Sweet Honey In The Rock® stands as a remarkable and enduring force in music today. This dynamic, versatile, and consistently relevant musical collective operates not only as a captivating performance ensemble but also as a vital African American organization. Their foundation rests on a powerful triumvirate mission: empowerment, education, and pure entertainment. Currently, the ensemble is composed of talented members Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, Nitanju Bolade Casel, and Aisha Kahlil, alongside featured musician Romeir Mendez, who adds depth with his upright acoustic and electric bass. Sweet Honey In The Rock offers a concert experience that is both potent and unique, seamlessly blending the boundless possibilities of the human voice with a theatrical flair that keeps audiences returning year after year.
Decades of Vocal Excellence and Socially Conscious Music
This internationally acclaimed, Grammy Award® nominated female a cappella vocal quartet boasts a rich history spanning over four decades of distinguished service. Sweet Honey In The Rock has consistently crafted positive, uplifting, and socially conscious music that resonates deeply. Their songs offer spiritual fortification and champion an activist stance towards creating a better world for everyone. This enduring commitment is powerfully reflected in their 24th recording, #LoveInEvolution, Sweet Honey In The Rock’s first studio album in nine years and their most contemporary project to date.
#LoveInEvolution, released through Appleseed Recordings in partnership with their own She Rocks-5 label and distributed by Entertainment One, bursts with vibrant energy and innovation. Sweet Honey In The Rock masterfully blends their finely honed a cappella harmonies, infused with world, gospel, and folk roots, with contemporary elements of hip hop, jazz, and Rhythm & Blues. The result is a compelling collection of original material and timeless covers that showcases their artistic evolution and ongoing relevance. Beyond individual compositions, the quartet often collaborates in songwriting, developing fresh material through their unique improvisational process.
#LoveInEvolution: A Contemporary Sound Rooted in Tradition
Many of the most impactful songs on #LoveInEvolution draw directly from today’s headlines, powerfully addressing systemic injustices faced by people of color, both historically and in the present day. They confront issues of police brutality, the urgent need for gun control, and the vital Black Lives Matter movement with unflinching honesty and artistic depth.
Songs Ripped from the Headlines: Addressing Injustice
The album’s stark and poignant second single, “Second Line Blues,” utilizes a haunting snare drum cadence to somberly call out the names of innocent victims of violence, including Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, and the children of Sandy Hook Elementary School. These are just a few among countless individuals tragically impacted by acts of violence, from senseless civilian acts to abuses of power by law enforcement. Carol Maillard, a founding member of Sweet Honey In The Rock alongside Louise Robinson, poignantly states, “Since we started writing this piece, we’ve had to keep adding names…and sadly, we’ll be adding more before things change.” The group released a powerful music video accompanying this stark reminder of the critical need for reforms concerning gun control and more rigorous screening processes for those entrusted with policing communities.
…I have always believed art is the conscience of the human soul and that artists have the responsibility not only to show life as it is but to show life as it should be. … Sweet Honey In The Rock has withstood the onslaught. She has been unprovoked by the 30 pieces of silver. Her songs lead us to the well of truth that nourishes the will and courage to stand strong. She is the keeper of the flame. – Harry Belafonte
Lament and Hope: Exploring Diverse Themes
“I Don’t Want No Trouble At The River” continues this thread of reflection and memorial. The song is beautifully enriched by a recitation of Dr. Maya Angelou’s powerful poem, “When Great Trees Fall,” a piece granted to the group by her estate in a gesture of solidarity. In contrast, “A Prayer For The World” offers a message of hope and faith, seamlessly weaving “The Lord is My Shepherd” from Psalms 23 with an uplifting, hip hop-infused beat of praise.
Nitanju’s insightful composition, “Oh, Sankofa,” provides a stark historical lesson, detailing the tragic 1920s destruction of Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Oklahoma, at the hands of racist violence. This song echoes the educational approach of her previous work, “Give the People Their Right to Vote,” which illuminated the historical disenfranchisement of Washington, D.C., residents regarding voting representation in Congress.
Environmental Consciousness and Musical Roots
Aisha contributed the profoundly moving aural arrangement of “The Living Waters,” a piece that speaks to the devastating pollution of the world’s waterways. This composition functions both as an immersive headphone experience and a mournful cry against the shameful and senseless destruction of our natural resources. The song poignantly references the Flint, Michigan tragedy, where polluted water poisoned thousands and had lasting negative effects on the DNA of children for generations. This original work finds a kindred spirit in Aisha’s loving arrangement of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic, “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology),” a song Sweet Honey In The Rock has performed for several years. Their rendition includes an introduction that highlights Gaye’s biography and the enduring significance of his masterpiece album, What’s Going On, from which the song originates.
“‘Mercy’ stems from a 2010 effort we made to take politically conscious songs from the 60s and 70s by artists like Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers, and others, and then juxtapose them with sentiments from today,” Maillard explains. She adds, “When Sweet Honey In The Rock first started in 1973, many artists—from Curtis Mayfield to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—were incorporating political content and social commentary into their music, stemming from the Civil Rights movement to the folk music of Bob Dylan and the Soul music of James Brown. That’s always been our frame of reference.” The group further honors Gaye’s legacy by covering a second gem from What’s Going On, the deeply spiritual and prayerful “Wholy Holy” (previously recorded by Aretha Franklin).
“If I love you then I have to make you conscious of the things that you do not see.” – James Baldwin
Lightness and Love: Balancing the Heavy Themes
While much of Sweet Honey In The Rock’s music tackles serious issues, #LoveInEvolution also embraces themes of optimism, faith, self-affirmation, and romantic love. Carol’s soulful and bluesy “Same Ol’ Same Ol’ Love” is a delightful fantasy exploring the rekindling of a deep emotional connection between soulmates after decades of separation. The album also features the infectiously percussive “Sweet Sweet Honey!”—their 40th-anniversary theme song from the “Forty & Fierce” shows of 2013—and the Latin-infused groove of “This Place Inside Where I Can Rest,” celebrating the discovery and nurturing of one’s spiritual center.
Potentially poised to become a radio hit for the group is the buoyant lead single and video, “IDK But I‘m LOL!” This hand-clapping anthem of hope perfectly encapsulates the essence of Sweet Honey In The Rock’s a cappella sound. With its catchy hook and contemporary lyrical spin, the song aims to connect with listeners of all ages.
A Legacy of Performance and Global Impact
Since its inception in 1973 in Washington, DC, founded by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon as part of the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company with Carol Maillard, Louise Robinson, and Mie, Sweet Honey In The Rock has consistently evolved into international ambassadors of a cappella vocal and lyrical excellence. They are musical missionaries championing equality, empowerment, education, peace, love, solidarity, and non-denominational spirituality. Revered especially for their captivating live performances, the group has recorded 24 albums, including several specifically for children. Their recent double CD, SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK: A Tribute…Live! Jazz at Lincoln Center (2012), pays homage to their kindred musical and activist spirits: Abbey Lincoln, Odetta, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone. On this album, they collaborated with a jazz trio of “Honey Men,” featuring Musical Director and pianist Stacey Wade, bassist Parker McAllister, and drummer and percussionist Jovol Bell.
Sweet Honey In The Rock has graced the stages of many of the world’s most prestigious venues across nearly every continent, performing at royal command concerts and international festivals. In 2015 alone, they embarked on four U.S. Embassy tours, engaging in performances and community outreach in Ethiopia, Peru, Jamaica, and Swaziland (following a Belize tour in 2014). In Swaziland, they headlined the internationally acclaimed 9th Annual Mountain Bushfire Music Festival, drawing crowds of 20,000. They also featured prominently at the 11th Annual Festival of Voices in Hobart, Tasmania, as part of an Australian tour that included Launceston, Melbourne, and Sydney. Their February 2016 performance at New York’s historic Carnegie Hall, featuring guest artists trumpeter Terence Blanchard and violinist Regina Carter, marked their 32nd performance at this iconic venue.
Recent milestones include a commission from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company to compose the score for their 50th-anniversary program, “Go In Grace,” in 2008. In 2012, they debuted their first orchestral collaboration, writing original lyrics for composer William Banfield’s “Symphony 10: Affirmations for a New World.” This thirty-minute work was co-commissioned and presented by the National Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Sphinx Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and the Harris Theater in Chicago, respectively.
The group was also honored to perform at the National Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Sweet Honey In The Rock’s impactful work has been recognized with a distinguished award from the Search For Common Ground Organization and the Keeper of the Flame award by the National Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at its 100th-anniversary celebration. Notably, they are a favorite musical group of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, having performed at the White House by special request.
Sweet Honey In The Rock, featured in two PBS television specials (including American Masters), remains a beloved performance ensemble. Over their 40-plus year history, they have maintained a resilient spirit, successfully integrating the talents of the 24 women who have graced their stage into their signature sound without missing a beat. Constantly evolving, the group once expanded to six vocalists before returning to four, all in their pursuit of adventurous spirit, contemporary relevance, and broader reach. Last year, they released a holiday single and video, “Silent Night,” in support of their annual “Celebrate the Holydays” program of spiritual music from around the globe. Fans can stay connected with their journey through Facebook, Twitter, and their website.
“We are very forward-thinking as an organization, constantly reevaluating how we can express concepts to uplift and create change through our music and concerts,” says Maillard. “#LoveInEvolution has a more contemporary sound and feel because as people in the group grow and change, we want to hear different things, feel different things, and bring fresh elements to our presentation.”
(January 2018)
