Hey Black Church, What Happened To Our Music?

WE were trendsetters. WE were trailblazers. The world copied US. What happened?

It’s no secret, the entire world has been impacted and improved by Black music. There is no genre that hasn’t been influenced by the Spirituals, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Hip Hop, etc. There are countless examples of white musicians appropriating and/or stealing material from lesser-known Black artists. Entire genres, such as Rock n Roll, are thought to have originated within Black America.

Negro Spirituals were so stirring and profound, in 1873, they made it all the way to Queen Victoria, in the form of the Fisk Jubilee singers. When a musician from Georgia named Thomas Dorsey, took elements of the Spirituals, and infused them with Blues riffs and melodies, he took the world by storm. Gospel music sprang forth as a powerful form of worship from the margins.

Gospel music has evolved dramatically over the years; for better and for worse. Gospel music has also been viewed as powerful, yet niche, and lacking broad appeal. Mega-CCM groups like Hillsong, not only greatly outsell most Gospel artists, but also benefit from being viewed as “standard” Christian music.

Recently, Black-led Christian groups have risen to prominence by embracing CCM instrumentation and presentation? Many Black churches have moved away from traditional Gospel and toward a CCM-style worship service. One comedian called this worship-style sanctified Imagine Dragons church.

Should Black churches move away from traditional Gospel music? What role should Gospel music play in today’s Black Church? What does Glorilla’s recent BET Gospel award mean for the genre?

Listen to the discussion here.