THE BIRTH OF THE GOSPEL SONGS

Inspired by the Bible, originally composed by Thomas A. Dorsey and constantly improved, the “Negro Spirituals” gave birth to a new kind of Christian songs. Dorsey called them the “Gospel Songs”. Musicologists and worshipers called them the “Dorseys”.

In that time in history, Afro Americans began to leave the Southern states and head toward the North. Their migration

and new habitat promoted the Gospel songs in the Northern towns, cities and suburbia. Chicago became the new Mecca of the Gospel songs in the North. Between 1915 and 1925, many African American singers, like Paul Robeson, began to perform on stage, in churches and motion pictures, toured nationally with their choirs and choruses, and many other Afro-American gospel singers recorded “Negro Spirituals” on famous labels. Some “crossed the line” by singing in nightclubs.

In the late 1930s, with a guitar and a crystal clear voice, Sister Rosetta Tharpe debuted in a nightclub, thus paving the way to other Afro-American to explore this “daring” venue. She was severely criticized by preachers of the Afro-American churches who strongly believed that the songs of the Lord should not be sung in nightclubs and amusement centers.

The national tours organized by Afro American singers helped the white communities understand and appreciate the “Spirituals”. After 1985, the gospel Songs enter for good the American musical stream and became a major branch of it.

Two major distinct kinds of musicality and vocal rhythmic expression embody and define the Afro American music within its evolving perimeter:

1- The “Spiritual” or “Spirituals” which gave birth to early forms of Jazz and “Blues”. It is a religious folk song of an American origin, closely associated with the Afro American Protestants of the Southern States. It is nourished with genuine and deeply rooted sentimentality, human sufferings, melancholic remembrance and sorrowful illustration of passages of time. Yet, vibrant and characteristically predominant by:

2- The “Gospel Music” sometimes referred to as the “Gospel Songs”. It is a happier form of Afro American music, closely associated with the enslaved Christian West Africans in the Southern States and slightly rooted in Protestant hymns. They were frequently sung in the fields, on the plantations owned by the white slaveholders, and in many instances on trucks and busses which transported enslaved blacks. Some of those songs were called “Work Songs” which is a very a propos term. The white drivers who were transporting the slaves would allow the enslaved Afro American to sing those songs, as long as they were “quiet” and not against the white establishment or the plantations owners. This kind of music evolved rapidly in time to become a genuine American religious music. It is characterized by:

G- Religious themes inherited from the Bible and particularly, taken from biblical passages with a strong emphasis on the divine love, obedience to God, salvation, faith in Jesus, the Savior, heaven, the kingdom of God, etc.

Many Europeans and Easterners who were not very familiar with Afro American music, thought that “Gospel Music”, or more precisely “Gospel Songs” belonged to the mainstream music of white Americans, such as the oldies, the old golden era of American music, the Rock N Roll and fast tempo American songs. They though that they were “white” in origin but sung more vivaciously, faster and better by “blacks” in America. Many of them danced to the rhythm and up beat tempos of the “Gospel Songs” and “Gospel Music”. They simply referred to as the “music” of the “blacks” in America, and they loved it!

They had no idea, whatsoever, that the so-called “black music” were religious music and religious songs sung in Afro American Protestant churches, for in Europe and the Eastern hemispheres, religious songs remained ecclesiastically chants and hymns solely sung in churches according to a “church rhythmic tradition” which did not allow individual expression, solo performances and up beat tempos. I remember back in the sixties in Europe, black gospel music records were regularly played in parties as dancing music.

Photo, right: Mahalia Johnson

In the Afro American culture of the very first half of the 20^th century, gospel music was considered antithetical to Jazz and blues. At the very beginning, they were exclusively sung in churches. Later, gospel songs were performed in nonreligious settings and caught the attention of the white communities as a genuine traditional form of American music, regardless of its deeply African roots and inspiration.

In that sense, the original “Black Gospel Songs” gave birth to all the white gospel songs that are nowadays sung by white congregations and famous singers in the Southern States. Consequently, the so-called “Black Religious Music” became a non denominational, a non “race music”, for a considerable number of major “white” Rock N Roll singers and stars found inspiration and musicality roots in the original black gospel music. Elvis Presley was one of those “white” stars who was deeply influenced by the “black music”. Ironically enough, some radio stations DJs and music critics described Elvis Presley as a” back voice in a white body”. Presley publicly admitted that he began his career “under the influence” of black gospel music.

Photo, above, left: Alex Bradford

Photo: Reverend James Cleveland (1932-1991). Singer - Pianist - Arranger - Choir Director Composer

Official Biography: “Known by such titles as "King James" and the "Crown Prince", he emerged as a giant of the post war Gospel music scene. With a vocal style similar to jazz great Louis Armstrong, He is credited for the architectural design of contemporary Gospel music with top Gospel choirs and for bridging the gap between traditional Gospel, Gospel Quartets and today’s Gospel music. Born on December 5, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois he attended Roosevelt University. Rev. Cleveland first sang Gospel under the direction of Thomas Dorsey, father of Gospel music at the Pilgrim Baptist Church. Born on December 5, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois he attended Roosevelt University. Rev. Cleveland first sang Gospel under the direction of Thomas Dorsey, father of Gospel music at the Pilgrim Baptist Church.”