Video: The Beatbox Choir (2007) – full documentary
This is an award-winning documentary film from 2007 about the creation of beatboxer Shlomo’s choir “The Vocal Orchestra”.
Filmmaker Colette McWilliams and her team were granted exclusive access throughout the 6 weeks between the choir’s first meeting and performing their headlining show for the International Human Beatbox Convention. The film follows the highs and the lows as Shlomo, the Swingle Singers, MC Zani, Bellatrix and Spitf’ya break new ground to create a whole new performance sound – it’s THE BEATBOX CHOIR!
This film was independently produced in London and has previously only been shown at film festivals, including the OS International Film Festival where it was awarded Best Documentary, and at the D Reel International Film Festival, Australia where it was included in the official selection.
This is the first time it has been made available on the web.
Shlomo: http://shlo.co.uk/
The swingle Singers: http://swinglesingers.com/
To organise screenings of the film:
info@sensoproducions.com
Directed and Produced by: Colette McWilliams
Producers: Russell Reid & Jean Phillipe Gossart
Director of Photography: Jean Phillipe Gossart http://jpgossart.com
Editor: Stephan Talneau http://vimeo.com/stephantalneau
Sound Recordist: George Butterworth
Boom Operators: Julian, Kareem, Curzio
Sound Mix: Sebastian Reuters http://klangkosmonauten.de
The Original Blurb from 2007:
Beatboxing has been on the rise in the UK over the last five years as fans marvel over the inhuman sounds that these underground stars can make. In The Beatbox choir we follow Shlomo, British beatbox pioneer and South bank artist in residence, as he takes four of the UK’s top beatboxers along side Grammy award winning acapella group The Swingle Singers, and gives them six weeks to turn themselves into the UK’s first full scale human Beatboxing choir.
Before the group had even met they had major festival interest and had been advertised as the headline act for The International Beatbox Convention 2007. Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra have six weeks to create a choir that has to follow acts such as as Beardyman (2x UK Beatbox Champion) and Roxorloops (Belgian Beatbox Champion) to a sit down concert hall full of beatbox fans. Sold out just days after the tickets went on sale and promoted internationally, the crowd’s expectations are high. As Shlomo aptly said in his first introduction to the choir: “I have no idea what we’re gonna do, but we’ve got to do something.”
This inspirational story tells of friendships forged from diverse backgrounds, conflicting musical genres and clashing cultures, with the creation of the choir comes the creation of musical family. From the first day the group meet until their first public performance at the convention, week-by-week we see the creative journey of Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra. Lead through experimental voice-coaching techniques, we watch the group step out of their comfort zones as they perform in ways they never knew they could.
The Beatbox Choir is an inspirational story of ambition, risk-taking and brand new sounds.
Photos: Beatbox vs Spoken Word
Me!
Polar Bear
Charlie Dark looking dapper
Bellatrix on the double bass!
Dizraeli and the Small Gods
In the Loop
Polar vs Shlo
PolarBelle
These photos are by RJ Fernandez.
What an incredible gig – big love and thanks to all involved. I’ve forgotten how uplifting the shows at QEH are. More to come in 2011!! Whoop 
Music Through Unconventional Means: Beatboxing meets the art of Spoken Word, October 31 2010
Music Through Unconventional Means: Beatboxing meets the art of Spoken Word
SHLOMO, BELLATRIX, CHARLIE DARK, POLAR BEAR AND DIZRAELI & THE SMALL GODS
October 31 2010, 7.30pm,
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
MORE INFO AND TICKETS.
To celebrate my entering my 4th year (i know!) as Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre, we’ve organised a special concert as part of my ongoing collaborative series Music Through Unconventional Means. Vocal mastery will meet verbal dexterity as myself and female beatbox world champion BELLATRIX will cross our badmouth beatboxing with the likes of the incredible wordsmiths CHARLIE DARK, POLAR BEAR and DIZRAELI with his full band THE SMALL GODS.
Shlomo’s Glasto diary 09 – Part 4 – MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE vs BELLATRIX beatbox battle
Part four of Shlomo’s Glastonbury diary featuring BBC Radio 4′s MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE challenging BELLATRIX (World Female Beatbox Champion 2009) to a battle of the beats. Ouch.
Part five is out next week!
Watch it HERE.
