Killer samples
For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to understand why people love a cappella. Heck, even for those of us who do actively enjoy it, it can be difficult to put into words why we enjoy this art form so. While we’ll never have a truly comprehensive list of everything cool about a cappella, 200 Reasons to Love A Cappella is our best attempt at assembling a list of what makes it great.
Reason #9: Killer Samples
As an art form that has its roots and its core in live performance, a cappella has the unique opportunity for its performers to sample other songs amidst the ones they are performing.
We’ve all seen it. Sometimes it just sounds right melodically—the bevy of groups performed Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” a couple years ago, and threw back a sample to “Stand By Me,” or Rochester’s Midnight Ramblers sampling “Ode to Joy” toward the end of “Mr. Brightside.” Sometimes there’s a thematic connection—there’s a time I saw group sample Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” in the middle of Ben Folds’s “Annie Waits,” making it a song of empowerment for Annie.
Sampling is a fantastic way of individualizing a song—while a cappella arrangements are, by their nature different, this ups the stakes, creating a mini-medley of sorts, giving the audience the sense its seeing something genuinely unique and special. Furthermore, it keeps the audience on its toes—taking it out of the safe realm of a familiar song, and experimenting with something new. Not every sample works, but when the do, they can really elevate a performance.
I love it!