Customer Reviews

Shine

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Absolutely the best a cappella group in the world! (In my humble opinion.) I've loved Talisman since 1993, and have watched them grow from a talented college group to one of the most decorated and recognized vocal ensembles in the country. They deserve the awards - their consummate musicianship, their soaring harmonies, their clever arrangements and their eclectic, intelligent choice of songs raises them far above the pack. I've seen them sing at the Atlanta Olympics and memorably, in a South African townships - one Xhosa woman grabbed me in amazement and yelled, "They sing Xhosa like Xhosa people!" The real thing. Do yourself a HUGE favor and buy this CD. Buy two, even. You won't regret it for a minute.

This epic two-disc set is a refreshing mix of exotic, unusual tunes sung in unfamiliar tongues, and great standards expressed in fresh, unique ways. The striking thing about this music is its energy. Every track is sung with a thoughtful enthusiasm which makes it universal. The musicians are talented, and the composition and arrangements are brilliant.

I have been involved in choral music all my life and have become super critical of how people abuse their voices. Talisman is a group that deserves the highest praises. Their close harmony and precision, melded with real feeling, make them a pleasure to listen to.

Through a 2-disc compilation of music and a beautifully detailed insert, "Shine" leads the listener through the evolution of Stanford Talisman, America's most prestigious college a cappella group specializing in world music.
For those who, like myself, sing or have sung with a college a cappella group, the year-by-year account of the group's trials and breakthroughs resonates with familiarity and is quite inspirational. I couldn't help but thnk about how my group has been going through similar stages of rebirth recently.
The music also tells the story of the group. Fans of Talisman's recent album "Passage" will find "Shine" a much more humble album with most tracks having a traditional choral sound that in "Passage" is blended with more ambitious song choices and given more complex treatment.
But the simplicity of the songs in "Shine" does not imply a lack fo talent. Rather, it's a comforting album- the listener feels like the members of the group are friends from high school or from around the corner. You'll probably look back on the person who sang at your graduation or in all the school musicals and think, "They should join this group!". It's nice to listen to music with that kind of honesty and humility, when even the world of college a cappella is becoming overwhelmed with slick recording effects.

Talisman A Cappella Shine, 2 discs, 1989 - 1999

Although there are several newer Talisman recordings available, this collection may still be the very best sampling of what the group does very well. They have described their work as the music of the black African Diaspora, which means they include several different genres from several different parts of the world, as well as several different periods, even if some of the selections seem out of place. At one end of the spectrum are traditional African pieces which few of us are likely to remember, except that they sound remarkably like the opening piece on the soundtrack of the film, Avatar. These are pieces such as Babethandaza and Akanamandla. Next are African songs such as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, made famous by other African performers such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Then we get both familiar and unfamiliar protest songs such as Keep Your Eyes on the Prize and Paycheck. Gospel songs are plentiful, such as the famous Amazing Grace, and the less famous African Hallelujah. The appearance of Amazing Grace is surprising, since it is well known that it was written by a white ship's captain, and it is probably as popular with white audiences as with African-Americans. Another surprise is the appearance of George Gershwin's Sumertime. Even thought the song is from the Gershwin opera, Porgy and Bess, the character singing the song is a young white woman. But all that is neither here nor there, because the artistry on all songs is as good or better than you will find anywhere else. Especially delightful is their version of the classic Zombie Jamboree. I'm only surprised that there are no more calypso or reggae based songs on this and other albums done by Talisman. Maybe reggae is not amenable to a capella. One warning is that while there is a cut on Disc One with the title Baba Yetu, this is not the version made famous by an appearance on the soundtrack of the computer game Civilization IV. For that version, you need to get 'The Quick Day is Done'. If you have heard and liked Talisman. This is certainly the best available recording to hear the full range of their work.