DJ Kelechi : Christian DJ

THE DISCOVERY CENTRE, Trinity Chapel, London, UK
18 November 2009

I must start this review by giving a vote of thanks to Pastor Dr Sola Fola-Alade and Trinity Chapel for hosting this event.  In the past top US gospel artists would look to churches to bring them over to their UK fans, but the trend over recent years has been for Churches to shy away from this, leaving it to (often secular) promoters.  This trend has brought rise to the fleecing of gospel music fans by money motivated promoters putting on half-baked events and taking the money out of our industry.
This one, however, was back to the good ol’ days when you could get real close to gospel music royalty in an intimate concert where it still felt like we were havin’ church.

I arrived a little late and expected to walk into the venue while the support acts were in full swing, but, ‘due to technical difficulties’ I simply joined the others who were patiently waiting for too long already.  By the time our hosts Tola Onigbanjo and Eddie Kadi finally came on it was obvious that it would take more than a couple of one-liners from them to warm up the crowd.

Bring on the acts already!

Up steps Rachel Kerr.  Armed with her breathtaking vocal ability, she started with an accapella song and  by the time she finished off with ‘Kingdom Solider’ the audience had started defrosting.

Next ting: Guvna B.  One of the UK gospel’s finest recording artistes proved that he is becoming one of the best live MCs with a well polished set. No more thawing needed, everyone’s on their feet now! The party is heating up.

Time for a set from up and coming RnB/worship artiste Matthew Allan, some hilarious Eddie Kadi stand-up and an intermission before the main event.

Up steps Kirk

Finally the moment we’ve all be waiting for.  On come the backing singers and band, then on comes Kirk Franklin, understated in a black t-shirt and jeans, looking relaxed, as ever.  He goes straight into the music, leading the songs, but hardly singing a word.  He doesn’t need to sing much, most of his songs use female choir lead vocals plus the audience are singling along to every word anyways.  Leaving Kirk with plenty of time to dance, crack jokes, pose for camera phone pictures and show love to the fans.

Kirk’s dance moves are something else! Sliding across the stage effortlessly, he’s like the James Brown of Gospel.  So natural on the stage, he has got to be one of the all time great gospel performers.  Him and his band had a relaxed air about them like they had done this show a million times before, yet they were enjoying themselves just as much as the audience.
One of the best bits was when Kirk sat down to play lead piano and let the backing singers and band take turns to freestyle solos. Real intimate.

The time flew by. Kirk sprinkled just the right amount of well known classic worship choruses in between his huge catalogue of contemporary hits.  How many artistes do you know that can do a 90min set where the crowd sing (and rap) along to every song?

Some people would have baulked at the ticket price, but those who did come along would testify that it was worth every penny considering we got a rare chance to see a full concert from one of Gospels all time greats, who is still at the top of his game after 15 years.

Useful Links

•    Follow Kirk Franklin on twitter
•    Buy Kirk Franklin music on iTunes
•    Buy Kirk Franklin music on Amazon
•    More about Trinity Chapel

‘FLASHBACK’ is FaithChild’s new single taken from the upcoming album ‘ILLUMINATION’. The track features the rock tinged vocals of Alex, the stellar production of GP (D-Vine Music) and Faith Child delivering his own testimony and is out now on iTunes for just 79p.

Support UK Gospel Music!

CLICK HERE: iTunes Link – http://tinyurl.com/yd9q8jx.

ALSO REMEMBER : FRIDAY 4TH DECEMBER -FAITHCHILD ALBUM LAUNCH!!!!!!!! -
http://wwwfaithchildmusic.com

I think these are the top five Christian albums right now.  Why not check them out using the helpful itunes/amazon links.

1. Love Unstoppable – Fred Hammond  itunes | amazon
2. Hello Hurricane – Switchfoot  itunes | amazon
3. Still – BeBe & CeCe Winans  itunes | amazon
4. Faithful To Believe – Byron Cage  itunes | amazon
5. Love & War – Barlow Girl  itunes | amazon

I compile this chart for each issue of Gospel Link 360 magazine.

This is a little mix that I did to promote Karl Nova’s hot new EP.  Check it out on itunes.

Artist Title: Kirk Franklin – The Fight of my life

Label: Fo Yo Soul/Zomba

Genre: Gospel

Verdict

Kirk Franklin has produced another masterpiece. Following the same formula he used to great effect in his last full release ‘Hero’, Kirk brings a similar mix of banging RnB anthems and beautiful heartfelt ballads. There is a real sense of honesty as Kirk owns up to the fact (like with many of us) his biggest fight is the battle against himself.

Young people dealing with trails that challenge their faith will connect with the excellent ‘Help me Believe’ whilst the slightly older generation will appreciate being taken back to church when Rance Allen helps out on ‘Little Boy’. Indeed, the lyrics on this track show that Kirk has manoeuvred himself into a position where he can be as ‘real’ (read ‘raw’) as he wants and still be warmly embraced by the church as a whole. The once bad boy is well and truly the golden (read ‘platinum’) boy and I for one continue to welcome each Kirk Franklin release with open arms.

Dancefloor Fillers

I Like Me: There ain’t much more than beat box, hand claps and drums on this beat but it is still a guaranteed club smash. Add rapping from Kirk and the ever eloquent Da TRUTH into the mix and you’ve gone clear!

Still in Love: This is just like ‘Looking for You’, only better. Throwbacks to the 70s / 80s disco funk sound with a sweet vocal arrangement just make it feel like summer.

Praise & Worship Gems

He will Supply: Proper good ‘ol fashioned gospel

Still: Use this one when there’s lots of stuff going on in your life and it’s all getting a bit too much.

Other Standout Tracks

I am God: Toby Mac gets in on the act in this rock enthused screamer of a track.

Little Boy: Stunning vocal performance from guests Rance Allen and Isaac Carree. Also the cheekiest line on the album ‘Let him see yo’ mind, not the crack of your behind!’