Sweet Honey in the Rock’s music is more than just a melody
By Erin Bannen and Emily Connor
Few bands can master mixing beautiful melodies with social commentary and political rhetoric. However, Sweet Honey in the Rock has been masterfully producing powerful and persuasive vocals for over 35 years. This all female, African American a cappella group will bring its unique sound, thoughts and 
stories to the Wisconsin Union Theater stage to entertain Madison audiences this October.
When it comes to Sweet Honey in the Rock, no specific category or genre can define this unique musical experience. The group possesses a stunning vocal prowess that captures the complex sounds of blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies and jazz improvisation. Sweet Honey’s sound is rooted in a commitment to create music out of the rich textures of African American legacy and traditions. The band’s collective voice, which is occasionally accompanied by hand percussion instruments, produces a sound filled with soulful harmonies and intricate rhythms.
However, lovely melodies and rich vocals are only one part of this unique band’s music. Sweet Honey’s song lyrics often carry political messages. One of their most recent songs, “Are We a Nation,” speaks out against Arizona’s SB-1070 law, which requires immigrants to carry “registration documents” whenever on Arizonian soil. Sweet Honey spoke out against the law on its website, saying the law “encourages and creates opportunities for hatred, ignorance and prejudice.” Yet, their most powerful message against the law can be heard in their recent song. The “Are We a Nation” lyrics read, “I care, do you care? Stand for justice, if you dare. Are we a nation, divided as we fall?” The song stormed the national stage as a call to action advocating for the rights of immigrants in Arizona and the United States.
Sweet Honey in the Rock has also found other avenues to break free from mainstream music. A truly unique facet of Sweet Honey’s mission is the group’s inclusion of Shirley Saxton, an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. Saxton performs with the group on stage, wears full costumes and dances all choreography. Saxton writes on the band’s website that Sweet Honey combats the idea of music as an “instrument of discrimination and oppression of hearing upon deaf.” Her inclusion in the band and signing serves as a “a clear statement to the deaf audience that they’re included in the conversation.”
Saxton’s sign language style is a unique one. She illuminates her task to “render visually the melody, harmony, and rhythm of the music” in the song “Fulani Chant,” which has no words. Through her body and through her hands, Saxton finds a way to visually represent “a moan, a hum, a breath, a brisk wind, an ocean wave.” Saxton truly brings sign language into the realm of performance art and gives audiences, hearing and deaf alike, an exceptional musical experience.
Sweet Honey in the Rock’s unique sound, performance style and political message is sure to resonate with Madison audiences when the group performs on the Wisconsin Union Theater stage on Oct. 7. Tickets are available to all community members, but Union members and UW Madison students receive discounted prices for the show, which start at $10.
Check out Sweet Honey in the Rock’s performance of “Ella’s Song.”
For more information on Sweet Honey in the Rock’s performance at the Wisconsin Union Theater, visit the Union Theater website.
