I like all kinds of music but I typically gravitate toward R & B. I grew up in New York listening to the "city" stations and buying club music years before I was old enough to cross the velvet ropes into one. I'm also a fan of Gospel music, especially that which has a strong R & B base to it.
When I was a kid, after we went to our church (the mind numbing Catholic service) we would stop at the Italian bakery downtown and pick up pastries. While my father went into the bakery, we would wait in the car outside. Above the bakery was what we called, in those politically incorrect times, the "black church," and the name of it was The Upper Room.
Every week I would sit in that car and wish I could go to that church, that Upper Room. From street level you could hear the music and singing coming from upstairs and it just sounded close to heaven. It was loud and joyful and you know everyone inside was having a good time. Why shouldn't your praise be fun? Wasn't that the whole point of making a joyful noise unto the Lord? Instead, we had to "Sit, stand, kneel. Sit, stand, kneel." and then try to stay awake long enough to get a sip of wine. Boooooring.
Well just this week I watched the movie The Gospel. Twice. I can't say the acting is anything worth mentioning, but the music was great! Foot stomping, hand clapping and sung with such exuberance and joy, it made me want to hop the first plane to Atlanta to sit it on the churches where the movie was filmed. I'm not big on going to church but a congregation like this one could almost draw anyone in. It's like going to a concert every Sunday. Even though it showcased many actual Gospel acts, this is Hollywood, people, and because of that, the lead character was beautiful. Bee-uuu-teee-ful! I couldn't take my eyes from the screen when he was on it.
That magnetic force came in the form of Boris Kodjoe. If I can say Oh, Dear Lord right here, I am sayin' it. Loudly. If I knew of a church that combined not only this fabulous music, but a preacher that looked like Boris, you'd need a team of horses to tear me away from the altar!
As the tagline of the movie says: "See It! Live It! Spread It!"
When I was a kid, after we went to our church (the mind numbing Catholic service) we would stop at the Italian bakery downtown and pick up pastries. While my father went into the bakery, we would wait in the car outside. Above the bakery was what we called, in those politically incorrect times, the "black church," and the name of it was The Upper Room.
Every week I would sit in that car and wish I could go to that church, that Upper Room. From street level you could hear the music and singing coming from upstairs and it just sounded close to heaven. It was loud and joyful and you know everyone inside was having a good time. Why shouldn't your praise be fun? Wasn't that the whole point of making a joyful noise unto the Lord? Instead, we had to "Sit, stand, kneel. Sit, stand, kneel." and then try to stay awake long enough to get a sip of wine. Boooooring.
Well just this week I watched the movie The Gospel. Twice. I can't say the acting is anything worth mentioning, but the music was great! Foot stomping, hand clapping and sung with such exuberance and joy, it made me want to hop the first plane to Atlanta to sit it on the churches where the movie was filmed. I'm not big on going to church but a congregation like this one could almost draw anyone in. It's like going to a concert every Sunday. Even though it showcased many actual Gospel acts, this is Hollywood, people, and because of that, the lead character was beautiful. Bee-uuu-teee-ful! I couldn't take my eyes from the screen when he was on it.
That magnetic force came in the form of Boris Kodjoe. If I can say Oh, Dear Lord right here, I am sayin' it. Loudly. If I knew of a church that combined not only this fabulous music, but a preacher that looked like Boris, you'd need a team of horses to tear me away from the altar!
As the tagline of the movie says: "See It! Live It! Spread It!"
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