…I have always believed art is the conscience of the human soul and that artists have the responsibility not only to show life as it is but to show life as it should be. … Sweet Honey In The Rock has withstood the onslaught. She has been unprovoked by the 30 pieces of silver. Her songs lead us to the well of truth that nourishes the will and courage to stand strong. She is the keeper of the flame.
…Harry Belafonte
Aisha Kahlil
Carol Maillard
Louise Robinson
Nitanju Casel
Shirley Saxton
Ysaye Barnwell
Founded by Bernice Johnson Reagon in 1973 (with Mie, Carol Maillard and Louise Robinson)
at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company, Sweet Honey In The Rock®, internationally
renowned a cappella ensemble, has been a vital and innovative presence
in the music culture of Washington, D.C., and in communities of
conscience around the world.
From Psalm 81:16 comes the promise to a people of being fed by
honey out of the rock. Honey – an ancient substance, sweet and
nurturing. Rock – an elemental strength, enduring the winds of time. The
metaphor of sweet honey in the rock captures completely these African
American women whose repertoire is steeped in the sacred music of the
Black church, the clarion calls of the civil rights movement, and songs
of the struggle for justice everywhere.
Rooted in a deeply held commitment to create music out of the
rich textures of African American legacy and traditions, Sweet Honey In
The Rock possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the complex
sounds of Blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African
chants, Hip Hop, ancient lullabies, and jazz improvisation. Sweet
Honey’s collective voice, occasionally accompanied by hand percussion
instruments, produces a sound filled with soulful harmonies and
intricate rhythms.
In the best and in the hardest of times, Sweet Honey In The Rock
has come in song to communities across the U.S., and around the world
raising her voice in hope, love, justice, peace, and resistance. Sweet Honey invites
her audiences to open their minds and hearts and thinkabout who we are and how we treat each
other, our fellow creatures whoshare this planet, and of course, the planet itself.
Sweet Honey’s 20th CD release, Experience…101 was a 2008 Grammy®
Award nominee. The excitement continued as Sweet Honey was asked to
compose new material in celebration of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s
50th anniversary. Together, these two artistic treasures of the African
American experience performed this once-in-a-lifetime collaboration throughout
the United States. The music for the collaboration was released on a CD entitled GO IN GRACE.
In 2009 Sweet Honey was honored to accept an invitation from President and Mrs. Barack Obama to
give a concert at the White House on Feb. 18, 2009.
2010 saw the release of a single CD and video in response to Arizona Law SB-1070, and the creation of a Tribute Concert - REMEMBERING NINA, ODETTA AND MIRIAM MAKEBA.
The 2011-2012 season finds Sweet Honey celebrating her 38th birthday, and what a year it will be! Washington residents will be treated to a performance of the Tribute Concert on October 22, 2011 and in April 2012, the premiere of a new work - AFFIRMATIONS - in performance with the National Symphony.
Sweet Honey In The Rock members are Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Nitanju Bolade Casel, Aisha Kahlil, Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, and Shirley Childress Saxton (Sign Language Interpreter).