Why I loved Celebration of Gospel (much to my surprise)

I'm not a big awards show fan. You end up watching to see 2 or 3 of your favorite artists and the rest of the 40 hours is spent hearing from people you're just not that into. For me, it's not worth the amount of time invested in front of the tube.

For this reason I had not planned to watch BET's Celebration of Gospel. It's not an awards show, but it's the same type of deal. Sure, most of the artists have a song that I like, but I'm an equal opportunity hater so I wasn't going to automatically watch just because COG is a gospel show. (Hopefully that shows I have integrity. lol) Nonetheless, I happend to be flipping through channels and ended up watching the last half and really enjoyed it.

I LOVE that the show is about celebrating gospel. This isn't the "if you're saved and you know it clap your hands" show. This is the "if you love gospel music and you know it clap your hands." I love that pop culture celebrities, R&B, and hip hop artists are there - some of which are performing to rep their love for gospel and the message that it brings. Honestly, most black artists got their start in church. Let's celebrate that! So cheers to Taraji P. Hensen, Chaka Khan, Tank, Bryshere Gray, et. al for participating. Everyone was making a joyful noise.

I love that COG is an opportunity for pop artists to show that they do indeed listen to, enjoy, and recognize the talents of gospel artists. Y'all know one can sing like church folk! Yasssss Tamela Mann, Yolanda Adams, and Jessica Reedy (she sounded phenomenal!) And in case pop celebs' fans didn't know they believe in an almighty God - now they know.

COG also shows that gospel is not just a traditional church choir. Hello Travis Greene and Kirk Franklin. We have a message and a sound for lovers of music and it doesn't only consist of old classics like "I-iiiiii love the Lord, he heard my cry-yyy-yyyyyy."

I love that COG is a platform for the gospel community to worship together and commemorate our legends. The Andre Crouch tribute was really nice. Shout out to Be Be Winans!

Finally, I love that others can hear the true message of gospel thanks to songs like Worth by Anthony Brown and Group thereAPy.

So Kudos, BET, for getting it right and keeping it classy... this time. :)

P.S. If you missed Celebration of Gospel 2016 and want to check out the performances here's the link.

Anthony Brown & group therAPy - Worth (Official Music Video)

This song right here... if it doesn't take you in, nothing will. Enjoy!

4 things I think I know about worship based on Chicago's Gospel Fest

Chicago Gospel Fest was held in Millennium Park

The 2015 Chicago Gospel Fest was last weekend and the devil was busy messing with the weather trying to keep Christians from coming out. :) I managed to go to the last set Sunday evening. Here are 4 things I think I know about worship based on the four performances I saw:

1. Your remix better be hot.
To be honest, the only song I know by Anthony Brown and group therAPy is Testimony. That song is fire! I'm not sure I would've taken the gamble, but they decided to sing a new rendition. And guess what; it was hot too! Your fans are expecting your main song to slay so you've gotta be sure you don't disappoint.

2. You've got to run a tight ship.
Marvin Sapp had his band with him, but also used tracks. The backup sounded like they were literally on the stage with him. I'm still trying to figure out how he did it! His performance was flawless.

3. You've got to work the heck out of your new song.
Richard Smallwood is one of gospel's finest musicians/writers. He opened with his popular Anthem of Praise and then moved on to their new song Same God. They sang that song for a good 6 minutes. When that song hits the airwaves, my ears are already primed to receive it because they drilled it in my head at Gospel Fest. That's how you get your fans on board!

4. Get the audience to participate.

Israel Houghton getting his praise on!

Israel Houghton was the headliner and you could tell by the number of staff on stage setting up his mic's/technical equipment. It looked like quite the ordeal. While all of the set-up was a bit taxing, he was the only one to use the video screen to project his words. This really helped get the audience involved. Of course it ended up being a fun performance because everyone was singing along and was excited. I still have whiplash from all the jumping around I was doing. :) Whatever program he used to display the lyrics was visually captivating. The colors were fun and you can tell they spent a lot of effort thinking about the visuals.

 

 

 

 

 

My God-brother, Daybreon, my sis Amber, and Me (Nicole) at Chicago Gospel Fest 2015

Well, that's my recap on this year's Gospel Fest. Maybe next year it'll be warm and sun-shiney.

Blessings