Moipeis quartet biography

“I’ve known rivers,” Langston Hughes wrote in one of his first — circa — and most famous poems, which is formally titled “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” He continues, “I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.” 

I kept thinking about that classic text, which is more usually known by its opening line, during the performance of Moipei at 54 Below on Monday evening.  That was the most significant and relevant work that they somehow didn’t include in what was a beautiful and highly moving program that used the image of the river as a metaphor for a journey to enlightenment. 

Moipei is a vocal trio of identical triplets from Nairobi, Kenya, and their surname, pronounced “moy-pay,” doubles as the ensemble’s title.

As the three year-old women introduce themselves, they are “Mary, the oldest and the organized one,” followed by “Maggy, the middle child. Need I say more?” and finally, “Marta, the cute one.”&n