e AAVF Saturday Night Show

African Meander Scar production AfrikaRiz (pronounced ‘Africa Rise’) is more than just a Youth Choir coming out of Pimville Township in Soweto. In the light of being raised and living in a community that lacks visible role models, an environment where young people are desperate for engag ing & stimulating resources, 21 year old Musician & Vocal Arranger, Mpendulo Sipho Mhlanga, founded AfrikaRiz with a vision to establish a project that would develop young and responsible Leaders, empowering them with Life-Skills through the use of the Performing Arts. Since its official founding in 2016, the Ensemble has grown to become a compelling movement that many young people in Soweto desire to be a part of. AfrikaRiz is now a 30 Member group (ages: 17 to 25) that offers entertaining yet informative Performances through Music, Dance, Drama & Poetry. Their repertoire includes new musical arrangements of South Afri can and African classics.

Using only their voices and innovative live looping techniques, international vocal sensation FreePlay sings you around the world without leaving your seat. New York jazz, UK pop, European classical, Indian ragas, Brazilian samba… FreePlay does it all, a cappella. Partners in music and in life, Canadians Dylan Bell and Suba Sankaran delight in sharing their unique and virtuosic a cappella style around the world, with performances in over 20 countries across 6 continents. ‘Beyond Incredible!’ (Mark Kibble, Take 6). ‘Beautiful and Impressive!’ (Sara Davey).
More about Freeplay Duo

Founded in the fall of 2017, In Full Colour is a collegiate group from the University of Waterloo that seeks to tell stories about the human experience each year. They’ve competed at various competitions, and are three time ICCA Quarterfinal champions. This year, In Full Colour is tackling the virtual a cappella world with a series of individual stories featuring original music.
More about In Full Colour

Since its inception in 2009, the Ndlovu Youth Choir has become one of the world’s most loved choirs. Their unique musical arrangements, powerhouse vocals, irresistibly combined with mesmerising choreography and infectious energy have inspired millions across the globe.

Eleven years after turning an after-school programme (The choir was formed by the Ndlovu Care Group’s Orphan and Vulnerable Children Programme) into a recording and touring career, the choir uses their talents to beautifully share their inspirational story through music.
More about Ndlovu Youth Choir

SHÆLIN is a new soul crew weaving a singular music. The group is deeply inspired by the richness of American black music (RnB, soul, hip hop, jazz, gospel) but also by other musical horizons ranging from traditional Reunion music to Steve Reich, or Dirty Projectors. Many genres with a strong history and meaning that gave birth to a modern and “feel good” sound, which exudes joie de vivre and generosity. For the 6 members of the band, difference is a wealth, and intermix a celebration of love. Through music, words and dance, SHÆLIN brings a message of hope and unconditional faith, a humanist and panspiritual message that invites its listeners to reconnect with the greater whole, with other beings, and with themselves. Based in France, the collective’s roots extend from Mozambique to Martinique via Italy, Cameroon, Reunion Island or Vietnam. Strong thanks to their differences in origins, ages and backgrounds, it is in the city of Tours that they connected. Together, they create a universal and unifying music.
More about Shaelin

Founded in 2009, Voco Novo is one of the most unique A Cappella groups in Taiwan, creating music of their own, as well as digging deeply into the various
cultures on the island, which have become the group’s iconic style.
More about Voco Novo

Born in San Francisco, California, Deke Sharon has been performing professionally since the age of 8, and as a child toured North America and shared the stage in operas with the likes of Pavarotti. Heralded as “The Father of Contemporary A Cappella,” he is responsible for the current sound of modern a cappella, having created the dense vocal-instrumental sound in college, subsequently spreading it around the world. Deke produced “The Sing-Off“ worldwide (USA, Netherlands, China, South Africa), which had the highest ratings of any new, unscripted television show in the US in 2009, and was the third highest rated show on NBC in 2010. In addition, Deke served as arranger, on-site music director and vocal producer for Universal’s “Pitch Perfect“ & “Pitch Perfect 2“ & “Pitch Perfect 3“ starring Anna Kendrick & Rebel Wilson.
More about Deke Sharon

SINGSTRONG A CAPPELLA FESTIVAL FIGHTS ALZHEIMER’S
3 Day A cappella Music Festival Raises Money For Charity
The all-vocal event consists of five concerts and two days of classes and coachings, all featuring nothing but the human voice. Event profits support charity, with a silent auction to benefit the fight against Alzheimer’s, and ticket and merchandise proceeds supporting music programs with a special focus on singing and a cappella music. Audiences will hear pop, jazz, rock, broadway, barbershop, overtone, beatbox and more -all performed a cappella. Groups will use only their voices to perform melodies, harmonies and to vocally imitate a virtual orchestra of sounds –including vocal drums, vocal trumpet, vocal electric guitar and a vocal synthesizers –all without instruments of any kind.
More about SingStrong Festival

Our mandate is to give a voice to the voice, to inspire innovation and collaboration, and to welcome singers of all stripes and all levels to explore something new. In these most unusual times. In our 9th season, SING! took the once in a century opportunity to provide a showcase and platform for a cappella artists from around the world – virtually. In our 10th anniversary season we continue to bring you the best in concerts and workshops from across the globe. Our Artistic Directors have designed a stellar line-up that crosses cultures, demographics, and musical styles, including a special retrospective of our 10 incredible years. Tickets and passes available at http://www.singtoronto.com
More about SING!

Vocal Line’s proclaimed goal is to act as a front-runner of the development of rhythmic choir singing, nationally as well as internationally. The music of Vocal Line springs from the Danish choir tradition and represents a strong fusion of rock, pop and jazz.
The sound of Vocal Line is characterised by joining grandiose, Nordic tones with personality and empathy in well sounding, richly detailed and experimental arrangements. No one sounds quite like Vocal Line!
More about Vocal Line

Founded in 1991, the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) has been investing in the a cappella community for thirty years. Our mission is to inspire a strong sense of unity by fostering diverse connections, supporting innovation, celebrating excellence, and sharing knowledge in the worldwide vocal music community. We produce three festivals and two awards programs each scholastic season in addition to other educational programs and initiatives.
More about CASA

Christian Fris-Ronsfeld is the artistic director of the Danish girl’s choir Mariagerfjord Pigekor and Mariagerfjord Choir School, which is one of the most remarkable schools for contemporary music in Europe,
consisting of 16 choirs primarily focusing on children and youth choirs. Besides, he has been leading the Danish National Pop Youth Choir “Syng Selected” together with his wife Tine Fris-Ronsfeld. Christian is frequently invited as a workshop leader at festivals and choir events in Europe and USA. His choir arrangements are sung by groups all over Europe and published by Schott and Helbling edition. He is a board member of Aarhus Vocal Festival (AAVF). Christian has a Master’s degree in rhythmic choir leading, pop/jazz singing and ear training from the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus/Aalborg and a Master’s degree in music education from the University of Music in Freiburg.

Line Groth is a renowned singer, conductor and arranger. She has worked with choirs, singers and conductors all over Europe, in the US, Israel, Greenland and Taiwan. As singer, arranger and co-conductor in the world famous Danish choir, Vocal Line for more than 11 years, she has sung concerts all over the world and performed with The Rolling Stones, Bobby McFerrin a.o. Line Groth is a member of the electronic vocal group, Postyr. The group has released several albums with their original music and in 2016 they won the prestigious CARA Award for Best European Album.