Concert: Naturally 7 Live in Singapore

Hey everyone, sorry for the short hiatus. Life has been taking a toll lately with a lot of clashing events. With that out of the way though, here's my take on Naturally 7 - LIVE in Singapore.

I should begin by saying that I've been following Naturally 7 on Youtube for quite a while now. I distinctly recall that my first exposure to the group was watching their Wall of Sound video..and being struck with a profound sense of disbelief that all of those sounds were, as they advertised, made with only their voices. So I began searching for more clips, especially clips of them singing live. Unfortunately, most clips on Youtube are of too poor quality to properly appreciate - more often than not, they are outdoor recordings and very spotty in terms of audio.

I then found out that they were coming to Singapore, and I was elated. At their concert, I was blown away.

I've watched a couple of modern A Cappella greats onstage before - The Swingle Singers, The Real Group, M-PACT - and none of them match Naturally 7 in terms of pure energy and stage presence. The packaging of the performance is a high priority for them, as could be seen from the personalities of the individual singers shining through during the course of the concert.

Naturally 7 regards themselves as a 'vocal band'. By their definition, it goes beyond merely imitating instruments - by their reckoning, they become the instruments. I heard trumpets, drums, harmonicas, electric guitar riffs and distortion effects. What amazed me was that even though it was clear that electronic effects were applied to enhance and touch up the sound, the human element never disappeared.

This is not to say that their roots aren't deeply entrenched. Midway through the concert, they gave a heartwarming story of their origins, and sang a couple of songs without the aid of anything other than simple condensor mics. The blending of their voices and the undercurrent of emotions in their singing was A Cappella at it's simplest and most wonderful. It showed their versatility and range, proving that they are indeed deserving of the numerous awards they have achieved.

My personal highlight of the concert was when the group performed Wall of Sound. Seeing my first exposure of Naturally 7 was watching that piece on Youtube it amazed me to see it pieced together, layer by layer, right before my eyes. Watching professionals use the loop pedal (a piece of technology I've secretly wanted to experiment with forever) and literally loop an entire song into being was one of my most memorable A Cappella experiences yet.

Did I enjoy the concert? Yes.
Was it a great A Cappella experience? Most definitely.
If they come back to Singapore, would I watch them again? A resounding yes!