This is Talisman's discography page. Our CDs can be purchased at Amazon.com.

The Quick Day Is Done

In our seventh full-length album, Talisman meditates on the passing of day into night, life into death, seeking that rich calm which can only be found in twilight. The journey that these songs follow is a journey in and out of shadow. We mourn, we scream, we pray, but ultimately we find hope in the brevity of the day - in the knowledge that all struggles come to an end. With this album we pay tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and remember that each day brings with it a new hue of light and the possibility of change.

Listen to "Way Beyond The Blue":

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Watch Me Fly

In accord with Talisman’s mission, the music on Watch Me Fly comes from a range of cultures and experiences: protest songs from South Africa, Native American chants, a Maori love song, Negro spirituals, and a jazz song about the horror of lynching. These songs communicate the common experiences of love, loss, joy, pain, and hope through the universal medium of music. The title of the album, inspired by the final track with the same name, tells us that despite our situations, there is always hope that our dreams will be realized and that we will overcome our individual and collective struggles on a move towards freedom.

Listen to "Wahjeeleh-Yihm":

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Passage

Passage was recently given RARB's (Recording of A cappella Review Board) highest 5.0 rating; overall, the album received the best scores that RARB has ever given to a collegiate album. Passage blends urban soul and contemporary African rhythms in an updated African, African-American sound. The album finds Talisman in a creative stage with two spiritual medleys "Beulah" and "Soon Ah Will Be Done", three upbeat African songs "Rafiki," "Pata Pata," and "Kube", the poignant and beautiful "Famine Song", and the powerful "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing."

Listen to "Soon Ah Will Be Done":

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Shine

Shine is the hallmark of Talisman’s recording history. Upon celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Talisman released an album of its best recordings in its first ten years—adding several new tracks months before release. Shine not only includes the highlights of Talisman’s recording history, it has a 32-page insert detailing the group’s growth in its first 10 years—with all of its many struggles and successes. As summed by a music reviewer at the Recorded A Cappella Review Board, "Shine is simply one of the most finely crafted collegiate recordings available."

Listen to "No Mirrors":

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held in shining

Held In Shining represents an expansion of Talisman’s interest in international music. The album includes a song in Gaelic, two Native American songs, a South Indian piece, as well as Talisman’s traditional African and African-American folksongs. The mood is diverse with the upbeat "Lean on Me," "Dubula," and "Akanamandla" to the haunting "Mahk Jchi," and "Anina Jaime" to the soothing, peaceful "Sharanu Ninnage," and "Baba Yetu." The Talisman Alumni Choir returns with "Adiemus." The album’s finale "Amazing Grace" was performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House, essentially standing as the anthem for this Talisman group.

Listen to "Amazing Grace":

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after silence

Talisman released After Silence just two months before its tour of the South and performance at the 1996 Olympic Games. The album was also a testimony to African and African-American influences. "When I Die Tomorrow" and "Wanting Memories" are among the most beautiful and requested songs in group history. The powerful apartheid song, "Sechaba," and pensive journey song, "Tell My Feet" also stand out. The album is highlighted by Talisman’s single greatest recording achievement in "The Rainmaker." Director Christopher Tin, who later studied at the Royal College of Music and began a career scoring feature films, arranged the ten-minute African choral piece sung by Talisman’s 60-person alumni choir. Taiko drums accompanied the piece.

Listen to "Wanting Memories":

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tonic rhythms

Recorded in 1994, Tonic Rhythms focused on Talisman’s African and African-American influences. The album is almost entirely comprised of spirituals, gospel, and African folksongs. Many of the album’s songs became fixtures of Talisman’s repertoire including: "Babethandaza," "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize," "Hallelujah," and "Senzenina," "N’kosi Sikelel’ Africa," and "Glory, Glory."

Listen to "Babethandaza":

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no murmur, no zealots

No Murmur, No Zealots is Talisman’s 1992 debut album. No Murmur shows the groups eclectic origins with African-America, South Africa, West Africa, the Philippines, and Spanish folksongs along with a variety of a gospel songs, jazz, and a cappella favorites. The album cover features a batik by acclaimed Ugandan artist Paul Nzalamba. Favorites include: "Hombe," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," "Denko," "Zombie Jamboree," and "Something Within Me."

Listen to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight":

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