Ysaye Maria Barnwell
|
|
Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell has been a member of the African American, a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock since 1979. She is a prolific composer, who composes many of the group's contemporary songs, and has been commissioned to create dance, choral, film, and stage productions. She conducts music workshops around the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, including a workshop she created called "Building a Vocal Community: Singing in the African American Tradition".
Barnwell produced Sweet Honey in the Rock's 1998 25th anniversary album, ...Twenty-Five..., and edited Continuum: The First Songbook of Sweet Honey in the Rock.
Barnwell's acting credits include a principal role on a television series called "A Man Called Hawk" and also appeared in the 1998 film Beloved which starred Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.
Barnwell has also written a children's book, No Mirrors In My Nana's House, and released a solo musical album, Um Humm, in 2000.