November 19, 8pm, City Hall
American a capella music has come a long way from doo-wop and barbershop harmonising, as Rockapella's performance next Sunday should show.
The group made their name in the US in the 1990s with appearances on the PBS children's TV show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?. Using nothing but their voices, they make music that high tenor Scott Leonard describes as 'kind of like the Temptations meets Smashmouth'.
Although the music has its roots in barbershop and doo- wop, Leonard says the sound is contemporary. 'We have a guy that does beatbox percussion with his mouth. It sounds like a band, but it's not. It's a lot of high energy, it's funny, and there's nothing between us and the audience. It's a fun evening.'
Before Leonard joined the quintet he was established as a recording artist in his own right in Japan, and the ensemble enjoys a large following there.
Rockapella has undergone numerous personnel changes since the original members started out busking on the streets of New York, but Leonard says he's excited about the current lineup - and says each member could be a successful solo artist in his own right.
