Straight No Chaser and The Lion King

Today I wanted to do something a little different and talk about a style of music that absolutely bloomed and took off within the past few years. I realized that I have not posted music quite like the music I am posting today, in such a very long time. In recent years, a capella has become a huge part of youth and has entered the realm of pop culture. Acapella is the performing of songs using solely the vocal box, no other instruments are used to make the song.

I think the concept of a capella is absolutely phenomenal because not only does it take great voices, but it also takes a creative genius to make the song work and function and sound as it should. A capella groups really started to make it to the forefront through social media sites like YouTube (thanks!) and film and TV and have really taken off. So many schools have a capella groups and the best thing about these groups is that it isn't that difficult to start. The pioneer a capella groups are absolutely phenomenal and some of them have gotten quite a bit of fame for their abilities. One of these groups is an all-male group known as Straight No Chaser.

This a capella group is one of the older and more experienced groups, having been founded in 1996. With Straight No Chaser, you can really hear the talent they have and understand why even after all this time, they are still one of the biggest a capella groups of our time. Straight No Chaser knows how to make songs fun and vivacious while still being very classy about what they do. What I really love about this group is that they don't shy away from swing and jazz covers. As someone who is absolutely in love with big band style music, I can tell you that it is not an easy task to turn a song which relies so heavily on the instrumentation into an a capella song. However, Straight No Chaser does so in such an elegant and respectable manner. Not only do they sound incredible when they perform this song, they are able to retain the musical integrity of the song. They are able to maintain that swing sound and convey the song in a different manner as the original artist, yet get the same message across. This mashup is one of my favorites by them because they get that soft jazz and reggae feel of Jason Mraz and then turn to the classic and heart-warming nature of the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version. If you have not heard much a capella, Straight No Chaser is a fantastic place to start. They have so many songs to choose from and a varied arrangement of styles. This is definitely a realm of music I encourage you all to listen to and explore because you never know what and whom you will find.

Today's second song is another Straight No Chaser cover. This song is really awesome because you get a feel for the personality of this group and a great sense of how capable this group is. Not only is the song itself done flawlessly, they performance was actual perfection. There are so many little bits of humor that you can't help but smile and continue watching. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!





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