As Femme Fatale's popularity reaches a fever pitch, the 16 ladies of the ensemble strive to keep their cool.
Femme Fatale is a bonafide, energetic, passionate and multi-talented a capella group. They are new school. They are street smart. They are cutting edge. And they are all very talented.
"I always liked a capella music," said Keren Estime '97, "but the styles of other campus groups never appealed to me."
"I decided to sing with Femme Fatale because of their 'flava,'" she added. "Nobody on campus does what we do."
Initiated with just an idea and a prayer, Femme Fatale now boasts 16 female members and a four-part harmony line-up. These ladies can blow!
The group's co-founder or "head diva," Tanielle McBain '96, said her familiarity with other rhythm and blues groups like Brownstone and EnVogue was the impetus behind founding Femme Fatale.
"I missed the old R & B girl groups of the '60s and '70s. I missed the soulful sound ... and, most importantly, while at Dartmouth I missed hearing r & b music period," McBain said.
"Tanielle and I felt that another group was needed on campus because there wasn't a group that performed the kind of music that we liked or that we knew our friends wanted to hear," said Natalyn Nails, '96, a co-founder of the group.
"Not that there isn't variety, because each a capella group seems to have a slightly different repertoire from the next, but we knew that since we miss hearing the kind of music we like up here, it would be cool to form a group that could do it for the campus," she said.
Patricia Frausto '97 said the group is primarily comprised of women of color, but only because their type of music appeals to those who have a voice for rhythm and blues. She added the auditions are open to everyone.
"Although starting out was tough, we are really in the middle of something new and great," said Holly Eaton '98, a Femme Fatale member.
Performing concerts only after a week or two of practice, the group debuted in Collis Center during Homecoming Weekend. From there the rest has been history.
"We got so many other requests for performances, but had to turn them down, because we were pretty green still and hadn't thought too much about expanding our repertoire to five or six more songs," Nails said.
"We had to take things slowly our first term, and I'm glad we did, because we were pretty consistent in singing what we did know well," she said.
With a repertoire ranging from oldies by the Supremes and the Manhattans, to the contemporary music of Soul for Real and Xscape, Femme Fatale presents its listeners with a blustery wall of deep-throated vocals and glucose-laden ballads.
Choir members describe Femme Fatale as a great experience even for those with no vocal background.
"Many ladies in the choir have had little or no formal vocal training," McBain said.
"A lot of us have different styles from gospel to opera."
McBain, however, was quick to point out that these different styles only add to the ensemble rather than detract from it.
"It gives it a different flavor ... the choral sound you hear on the street," she said.
The Femme Fatale members said the group has even coalesced to form a sort of "sisterhood."
"Practices are very easy-going and fun," McBain said.
"We are like a little family," Eaton said.
For those students wishing to preserve that Femme Fatale sound for their own listening pleasure, a compact disc may be coming your way soon.
"The future plans of the group are to keep performing, and maybe before Tanielle and I graduate, get some kind of recording done. That is, if we can get some kind of funds together," Nails said.
"We are trying to get funds to record our own CD," McBain said.
"Don't be surprised if you see us out on the street selling m&m's or something," Nails said.
According to McBain, her only wish is to have formed the group earlier.
"I didn't think an idea like this could have happened. I like how the Dartmouth community has embraced us," she said.
Other members of Femme Fatale include Shazia Iftkhar '95, seniors Amel Ahmed, Tracey Gainor, Sarasa Kimata and Camille Noel, juniors Sandy Alexandre, Xantha Bruso, and Christine Dankwa, sophomores Amie Harper and Shelly Ann Scott '98 and freshman Stephanie Kelter '99.
