In the early 1990s, a group of talented women saw a void in the Tufts vocal scene. As Black women, they felt that they, and the music they enjoyed singing, was absent. So, in an attempt to remedy this, and because of their general love of song, they came together to form a group called Spice. Spice sang together for a few years before becoming Essence in 1994. Over the years, the character of Essence has changed many times. Not only has Essence been through a musical make-over, some also see a shift in the purpose of the group. When it was first founded, Essence was intended, or perceived to be, only for women of color. But now we are proud to be one of the most diverse incarnations of Essence ever. The thing that will always link together every member of Essence, past and present, is our love of the music of the African Diaspora. We will always keep this meaning in our hearts out of respect for the founders of Essence.

Members: Faith Cummings, Angela Anderson, Melodie Eastmond, Kimberly Mitchell, Ursula Randolph, Mariel Montuori, Sharon Taylor, Rachel Engelberg, Kate Beal

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