Bathed in multicolored neon lights, the members of American a capella group Whim n Rhythm ascended a stage Saturday thousands of miles away from home.
With the Nile mere meters away and the bustling sounds of Cairo coming alive as the night set in, Zamalek’s El-Sawy Cultural Wheel was a setting slightly different from what the Yale University-based group is used to. Cairo is the fifth stop on their annual world tour.Every year, the 13-member a capella group raises funds for a nine-week tour around the world, which takes place shortly after the members graduate from Yale. Their previous stops include Tokyo, Bangkok and New Delhi.
During two 35-minute sets, the girls drowned out the sounds of the Egyptian capital and plunged the audience into a do-wop world of jazzy classics and smooth renditions of some unexpected numbers.
After a brief introduction by Egyptian singer Anoushka, the girls launched into their repertoire – clad in black dresses, swaying to the music, snapping their fingers with gusto.
Without any instruments, the girls used all available means to create a backbone of rhythm: well-timed bee-bops, harmonious humming, clapping and snapping.
The chance to sing thousands of miles away from the Ivy League university’s Connecticut campus wasn’t an option 30 years ago, when the only senior class a capella group at Yale was the all-male Whiffenpoof’s.Then in 1981, Whim’ n Rhythm was created as the female equivalent to the Whiffenpoofs, as a way to promote female empowerment and equality on campus.
Ashley Day, a soprano from California, said women were not even allowed to attend Yale University until 1969. Meanwhile, the Whiffenproof’s are about to celebrate their 100th anniversary.
“Women deserve to sing, travel, entertain. We have a lot of songs about independent women. Yale is a well-known bastion of education – women’s representation is an indicator of where that education is going, said Meg Watkins, an English major from Dallas, Texas, and also the musical director for the group.
This theme of female empowerment influences the songs they choose and the overall sound they aim to create.
“We go for a full, woman-y sound, said Day, adding that sometimes it’s easy for girls to sound very young when they sing, and this is what the group aims to avoid. To counter this and achieve that ‘full’ sound, the women in the group make sure to accentuates vowels.
Their song selection ranges from jazz classics to show tunes. Songs like “Lady is a Tramp and “Love Me or Leave Me are delivered with interesting twists. Among the highlights were expressive renditions of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now and Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools .
“Part of the reason we have a diverse repertoire is that there’s something here for everyone. It’s a wide range of things depending on the audience – we sing traditional songs, add new songs, said Watkins.
The girls also incorporate some movement into their songs. In the middle of their rendition of Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good three members of Whim broke out into a dance routine that, for a couple moments, looked remarkably like the Macarena.
The potential kitsch factor of these moves was diffused by the sly grins on their faces as they mimed the timeless moves.
Some of the songs have historical significance for the group, such as the traditional “Hammond Song , which Business Manager and soprano Dani Gilbert lists among her favorites. This song, performed at the very end of the night, is about two sisters advising a third not to follow a man to the town of Hammond, Tennessee.
The song has been part of the group’s repertoire since 1981, said Gilbert.
Has the group changed over the past 29 years? Despite changes in their song collection and the ability to tour the world, Watkins said that Whim retains the same kind of spirit and goal of equality.
Their first visit to Cairo was enthralling, and they spoke excitedly of their trip to the Pyramids. “We saw the Pyramids! And the Sphinx, exclaimed Watkins.
From all the cities they’ve visited around the world, Cairo is vying for a top spot among their favorites. “Cairo is up there and we’ve only been here a day, said alto Danielle LaRocca.
Whim will continue their world tour, heading to Israel, Spain, Italy, France and the UK.
With both female empowerment and searing vocals on the agenda, members of Whim n Rhythm march to the beat of their own drum. Or in a capella terms, sway rhythmically to the beat of their own snapping fingers.
