I thought it was about time I shared some more!
Like the word ‘choir’, the concept of ‘men singing’ can bring up specific stereotypes – not all of them pleasing.
If there is not a relevant role model out there, it can easily put men off singing because they feel that they don’t fit the mould.
Rather than going into the whys and wherefores of why men don’t sing, I thought I’d just share some great examples of men singing together. Who knows, you may find an example that fits the bill. I hope they inspire you!
First up is the amazing Corsican group A Filetta with a live performance from the citadel in Calvi where they run a polyphonic song festival each September. A Filetta is an all-male singing group founded in 1978 that performs traditional music from Corsica. I just adore this Corsican singing. They have such fine control and really, really listen to each other.
Next, nearer to home, are Hayward and Parsons singing the traditional English song Life of a Man. Hayward and Parsons are singing pilgrims, walking and singing their way round Britain on a quest to renew British Pilgrimage.
Probably needing no introduction, here are Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing Homeless which they wrote with Paul Simon for his album Graceland. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male choral group from South Africa that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube.
Something a bit more exotic, an old song from Macedonia: Turi mayko bistra rakiya. It is sung by Chalgia Moisey Petrovich who play almost forgotten songs from Serbia, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro. They revive almost forgotten customs and the spirit of old Serbian taverns.
And then there’s Rawhide! This time sung by an unknown male voice choir from the US.
Here is a Tongoan/ Samoan song with some neat actions that they make look so easy, even when wearing suits! It is sung by the Dilworth Fortissimo Choir, an auditioned choir from the Dilworth boys’ school in Auckland, New Zealand.
Something traditional and more familiar: Gregorian chant. These are monks singing in a Catholic Benedictine Seminary. Gregorian chant is Western plainchant dating back to the 9th and 10th Centuries in Europe.
Next up is the Kecak from Bali. This is an excerpt from an amazing film called Baraka, a nonverbal film containing images of 24 countries from 6 continents. The Kecak is a form of Balinese dance and music drama that is also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant.
Here are some Arab men, not only singing but dancing at the same time! These are Bahraini men showing their talent in the singing and dancing traditional songs.
And finally, for your delight and delectation, three men singing in a van.
You can find some more amazing examples of men singing in Part 1, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.
Chris Rowbury
Website: chrisrowbury.com
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Chris Rowbury
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