In an effort to reach the widest audience possible, gospel music of today has begun to sound more like R&B and hip-hop. The gospel music of yesteryear resembled the blues, which was the popular secular sound in black music at that time. Even though the sound has changed with the times, the function of delivering the good news while ministering to the downtrodden and disenfranchised remains the same.
The Facts
Gospel music traces all the way back to the 18th century. Its oral tradition uses a lot of repetition, coming from a time when many blacks were unable to read. The heavily repeated, call-and-response style was influenced by the 17th century spirituals and work songs used by enslaved Africans.
History
Contemporary gospel music really started in 1930s, which is often referred to as the Dorsey Era. Thomas Dorsey was considered by many "the Father of Contemporary Gospel Music." His style featured shouts of praise and emotional enthusiasm. Like "Holy Hip-Hop" of today, Dorsey's sound was not welcomed in most churches at the time. It was James Cleveland, a church singer under Dorsey's direction known as "King James" or "Crown Prince," who bridged the gap between traditional gospel, gospel quartets and today's gospel music. If Dorsey is given credit for starting it, Cleveland should be credited with its structural design.
Function
Gospel simply means "good news." It got its name from its close connection with the Gospels (the first four books in the New Testament). As in those books--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John--you can find many references to God's goodness and mercy in contemporary gospel music.
Time Frame
In the 1950s you saw more pianos and organs accompanying choirs and gospel ensembles. There were very few changes until the mid-1980s and early '90s when artists like Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams (gospel singers signed to secular labels) pushed the envelope a little, drawing from a more R&B sound. Then came Kirk Franklin with his loud, hip-hop-laden sound, which was considered too worldly by some. Secular rap groups like Run DMC found religion, and their music began to reflect it. Now there is a Holy Hip-Hop and Christian Rap movement that pushes the bar even further and is discouraged in some churches the way Dorsey's music was in the '30s and '40s.
Considerations
As the black church traditionally has been the greatest influence in the lives of African-Americans, contemporary gospel music has always been its voice of expression, especially among the young. Many older people consider the music too wordly, and the the younger generation in turn tends to feel misunderstood and unaccepted. Life influences art, and the current state of contemporary gospel music echoes that within the black community and the black church.
Tags: gospel music, black church, Contemporary Gospel, contemporary gospel, good news