PERFORMERS
The Los Angeles A Cappella Festival 2010 will feature some amazing vocal talent. Read on to learn about the featured artists.
m-pact
Hailed "one of the best pop-jazz vocal groups in the world" by the San Francisco Chronicle, m-pact is respected worldwide as a cutting edge trailblazer in the realm of vocal music. Emerging from an age of auto-tune and overproduction, this Los Angeles-based sextet has cultivated a new generation of ears hungry for the fresh, raw power of nature's "first instrument" - the human voice.
From the beginning, the "pact" of these well-studied masters has been to stay true to music, regardless of style or genre. Their sophisticated sound and accessible appeal have garnered vast accolades, from Vocal Group of the Year from the LA Music Awards, an Indie nomination (the Independent GrammyTM), and Artist of the Year (Seattle Music Awards), to Grand National Champs of the Harmony Sweepstakes competition.
Touring renowned fine arts halls and jazz festivals across four continents, m-pact has performed with pop superstars Sheryl Crow, Boyz II Men, Kenny G, Liza Minnelli, Babyface, Heart's Ann Wilson and Jackson Browne to name a few, as well as with jazz legends from Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, and the New York Voices to the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Maynard Ferguson Big Band. Over the last dozen years, their signature sound has been used in both TV themes and animated Disney feature films, and is enjoyed on syndicated radio worldwide.
Around the globe, mesmerized audiences buzz from the thrill of m-pact's vocal acrobatics, innovative orchestrations, and commanding yet authentic stage presence. Unknowing ears of all ages come expecting entertainment but leave enriched from an indescribable experience: the musical journey across Technicolor soundscapes produced by this "Cirque du Soleil of Song". Last year, m-pact was honored to be the first foreign artist ever granted permission to perform at Istana, the Singaporean House of Parliament.
Each of m-pact's five original studio recordings has received rave reviews and multiple awards, including Best Jazz Album, Best Pop/R&B Song, Best Male Vocalist, and Best Vocal Arrangement (the CARA Awards), Best Seasonal Album ("Indie" nomination), and Best Unsigned Band (Billboard Magazine). Pristine production, creativity, and solid songwriting are among the many strengths showcased on every m-pact recording. With national distribution by City Hall (USA) and int'l distribution by Feel Music (Korea), Universal subsidiary FAB Records (Japan), and Echeo Records (Europe), m-pact's music continues to reach the ears of new fans around the world.
Group website: http://www.m-pact.com
Sonos
Sonos is a young all-vocal group formed from the best of Southern California's thriving college a cappella community. The collective -- comprised of Jessica Freedman, Katherine Anne Hoye, Rachel Bearer, Ben McLain, Paul Peglar, and Christopher Given Harrison -- reinvent a 21st century songbook with bold reinterpretations of indie artists -- Rufus Wainwright, Fleet Foxes, the bird and the bee, Imogen Heap, Lewis Taylor, Magnet, Bjork.
Their radical trip-hop reworking of the Jackson 5's iconic "I Want You Back" came out on "Sunday Music 6-Motown" mid-February, alongside soul giants like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin.
The debut single, a cover of Radiohead's "Everything in It's Right Place" has just been released on iTunes in the US along with a "Live on KCRW" EP. The album follows in the summer. Produced by Christopher Harrison, Hugo Vereker and Gabriel Mann, their album "Sings" also features a guest appearance from the platinum-selling Sara Bareilles on a version of her exquisite song "Gravity."
Group website: http://www.myspace.com/sonosings
Bruin Harmony
Since its inception in 2006, Bruin Harmony has quickly made a name for itself as UCLA's only all-male a cappella group. The group has won accolades at UCLA's Spring Sing and performed at a variety of campus events including the Beat 'SC Rally and Dance Marathon. Outside of UCLA, Bruin Harmony performs frequently for private and public events. This fall they sang at the Los Angeles Sparks' Playoff WNBA game.
In 2009, Bruin Harmony launched the first annual Los Angeles A Cappella Festival and made its film debut in David Fincher's new movie, "The Social Network."
Watch for their first full-length album later this year!
Group website: http://www.bruinharmony.com