“Do not worry Be Happy”
Bobby McFerrin becomes 75: Master of improvisation
His voice is his instrument, his music a game with sounds. Bobby McFerrin has taken new ways as a singer and conductor.
Bobby McFerrin wrote music history – as a singer, composer and conductor with a unique voice and a distinctive style. Today the ten-time Grammy winner is 75 years old.
Most people know McFerrin through his world hit “Don’t worry, be happy”. The Laissez-Faire song sung A Cappella was a global success in 1988 and made it famous. But his career goes far beyond this catchy tune. With his impressive voice scope, he connected jazz, classical and pop in a special way. He always experimented with new forms of expression and singing techniques that made him a unique sound artist.
Accompanying music is not required
McFerrin was born in 1950 in New York as the son of the opera singer Robert McFerrin. At first he played the piano before discovering his voice as his central instrument at the age of 27. He soon worked with jazz greats like Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. His album “The Voice” (1984) set standards in solo singing and proved that he does not need an accompanying music to inspire. At his concerts, he fascinated the audience with spontaneous sound creations and a unique interaction of the voice and rhythm.
In addition to his career as a singer, McFerrin also devoted himself to classical music. In the 1990s, he conducted Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in the US state of Minnesota. He underpinned his reputation as a master of improvisation with projects such as the A-cappella group Voiceestra or the ambitious album “Vocabularies” (2010). His versatility led him to other experiments with vocal and instrumental ensembles, in which he dissolved boundaries between genres and musical traditions.
Philosophy of free musical development
McFerrin was also involved intensively as a music teacher. He kept workshops worldwide in which he passed on his philosophy of free musical development. He repeatedly emphasized the universal power of singing and encouraged people of all ages to discover their own voice. His interactive concerts, in which the audience was actively included, made him an extraordinary live artist.
In recent years it has become calmer about him, but his influence on the music world remains unbroken. Bobby McFerrin has repeatedly emphasized that music is one thing for him: a game. “You just have to open and sing your mouth,” he said once – a guiding principle that he has remained loyal.
dpa
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
