Washington Informer

Three powerhouse vocal talents conclude the VoCAL Nation a cappella festival at Strathmore as Cluster and Afro Blue Vocal Band perform with Swiss ensemble The Glue on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 8 p.m. in the Music Center. The concert marks the United States premiere of Cluster following a successful run on X Factor Italy and the D.C. homecoming of Howard University’s Afro Blue Vocal Band, in its first local performance since rising to national prominence on NBC’s The Sing-Off. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (301) 581-5100 or visit www.strathmore.org.

            The concert is part of the second annual VoCAL Nation a cappella festival, comprised of performances and workshops for national and international post-collegiate, professional a cappella groups. In addition to providing a forum for vocal performers to experience how groups around the world are expanding the genre, VoCAL Nation also affords the public an opportunity to enjoy some of the most accomplished vocal ensembles in concert. For more information on the VoCAL Nation curriculum of workshops, visit www.vocal-nation.com.  

The Afro Blue Vocal Band is a 10-member vocal jazz a cappella ensemble that was formed at Howard University. Comprised mostly of Howard graduates, the ensemble has performed alongside such artists as Smokey Robinson, Geri Allen and Bobby McFerrin. Most recently, the group gained a national fan base as one of 16 ensembles in the country to compete on NBC’s The Sing-Off, where they finished in fourth place after an extended presence on the show.

Premiere Italian vocal group Cluster makes its first United States appearance at Strathmore. The group was formed by five young musicians who met while studying at the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory of Music in Genoa. No strangers to TV stardom, Cluster won millions of fans in its successful run on X Factor Italy. The group has performed at some of the most important musical events in Italy, including the Umbria Jazz Festival, Feronia Festival, Bordighera Jazz & Blues Festival Lavagnino, Alpe Adria Cantat Musicomic For Children, Veneto Jazz Festival and Sing Sing Festival, as well as at venues including the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, The Blue Note Milan and Palazzo Ducale Genova.

All-male vocal ensemble The Glue makes their second trip to the United States after performing at Voicemania in Vienna and Vokal Total in Munich, as well as the Internationales a-cappella Festival in Leipzig, Germany. The young group also performed before millions of viewers at the FIFA World Cup in Germany and the UEFA European Football Championship in Switzerland.