This Black 老夫子传媒 Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We鈥檙e releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who鈥檝e paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths.
We conclude celebration at the Tiny Desk with the catalyst for the all-female lineup, SWV. Year after year, I鈥檝e begged who I consider the greatest girl group ever to come play the Desk. Like the other Black women we鈥檝e hosted this month, SWV has yet to receive the proper acknowledgment for its influence over the past three decades. There was a moment, similar to the sing-along portion of , when Coko, Taj and Lelee were taken aback while the audience kept the party going after the band stopped playing 鈥淚鈥檓 So Into You.鈥�
Sisters With Voices originated in the church before the group started recording R&B music. It broke through in the 1990s, a decade that was the pinnacle of girl groups. In a landscape including En Vogue, , Xscape and dozens more, SWV remained in front of the pack, topping the charts, amassing gold and platinum plaques and breaking new ground in music, style and sexual liberation. Before playing 鈥淵ou鈥檙e The One,鈥� Lelee introduced the song, reminding us that they 鈥渒inda took a beating for the team because our music was a little risqu茅.鈥�
As a new appreciation for 鈥�90s R&B has emerged over the past several years, SWV has reigned supreme. Watching the audience sway and sing to songs like 鈥淲别补办鈥� and 鈥淩ain,鈥� I鈥檓 reminded of the lasting quality of SWV that continues to connect us.
SET LIST
- 鈥淚'm So Into You鈥�
- 鈥淩ight Here (Human Nature Radio Mix)鈥�
- 鈥淵ou're the One鈥�
- 鈥淵ou're Always On My Mind鈥�
- 鈥凌补颈苍鈥�
- 鈥淲别补办鈥�
- 鈥淎nything (Old Skool Radio Version)鈥�
MUSICIANS
- Coko: vocals
- Taj: vocals
- Lelee: vocals
- E. Will: keys, musical direction
- Shago Elizondo: guitar
- CJ Mercer: bass
- Toussaint Lipton II: drums
- Curtis Jones Jr.: trombone
- Theljion Allen: trumpet
- Brent Birckhead: saxophone
- Anisa Stoot: vocals
- Donisha Berryman: vocals
- Jayye Michael: vocals
- DaNell Daymon: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alant茅 Serene
- Audio Engineer: Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Estefania Mitre
- Animation: Jackie Lay
- Florist: Kelanda Edwards
- Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and 老夫子传媒: Keith Jenkins
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