While you may be unfamiliar with the name Sylver Logan Sharp, if you’re an aficionado of either disco or R&B music, you’ve heard her resonant voice.
Now a resident of Mount Rainier, Md., Sylver counted among several lead vocalists for the immensely popular and commercially successful band CHIC with whom she toured for 20 years.
CHIC, formed by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards in 1972, regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement that “made good on hippie peace, love and freedom,” according to their Wikipedia biography.
As for Sylver, an alum of D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest, she’s made the most of her years at the top of the music charts and traveling the globe. Her achievements include a Grammy, a successful recording career and the establishment of a huge fan base in Stockholm, Sweden and a bevy of musical collaborations with icons who include: Yolanda Adams, Carlos Santana, Michael Bolton, Rare Essence, Kid Rock, Jonathan Peters and Magnus Carlsson, considered music royalty in Sweden.
Recently, she followed up on an idea which she said first began to take shape in September 2018 while celebrating the birthday of her producer/musical director and husband, Daryl L.A. Hunt.
After revisiting a song which she composed 13 years earlier, Sylver said given the new restrictions placed on the world due to COVID-19, she began to look for ways to address how both the pandemic and the political season of 2020 have impacted our lives.
The result, written by Sylver and Daryl, would be a musical project entitled, “No More Color Lines.” The song, launched by DCTV on Nov. 6, also the initial date of its release, serves as more than just an interlude for Sylver.
“I wanted this to be more than a song but instead a campaign that would spark a movement aimed at promoting racial harmony,” she said. “Given all of the racial turmoil that our nation has endured like the senseless murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and hundreds of other innocent Black men and women, I wanted to use my gift for good.”
“Of course, with the civil unrest that has taken place throughout the current political season, I also wanted to speak to that problem, too. In many ways, I was searching for a way to do what I do as an artist since COVID-19 has eliminated opportunities for folks like me to tour and engage with audiences on stage.”
“Music always has a meaning and a message. ‘No More Color Lines’ is one example. Best of all, because we have a studio in our home, my husband and I were able to use the new technologies to reach out to some of my ‘rock star friends.’ And I was so delighted and surprised that everyone I called on said they wanted to share their voice for the project including Will Downing, Howard Hewett, Cheryl Pepsii Riley and CeCe Peniston.”
“I’m trying to stay in my lane but this virus has given me a new purpose and so I’m determined to both expand and increase my range as well as my reach.”
“This was a labor of love – one which I believe has endless potential,” Sylver said.
Sylver and Daryl currently host a live show from their loft in Mount Rainier called #FeelBetterFriday during which they feature “feel better” music, fun and highlight guest artists, as well as their own music.
For more information about Sylver, visit www.sylverlogansharp.com.