By Shirley Chirp
“Gospel music in Argentina is like a small child, that with time is starting to find its feet and begin to walk,” Franco Gandullo told Argentine Arts last year, in an exclusive interview in the heart of the Palermo district. Over the past twelve years, Gandullo has managed to keep gospel music on track, besides having been through many changes. These days he produces for his group, the Argentina Gospel Choir, and organises gospel music training programmes for singers, musicians and directors.
Gospel music began to really expand on its own in 2011 and as each year goes by, it continues to grow and grow. Some groups are more lively, others more melancholic. Some groups are big, some are small, but what is definitely noticeable is that there is a spiritual and musical progress in place; propelled by the annual presence of Markanthony Henry, gospel music master from New York.
Since 2012, Henry has been coming to Argentina to put on workshops for singers, choir directors and musicians so that they can further their knowledge of gospel music and really delve into the message and spirit of what they are performing. He has worked with all of the major gospel music pioneers in the country, including Amado Acosta, Juan Pedro Zambonini, Gerardo Flores, Victoria Ponisio, Caterina Finocchi, Agustin Lopez, Melanie Henderson, David Godoy and many more.
From Sunday to Sunday last week, Henry worked with more than 130 singers in intense vocal workshops, teaching an intense set of gospel songs before putting on three concerts at the San Andres Church in San Telmo.
In Henry’s first two visits, he came alone. This time he brought some of the world’s finest gospel singers and gospel musicians to help in his teaching, who all sing with him in the New York City Gospel Choir. Among the group were singers Su Su Bobien, James Dale, Felicia Moss-Eaton and pianist Leon Brown.
At the end of the week of training, the 130+ choir performed a burst of energetic gospel songs under the direction of Henry with the three singers and Brown on the keys, including songs like “He’s Holy,” “Wonderful Is Your Name” (Hezekiah Walker) and “He’s Preparing Me” by Carol Antrom.
The incredible NYC soloists
The show opened with the whole group performing “Oh How I Love Jesus.”
Bobien, a majestic and strong alto and soloist who has shared the stage with Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Hezekiah Walker and many more artists, is also a major gospel and house music artist in her own right. She sang a solo of Walker’s “I Feel Your Spirit” alongside the choir and a solo rendition of Paul Jones’ “I Won’t Complain.”
Dale, one of Henry’s former students, is an incredibly talented up-and-coming gospel and soul artist. In the shows, he performed a heartwrenching rendition of Donnie McClurkin’s “Stand” and a solo version of Richard Smallwood’s “Total Praise.”
Moss-Eaton, the cousin of the late Whitney Houston, also has an amazing career history as a singer, having done back-up vocals for Cissy and Whitney, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the Pipps, just to name a few. She sang the Dotty Rambo classic “I Go To The Rock” with the choir as well as giving an amazing solo performance of traditional hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” written by Philip Bliss.
The band for the show included incredibly talented pianist Brown from New York, who was accompanied by three stellar Argentine musicians: Mariano Alvarez on drums, Milton Alvarez on bass and Ezequiel Giunta on piano.
Argentine soloists
This year the soloists included Paula Carrevedo (one of the pioneers of gospel music in Argentina), Daiana Segovia (David Letterman Choir USA), Santiago Guerisoli (AfroSound Choir), Paula Morel (AfroSound Choir), Belen Cabrera (Argentina Gospel Choir), Henderson (Gospel In The Street) and Flores (Argentina Gospel Choir).
In the main choir, some of Argentina’s most influential singers from other genres were also present, such as Matias Ibarra, the co-creator of “El Club del Hit” Argentina’s first professional show choir and famous blues singer Deborah Dixon.
Morel performed Walter Hawkins classic “Special Gift” to perfection with a small vocal ensemble.
Gandullo, while promoting the show stated in his advertising that “gospel will sound like it never sounded before in Argentina.” He got it spot on. The concerts blew any other gospel concerts in Argentina’s gospel music history, completely out of the water.
To watch more videos from the shows, check out Alcides Verone’s channel on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1JTcbsHav15GKBwwtapm9Q
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