photo by steed media service

musical masters

Throughout the ‘80s and 90s, The Three Tenors — Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti captivated the world and introduced new generations to classical music through effortlessly blending genres of music on a grand scale. Because opera is widely viewed as a European style of music, many African Americans missed the experience.

“As African Americans, we have to prove ourselves in anything where it’s perceived that whites did it first,” explains Kenneth Alston Jr. In an effort to debunk that myth, veteran Broadway performer Marion J. Caffey assembled a team of highly trained African American vocalists and created Three Mo’ Tenors. In 2001, they burst onto the scene with their live taping on PBS’ “Great Performances,” with their flawless choreography and effortless blending of traditional opera music with contemporary soul. Since then, they have traveled internationally breaking barriers and mesmerizing audiences.

“They get excited because it’s an electrifying show,” says Alston. “You think that it can’t get any better and it does. We do every style of music with the integrity [with which] it was written.” “We’re going to sing classical [music], but you can in no way, shape or form get bored,” explains Alston. “We sing a bit of Broadway [songs], [and] people get off their seats and dance — we do it with that much rigor. And then we’ll turn around and sing some old-school songs like ‘My Girl.’ Music can heal people, and that’s what the audience will hear when they come to Mableton.”–adam jones

Three Mo’ Tenors are scheduled to perform Friday, July 27 at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre in Mableton, Ga. For more information, visit www.threemotenorsontour.com.