Black Gospel
Gospel music is believed to have its roots deeply embedded in the Churches of the South that featured black people. This is in the time of segregation where black people had Churches separate from the white people.
No matter how hard life seemed to get for the black people of the South they never seemed to loose their Faith. Attending Church was uplifting and a time to be thankful for what God had given them.
One way to share their joy at being in the Church and for their Faith was to sing about it. Black people have always been known for their unbelievable singing voices. Added with the passion of their Faith the songs were heard loud and clear. The concept of the black gospel choir is on that is commonly reproduced in movies that portray this time in the South.
One of the earliest know black gospel singers is Thomas Dorsey who composed one of the best known gospel songs There will be Peace in the Valley. He is often labeled as the Father of Gospel Music. There are really only a handful of black gospel artists from the 30′s through the 50′s.
The majority of the recordings were done by quartets that have been identified as the movement behind pop music. In a quartet individuals could see different pitches at the same time giving the gospel music a rich harmony that people just couldn’t get enough of. The majority of these quartets were men but a few female groups emerged as well.
Many people love the music of black gospel but they are infuriated by the name that has stuck with the music after all of these years. They believe it is degrading to African Americans. It also resorts us back to the time when they were viewed as lesser human beings than white people. They also feel it makes many people in society feel they are entitled to treat blacks as lower class.
Incoming search terms:
Categories: Gospel Music Tags: black gospel artists, black gospel singers, different pitches, rich harmony, thomas dorsey
Ghetto Gospel
It is no secret than many black people have grown up in the ghetto slums of the world. Statistically the poverty level in that demographic area still continues. No matter how little these people have they continue to have their Faith to share with each other. Ghetto gospel combines the aspects of life on the streets, growing up poor, and Faith all in one. Ghetto gospel can serve as an inspiration for those who have been able to rise about this fate.
The style of ghetto gospel is different than most other types of gospel music. It has a rougher sound and the artists have a different look to them. Ghetto gospel is quite similar to the rapping songs that have become so popular. Most ghetto gospel appeals to youth and young adults ranging from 15 to 25.
From looking at them you might expect something different from ghetto gospel artists. They often wear baggy pants, t-shirts, have numerous tattoos, and wear plenty of jewelry including gold chains. They are often seen cruising in low rider vehicles.
Many followers of gospel music find ghetto gospel style to be quite controversial. They believe it really pushes the line of being a religious individual. In one respect these individuals are talking about religion and life but they don’t live what they sing and write about. Ghetto gospel rappers have just as bad of an image as many regular rappers.
Many believe it is simply the background they come from and they shouldn’t be penalized for the way they dress, talk, or the type of music they like to engage in. While the various areas of gospel music are outraged by ghetto gospel, the rap community is simply embarrassed by them. They seem to think that they are simply want to be rappers instead of the real thing.
One of the popular black rappers Tupac wrote a song called Ghetto Gospel. In his song he talks about his disappointment of how some great black men have died but it all seems to have been in vain because the black culture is still living in the ghetto. He definitely was a rapper who understood the struggles of the young men in the ghetto as well as their desire to do something with the experiences.
Categories: Gospel Music Tags: black rappers, ghetto gospel, living in the ghetto, rap community, rider vehicles
Gospel Choirs
A gospel choir is a group of individuals who sing together to share the words of God while enjoying the harmony of their voices together. A gospel choir is generally formed in the various Churches around the Nation. They include both men and women. Gospel choirs often share their musical talent with the congregation, the community, performing in concerts, and traveling to various locations to share it with other gospel choirs.
Gospel choirs are quickly becoming a popular activity for high school students as well. They may be sponsored by the Church or part of a Christian or Catholic high school that is religion based. This is a great way for students to become involved in music while expressing their religious beliefs at the same time.
One of the longest running high school gospel choirs is The Total Experience Gospel Choir. It was established in Seattle in 1973. It has grown in popularity since that time from one that was locally known to an international favorite.
The most famous gospel choir in the world is the Harlem Gospel Choir that was founded in 1986. The choir travels all over the world sharing their musical talents along the way. The choir was initially set up for them to perform in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The choir decided to continue so it could share music and the messages of God with others around the world.
Gospel choirs come from many different backgrounds. They were extremely popular in the 1940′s and 1950′s. The number of gospel choirs diminished over the years but it has become a popular trend again. Gospel choirs are able to provide amazing vocals with lyrics that really remind us of the reasons behind going to Church. They can motive people to renew their relationship with God and to get other areas of their life in order.
Categories: Gospel Music Tags: gospel choirs, harlem gospel choir, musical talents, total experience gospel choir, world gospel
Gospel Music
Gospel music has a religious tone to it both with the lyrics and the type of music. Gospel music reaches millions of people because there are so many forms of it. Even teenagers can embrace gospel music with a pop sound to it. With some of the terrible lyrics you hear on the radio these days gospel music is a nice change. It can uplift you spiritually and improve your mood.
Gospel music uses many of the same types of instruments other types of music incorporate including guitars, drums, keyboards, and the violin. Most people associate gospel music with black people singing harmoniously in a large Christian Church. While gospel music did get its start with the African Americans in the South it has many influences both inside and outside of the Church.
Gospel music found its way to the top of the music charts in 1938. It has continued to be an icon in our music society every sense. Gospel music artists are just as popular as many rock or country artists. Thousands of people attend gospel music concerts annually. The umbrella of gospel music is home to many different genres so there is something for everyone.
Southern gospel music is quite popular because it embraces the same musical concepts as country music. The lyrics are much more religion based but the sound is very much the same. There is a genre called black gospel music but many people believe it isn’t right segregate the sound based on color. It is too much like the issues previously in history where blacks and whites were segregated based on the color of their skin.
Gospel music even has its own channels on TV where various music videos are played. There are also interview with gospel artists, reviews on new albums, and tour information. Most of us are familiar with music channels including MTV and VH1. This concept is the same but focuses on the area of gospel music.
This has lead to many gospel music artists becoming more recognized for who they are as much as for their sound. Gospel music award shows draw a large number of viewers as well.
Categories: Gospel Music Tags: black gospel music, gospel music artists, music concerts, southern gospel music, top of the music
Southern Gospel
Southern gospel music is very similar to country music in sound. Most of the lyrics have a large influence of Christianity and other religions. It is believed to be one of the earliest forms of gospel music that was introduced. Southern gospel music is also believed to have laid a foundation for the world to take notice of gospel music as a whole.
Southern gospel music was the first to be taken from the Church and recorded for the public to hear on the radio. This was the beginning of marketing and commercializing gospel music. The world no longer viewed gospel music as just something related to the Church. Instead it was viewed as an amazing form of music that had a great sound and wonderful lyrics to match.
Many of the early Southern gospel recordings featured quartets without any instruments. As this type of gospel music became commercialized the various instruments were added. First came the guitars followed by the piano and keyboards. Eventually it evolved to embrace what we know as ragtime music as well. Some people believe Southern gospel styles musically also lead to the explosion of rock n roll in the 1950′s and 1960′s.
Southern gospel music was quickly evolving into a loud and fast paced type of music but it still had the religious lyrics attached to it. Many conservative Christian’s were actively protesting it saying the music attached to the lyrics was something the devil would be happy with. They wanted the reigns of Southern gospel to be pulled in tighter. They wanted to be more associated with the Church where it initially came from.
This became even more of an issue when various Southern gospel performers and their bands started engaging in typical rock n roll touring lifestyles. This included drinking, drugs, and being with women who came to the shows. Conservative Christian’s simply could not justify this behavior for music that was to honor the word of God.
To help preserve the integrity and the legacy of Southern gospel music, the Southern Gospel Music Association was established. You can log onto their website to find a full listing of Southern gospel singers who have been inducted into the hall of fame, listen to new songs, find a Southern gospel radio station in your area, and find out about Southern gospel concerts that are coming up.