McDonald's Gospelfest 2010

Over the weekend I had backstage access to this year's McDonald's Gospelfest held in Newark, New Jersey. While backstage I got a chance to interview singer Regina Belle and meet Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

However, the real blessing for me came after I heard Bishop TD Jakes' message. He spoke on pursuing your purpose. He warned that many of us are frustrated with our lives because we have yet to pursue our purpose. While speaking to those that are frustrated, he said "your destiny is not tied to your history, its tied to what you got left."

Jakes encouraged the audience to use what's already in our possession to get what we want. Simply put "Work it, work it, work it." He said that although our circumstances may have not changed, our mindset must change first. He suggested telling ourselves "I'm getting my strength back. I'm getting my fight back."

Then calling on the Word, Jakes read Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” AMEN AMEN AMEN

If you don't know, Gospelfest is a local talent competition between choirs, poets, steppers and praise dancers. For over 27 years this show- which grew partly from the idea of some Black operators within the McDonald’s Tri-State Owner Association, has raised millions of dollars in scholarship money for the local community. It also features a lineup of who's who in gospel music like the previously mentioned Regina Belle, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Vickie Winans, Cissy Houston, J Moss, The Kurt Karr Singers and Hezekiah Walker-who reached star status after he performed at Gospelfest with his group back in the 1990s.

Before the show, I was a part of a conference call with Dionne Warwick, who was the head liner for this year. Yours truly, MsKonflicted, didn't how to receive Ms. Warwick. On one hand I'm happy she's earning some income as her relevance to my generation is non-existent.

On the other hand I wasn't very thrilled to find out during the call that a woman who says she owes her career success completely to her relationship with the Lord decided to be a psychic getting paid big bucks for most of the 1990s. What's up with that? Then her music could be considered secular by some.

With all of those thoughts in my head, I asked Ms. Warwick: What advice would you give artists that do have a strong relationship with Christ but their songs do not necessarily fit into the Gospel regime?

"Music first of all is music and if you have a relationship with the lyrics of the music, that is the most important thing. If you’re able to share an emotion as you are singing these particular lyrics. I think that’s what God gave you the gift to do."

Whether or not singing is the gift God gave you, I hope all those reading this will identify and then pursue their purpose. I know I'm about to.

Alvin Ailey at BAM

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre recently finished a run at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Before they left Brooklyn I got a chance to watch a performance.

As soon as the house lights dimmed, I had a flashback to the first time I saw this company. Immediately images of toned women dressed in yellow floor length dresses and sculpted men in gold vests with Black ties and slacks came to my mind. For those of you that are not familiar with Alvin Ailey’s work, the attire that I just described is worn in one sequence that goes along to the song “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” from “Revelations” portion which was choreographed by Alvin Ailey back in 1960. Something about the music and the jubilation of the dancers in that sequence always makes me feel…well, joyful.

“Revelations” is usually performed at the end, so first I had the pleasure of watching “Mary Lou’s Mass” which was also choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1971 and then “Dancing Spirit,” a new piece choreographed by Ronald K. Brown just in 2009.

Since I saw Alvin Ailey on a Sunday, “Mary Lou’s Mass”—which was based entirely on scriptures and included old spirituals with words like “For our lack of Faith…For our lack of Hope…Lord Have Mercy”— was appropriately placed at the opening of the program. My favorite sequence in “Mary Lou’s Mass” was done to the Bible story of “a selfish rich man and a beggar man named Lazarus.” The rich man stood tall and proud in his purple robe throughout the sequence always admiring his gold rings and jewels; while Lazarus wore a dark colored cloak and constantly begged the rich man for food or money. By the end of the sequence, the tables had turned. The rich man was begging the Lord and Lazarus for forgiveness when he realized that he would not be entering heaven since he was so selfish to Lazarus. Now it was Lazarus’s time to stand tall and proud. Yes the scripture says that “The meek shall eat and be satisfied, they shall praise the LORD… (Psalm 22:26)

I also enjoyed “Dancing Spirit” which had drum and flute infused music. Or so I thought, the program says that “Dancing Spirit” included music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Radiohed and War. So now I’m a bit confused but the fact remains that the dancers moved to a different beat for this piece. There was a lot more jumping, movement of the waist and use of the hands. “Dancing Spirit” has this great energy.

I loved the entire performance but MsKonflicted couldn’t help to notice that most of the audience did not match the color of the primarily African-American company of dancers. Why is this?

My community has long been associated with the performing arts since the Harlem Renaissance but yet we only represent a handful of the patrons in the audience. This has been my experience whenever I go the theatre. D0 you notice the same thing whenever you go to the theatre?

Intro

My name is Shari Logan and the name of my blog is “MsKonflicted.” With this blog I intend to cover everything from Christianity TO spirituality TO food TO health issues related to the foods such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol TO mental issues like depression TO cultural events TO entertainment TO race relations TO local news TO whatever else catches my interest.

I choose the name “MsKonflicted” for the following reasons:

1.) I’m a Christian woman who believes in God and the fact that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. But at times I become very impatient waiting on the “Word” to fulfill itself. That’s when I choose to disregard everything that I read in the Bible and then unfortunately I follow the way of the world. Am I Christian or a sinner? Both?

2.) I’m finally ready to do God’s work even though I’m unsure of what exactly that task is, but I know this much: I was born to tell stories. So with the scripture of 1 Timothy 4: 14-15 in mind which says: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15 Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress,” I have created this blog but pray for me since I struggle with consistency.

3.) I have caramel colored skin, dark brown almond shaped eyes, and dark hair that I wear natural. I was born and I still live in Brooklyn, NY, USA. So this country considers me African-American. But my mother and father are from the islands of St. Vincent and Jamaica respectively. So am I Caribbean –American? I think so but my mom says there no such thing. She is a naturalized citizen now and she says that both of us are African-American. My mom thinks the category of African-America is just fine for every Black person living in America regardless of where they were born.

4.) Now that you know who I descended from, I must let you know that I love to EAT. My favorite breakfast consists of fried bakes, smoke herring and cocoa tea. But by lunchtime I’m craving for an all beef burger and seasoned French fries and an ice cold coco-cola. As I write this, it’s a Thursday, and I’m reminded of my college days. On Thursdays at Howard University in Washington D.C. lunch consisted of fried chicken, Mac and Cheese, greens, sweet potato and occasionally black eyed peas. Nothing but comfort. Or is it?

The Office of Minority Health says that in 2006 African American men were 30% more likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white men. Also, African American adults are twice as likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes. http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlid=23

5.) I am a proud Black American who will not deny any part of her ancestry starting back from the West Coast of Africa where my people were forced on to large ships and packed like sardines to advance the capitalistic greed of European men. To the islands of the Caribbean where my people worked in the blistering sun to harvest a land that still isn’t theirs even in 2010. To the lunch counters of the South where young men and women like myself were spat upon or sometimes beaten to death because by ignorant White people that felt a Black person should not be afforded the same opportunities and privileges as they had received. So I wonder if America will ever be able to fit me into one of their nice boxes that appear on the census form every 10 years? I doubt it.

6.) I also love the performing arts, trips to the museum, documentaries and movies. With that said I equally love the thought provoking works of Spike Lee and Tyler Perry, even though many educated people like myself call his work buffoonery. I love to laugh, so am I a sell out? I don’t think so. I just understand that both of those men have a gift. One man has gift to educate while the other has a gift to entertain.

7.) Last but not least. I told you that I was born to tell stories. Therefore, I’m attracted to people that tell compelling stories. My two favorite books are “Banana Bottom” by Claude McKay and “The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton. However my favorite author is Pearl Cleage. Some of the best musical story tellers I have come to know are Tupac Shakur and Scarface. My other favorite artists include Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Chrisette Michelle, Whitney Houston, Yolonda Adams, Donald Lawrence, Buju Banton, Bob Marley, Beres Hammond, Sanchez, Lucky Dube and countless others.

I hope you will enjoy stepping into my world and my mind. As this intro comes to a close I would like to leave you with some words from Jamaican poet Staceyann Chin. “I’d like to be that girl that never ever cries. I want to go down in history in a chapter marked miscellaneous because the writers could find no other way to categorize me in this world where classification is key. I want to erase those straight lines so I can be me. ”