The Gospel Music Scene

Music some say is food for the soul and gospel lovers would agree with me this era of gospel music has a lot of questions to answer.

Back in the days, gospel music had almost the same style from time to time. The few gospel artistes presented their songs in either a worship form or praise and though there were a few video clips, people patronized it because the lovely tunes couldn?t do more than move any body. Today, it has taken an absolutely different angle with so many musicians on the scene.

As gospel music escalates, there seem to be several variations drawing from the traditional style. There have been over the decade gospel highlife, gospel reggae, gospel hiplife, gospel R&B among others.

Each of the musicians present their message in the style they deem fit or that which the Holy Spirit leads them to but one can really tell those who are proclaiming the gospel from those who are in for monetary gains. The music scene has become so much saturated that every artiste choose to be popular in every possible way and here we can boldly draw a line between the good ones and the bad ones.

The garden city is known to be the sweetest hall of gospel music in the country today and is where most promising artistes come from but who says they have the best to offer? Most musicians feel their appearance adds more flavour to the sound and they overdress. To impress who? God or mankind? Has gospel turned into fashion show? If all musicians could come up with a simple style, I think viewers and gospel lovers would appreciate and enjoy most songs.

Video clips are either shot at plush hotels or gardens with dancers who do not conform to the rhythm, some with their natural voices. Perhaps they sound as bad as someone I know but they need to know they make too much noise and most of the songs simply suck. When one listens attentively to some gospel tunes, it?s either a one way style or simply way off base.

In political seasons, songs played by gospel musicians are given different dimensions since some political parties align them with their campaign jingles, for instance in the year 2000. Cindy Thompson?s 'Awuradi Kasa' was taken up by the opposition party (NPP). She was criticized by many Ghanaians for changing some tunes in that particular song to fit the thanks giving ceremony. Hey! The ruling party (NPP) has already composed a jingle with the lyrics of Prophet Seth Frimpong?s ?Mehuri So?, let?s wait to see what happens next.

Esther Smith is doing very well and a few others like the Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Tagoe Sisters, and Sandra Oduro amongst others are the ones we can proudly say are proclaiming gospel. No wonder they sweep away most awards every year. Gospel music took off on a good note so we every step taken to be on track. The quack musicians should please leave the scene because they are fading out the beautiful colours gospel music holds, they need to know proclaiming the gospel of Jesus is no joke, it needs devotion and hard work which come with the spirit of God.