Divine Unity: A Divine Gospel Trio in the UK

Photo by Priscilla Parmar

Source: Catch a Vibe

In an industry saturated with mediocre female vocalists compensating for their lack of creative prowess by showcasing acres of naked flesh, Divine Unity are a welcome breath of fresh air.

The talented trio consist of Sharlene (24), Martina (23) and Sacha (25). Remarkably, there is no weak link in this hat-trick of unique voices. Sharlene is a vocal power-house, whose energetic stage presence is utterly infectious. Martina demonstrates a smooth, soulful singing style whilst emanating loveliness from every pore. Sacha’s sweet and sassy attitude is reflected in her honeyed high-end notes, which are an intensely pleasurable audio-experience. Having sung together since they were just 11 years old, their gorgeous harmonies are effortless.

They describe themselves as “first and foremost, pop music” which shows an endearing lack of pretension and yet there are a huge variety of genres evident in their sound. Their broad range of musical influences encompass everything from Madness to Frank Sinatra. The first half of their gig at Charlotte Street Blues takes you from soulful ballad (Human Form), through catchy Lily-Allen-esque Britpop (Realise) to rock guitar riffs reminiscent of Kings of Leon (Free). In the second half of the show, these ladies “take it back to Church” and prove they don’t need any gimmicks with a stunning, virtually a cappella arrangement of “Amazing Grace”.

Surprisingly, it’s when they fuse heavy metal guitar and powerful, rock-inspired drum-beats with their gospel vocals that Divine Unity really shine. Rock and gospel are not supposed to work, but it does here and the result is startlingly spectacular, as evidenced by their stand-out track “The Devil is a Liar” (which will have you air-guitaring all the way home).

Everything from their confident yet natural stage personas, to their fashion-forward multi-coloured stage garb reflects the fact that Divine Unity are unapologetically true to themselves. They are involved with the national, celebrity endorsed confidence campaign Body Gossip and hope that the positive message conveyed in their lyrics, along with their edgy, yet not overtly sexual image, will promote self-esteem in young women and prove that glamour and self-respect can go hand-in-hand.

If you are a Christian, Divine Unity’s lyrics will undoubtedly speak to you. The girls are touchingly honest about the experiences that inspire their songs. If not, don’t be put off: the hooks are catchy and the message is universal. You will leave Divine Unity’s gig elated, uplifted and wanting more.