
Simply, and with no good reason,
He took her into himself,
And set her down
In the softest, softest place.

-Translation from the Five Hebrew Love Songs, poetry by Hila Plitmann

Eric Whitacre is the rock star of choir music. That’s what I read and hear anyway. Certainly his long flowing locks, impressive collaborations, and social media savvy make him more visible than most choral music composers. And his concept of “virtual choirs” has put him front and center in the TED Talk realm, garnering acclaim for bringing choral music to the people, wherever they may be.

For me, I simply love his music. Don’t get me wrong, I think his work is novel and has significant societal impact. I have had the pleasure of singing a few of his pieces in my own chorus and have connected to them in very emotional ways, so this is what I choose to focus on in this blog post. The lyrics of his songs are often adapted from poetry (like from his wife used in the Five Hebrew Love Songs – see above translation – or from ee cummings in the City and the Sea) and have an ethereal quality that make you just stop what you are doing and listen. You can hear this quality in the song, Lux Aurumque, which happens to be the first Whitacre piece I sang. This also happens to be one of the first virtual choir productions.

As a choral singer, his music is amazing to sing. First, he is not afraid of dissonant chords, of which I am a fan (see “Hymn of Acxiom” in my Vienna Teng post). Second, there are times in his songs when the music compels you along and you can only jump in full steam. It happens in Kala Kalla, one of the Five Hebrew Songs, right about the 4:33 mark in the video below. Never before has singing “la la la la la la la la” been so invigorating. (If you back it up to 3:33 the look on the kids’ faces perfectly sum up the feeling of singing this piece). Third, he is not afraid to use unusual and innovative techniques in his music, such as finger snapping in Cloudburst to simulate the sound of rain. 

Rock star or not, Eric Whitacre has certainly left his mark on music. His innovation and modern interpretation of classical sounds makes his music accessible to more people in more places, which is really wonderful. At the heart of it, he loves music and loves experimenting with music. It’s that excitement and curiosity that drive the songs and make them a pleasure to sing.

Ibeyi

Sometime last year I heard a song and I thought, “this is a really good song.” Then later I heard the song again and I thought “oh right, this is a really good song. I really should listen to it more. And more. And more…”

The song was “Ghosts” from a duo called Ibeyi. Upon hearing “Ghosts” for the second time, I did download their entire album, assuming correctly that there would be more amazingness in their other songs. They were clearly very talented.

I was not disappointed. As I was driving to work one morning, the song “Oya” came on and I almost had to pull over because it blew me away.  Much like “Ghosts,” “Oya” showcased Ibeyi’s ability to transport you to a magical realm with their harmonies, their beautiful and often haunting lyrics, and elements of afro-cuban jazz, soul, and R&B sounds.

The ladies, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz, are sisters (the internet tells me Ibeyi means twins in Yoruba). Their father, Anga Diaz, was a member of the Buena Vista Social Club and their mother, Maya Dagnino, is also a singer. A very talented family, indeed.

Ibeyi’s songs are in English and Yoruba. I don’t always understand the lyrics but I still find myself connecting to their music and having a sense of what the song is about, if not clear from the English parts. Then when I am able to find out a little about the meaning of the parts in Yoruba, it often enhances the song that I already adore. For instance, “Oya” is a deity of death and rebirth. There is more to it than simply this but reading up on her and seeing the video help to garner a greater understanding of where Ibeyi is with this song.

Also, I find myself still singing along with the Yoruba lyrics, even if I do not know their meaning. “Mai mai mai soronso ae/Aggayu soronso.” (I have looked up these lyrics but am unable to find translation though it seems Aggayu may be a deity of volcanoes, and if you think about it in the context of “Ghosts” it makes sense).

After listening to their album obsessively, I have begun to notice the sisters everywhere. Most notably, they appeared a few times in Beyonce’s Lemonade and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (another inspiration of mine as you saw in my earlier post) recently performed a piece featuring the music of Ibeyi, called Deep. (Somehow in my obsession of Alvin Ailey and Ibeyi I missed this show and can only watch clips of it online now. Please do it again!)

It makes me so happy to see these super-talented women get the praise they deserve! I eagerly recommend them to anyone who appreciates good music. And so does Beyonce, so you should listen.