Soweto Gospel Choir –
Blessed Live In Concert (Concert)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Concert: B-
No doubt the Soweto Gospel Choir is very talented and
exceptionally effective in their harmonies.
Acorn Media has issued a new DVD of their recent Australian TV concert,
running 24 songs and about 90 minutes.
They start off by explaining that some of the concert will be in
English, but it is very little and turns out to be the weakest parts of their
show. This includes Khumbaya and
Oh Happy Day, the former of which was never a favorite and latter of
which the hit record by The Edwin Hawkins Singers is definitive. Peter Gabriel’s Biko fares a bit
better.
Of course, one cannot watch and eventually not think of
Paul Simon’s Graceland, which along with Steven Spielberg’s original
film version of The Color Purple mainstreamed the idea of traditional
African culture in a new way. That did
not come without its critics, but is a valid point that extends al the way to
Australia and South Africa. It is a
good, if inconsistent concert, but one those who enjoy this music will like.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1/16 X 9 image has weak
Video Black, though is very colorful and was shot in digital High
Definition. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix
is the best here, but is not always making the best use of its surrounds. Three featurettes about the group are the
extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
