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A cappella masterpieces: Recommended songs where beautiful harmonies shine (Western and Japanese music)

A cappella that highlights beautiful harmonies.

Do you have any favorite a cappella groups or songs?

Overseas, there are various groups like Pentatonix at the forefront, as well as Home Free and VoicePlay.

In Japan, there are The Gospellers and Little Glee Monster, who have collaborated with Pentatonix.

One of the charms of a cappella is enjoying that perfectly synchronized, almost telepathic breathing and timing!

A cappella that can move you or lift your spirits.

I’ll be introducing some outstanding a cappella masterpieces from both Japan and abroad!

A cappella masterpieces: Recommended songs featuring standout beautiful harmonies [Western & Japanese] (51–60)

A Sky Full Of StarsClub For Five

Club For Five – A Sky Full Of Stars (Official Music Video)
A Sky Full Of StarsClub For Five

This is a song by Club For Five (often abbreviated as CFF or CF5), a Finnish mixed-gender a cappella group formed in 2001.

They sing both Finnish- and English-language songs.

It’s intriguing how their music feels contemporary while also carrying a traditional vibe.

Their harmonies are exquisite.

While they are mainly active in Finland, they also perform concerts in Europe and Asia, so I think there’s a chance they may come to Japan someday.

Make Love (Sempre con te)Neri Per Caso

Neri Per Caso – Make Love (Sempre con te)
Make Love (Sempre con te)Neri Per Caso

This is a song by an Italian male a cappella group formed in 1991.

Since many of the lyrics are in Italian, there are parts I don’t understand, but it has a fresh, bright, and fun atmosphere that somehow matches the image of Italy.

The gentle vocals and harmonies—so quintessentially a cappella—feel great.

The rhythm, which seems to play with rhyme, is also pleasing.

town/cityPermanent Fish

They are a Japanese male a cappella group based in Kobe.

Their name is said to mean “fish that keep swimming forever through the sea of voices.” Centered on a cappella, they have a wide repertoire and musicality spanning AOR-focused Western songs, Japanese covers, originals, and even songs in Korean.

GoneSmooth Ace

This is the debut single by Smooth Ace, a Japanese a cappella group formed from a Waseda University club.

It really has a ’90s vibe.

Even among songs from the ’90s, the chorus feels particularly solid.

When the original group was formed in 1991, Murakami from The Gospellers was also a member.

They were a quartet, but now the group has been reduced to two members: Okamura and Shigezumi.

OperatorThe Manhattan Transfer

This is the debut work by The Manhattan Transfer, a mixed a cappella group from the United States with two men and two women.

They’re a group that has won the Grammy Awards many times.

Formed in 1969 and re-formed in 1973, they’re true veterans.

Their sound feels jazzy yet pop, powerful and energetic, and it lifts your spirits with brightness.

The sense of rhythm is great, and once you hear it, it sticks in your ears.