Duwendé is an award-winning a cappella vocal band and the headlining event of this year’s annual VoiceJam A Cappella Festival April 14-15. This six-person group is known for their fiercely original bass-and-beatbox style, earning acclaim across the globe. They have performed at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, the United Nations, Save the Children Benefit Dinner, The Bill Clinton Global Initiative, World AIDS Day, Sundance Film Festival and more. With over 10 million views on Youtube, Duwendé is fast on the rise to an exciting and dynamic future.
In keeping with our 10x10 series, we sat down with Duwendé’s Ed Chung ahead of their performance at Walton Arts Center at 8 pm on Friday, April 14.
What can audiences expect from your performance?
Audiences can expect to get up and dance! The music we choose to perform tends to appeal to multiple generations of music lovers, so there’s something for everyone to love.
What is the favorite part of your set?
The opening number! It’s fun to catch audiences by surprise and to give them an idea of what’s about to happen for the remainder of the set.
What drew you to the a cappella musical form?
We all have varied musical backgrounds, but we share a common interest in classic ‘80s and ‘90s pop and R&B, particularly artists like Michael Jackson and Prince. Jackson’s use of beatboxing and vocal “instruments” in his recordings led us to learn from other artists, and eventually, led us to a cappella. Legendary groups like Take 6 further solidified our personal interests in pursuing the art form professionally.
How did you come up with your group name?
Like most bands, we took a vote! In the early days, we each put name suggestions into the proverbial hat and narrowed our choices down to two — Duwendé and Challenge of the Super Friends. It remains a hot debate whether we chose wisely.
“Resist the urge to do what everyone else is doing.”
- Ed Chung
Do you have any pre-show rituals or warm-ups?
We run a specific part of a song that we want to make sure we execute properly. We will often take the last moment before hopping onstage to do a collective fist bump and remind each other to have fun and that we have each other’s back.
Pick 5 words to best describe your work.
Exciting, original, energetic, nostalgic and authentic.
What song, artists or genres are you currently listening to?
Our individual music tastes vary wildly, but a few artists that we all enjoy currently are Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles and the like. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince are always in the rotation as well.
What is a unique memory that you have from travelling the world?
Our first tour of Japan stands out as a favorite memory. Knowing that we had quite a strong fan base there, we were so excited to finally be able to travel to the country but didn’t know quite what to expect. It turned out to be an amazing experience! The country, the people and the sold-out shows were all remarkable and we ended up experiencing a tour that, quite frankly, will forever be hard to top.
What is the best advice you have received about being an artist?
Resist the urge to do what everyone else is doing and do whatever you can to make your own mark.
You’ve performed at so many notable events, can you talk about what these experiences have meant for your career?
While we’ve been fortunate enough to be able to perform for some truly career defining events, the main takeaway for us has been the common thread through it all — the power that music has on people. Whether it’s for five people or 5,000 people, there’s a mystical exchange of joy that happens when music is performed live and we feel privileged to be able to play a part.
Don’t miss the aca-spectacular kickoff to VoiceJam with Duwendé. All tickets are $10.