Blessed

One of the Gospel music industry’s best-kept secrets is fast escaping the lips of the gospel industry. The secret is about a group of four beautiful young ladies, committed and devout Christian wives and mothers, who’re just dripping with talent.

As rumour has it, these ladies have been divinely brought together, through a marvellous tapestry of circumstances merged to shape and guide their lives into this destiny.

In the process, they’ve discovered their destiny and their niche is in the company of each other. Cynthia Liggins Thomas, soprano, alto and tenor, takes on multiple roles as singer, songwriter, arranger and producer.

Angela Fennidy Stewart (bottom right on album cover), also doubles as soprano and alto. Rhonda Stewart Singleton (top right on album cover), too, is a soprano/alto double and finally Joslyn Elliott Blackburn adds three-dimensional depth to the group with her smooth ‘n low tenor and alto quality.

KM: With your varied vocal backgrounds, how did you ladies manage to come together?

Angela: Actually, Rhonda and I, we grew up together; went to elementary school together and jumped on the singing scene together at a young age. We were attracted to each other in that manner.

We were singing together all the time and would get together just to sing. As we grew older and sang in our church choirs, we realized that it was something we loved to do, and got a group together. As a result of that group, we met Josslyn, also because her husband was the musician for the group at the time.

Cynthia came in as a person to train vocals for that group. We met her through one of the girls in the group. This is a deep story to me because the way it sounds is almost as though the circumstances were hand-made by God.

We didn’t know what was going on, but after that group “To Be Virtuous” broke up, David St. Etienne, whose company I’d interviewed at for a job, he asked me a year later if I was interested in recording.

Of course, Rhonda being my partner in this, I called her. We interviewed with him; he had a man come in with some music and one of the songs he brought, had Cynthia’s voice on the track. We remembered her voice from her training with us. However, when we were looking for Cynthia to be a part of “To Be Virtuous” she wasn’t ready. So David set up an interview with her, so there was three of us plus one guy.

Shortly afterwards, Rhonda left the group to have her baby, Josslyn was called to be her stand-in. Originally, David wanted to have 4 females, and so it just wound-up that it eventually happened the way David had envisioned.

But really it was God who ordained the group; he set it up, because afterwards, when we were picking a name for the group, we couldn’t believe that we were actually in a group. We didn’t sit down and say “Let’s start a group!” That’s not what happened.

Rhonda: Also, little did we know that Mr. St. Etienne was really serious about it, because everybody can say they want to start something and put their money behind you, but not everyone is serious. When we (my husband and I) went to talk to David, we had our guard up because we hear it all the time.

David, who was newly saved at the time, didn’t know much about anything, but God had placed a desire in his heart to do this and he was just willing to be obedient. He was open and ready to do it.

That’s just the way God is, He’ll use you above somebody that’s been in the business umpteen years and you might wind up saying “Man, how did this guy who just started get so far ahead of me?” But it’s because obedience is better than sacrifice.

Angela/ Rhonda/ Cynthia: And it really is a sweet story because David was willing to step out on faith because all of us had our guard up. When I called Rhonda, I said “Girl, this man wants to interview us and have us come in the studio, but don’t hold your breath”.

I was just basically speaking the way I would normally. We figured there was nothing to lose, so there was no reason not to go ahead with it, but at the same time, not to lose sleep over it.

Cynthia: Singers come a dime a dozen; I’m just honoured that God even picked me. Because somebody else could have been in my shoes.

KM: That is a common saying for sure. But what’s amazing is that you all have such awesome talent and incredible blend, each of you have ability to sing all three ranges. How do you determine where and when you switch it up?

Rhonda: That is a blessing. The thing about it is when we record the song, we record it singing a certain part, but we may have to sing something different live. So we have to remember who sang what. But we don’t hardly think about it.

When other people recognize it, it’s beautiful. Especially in live concerts, they’re trying to match the voices up with who’s singing what on the recording and they can’t do it because we can all sing alike.

KM: I think that at least two or three of you can sound exactly the same, especially on the soprano part.

Cynthia: My own mother, who raised me, has argued with me about which part I’m singing on certain songs. I’ve had to say “No Mama, that is NOT me, that is Rhonda.” Then she would get the CD, put it on and I’ve had to tell her again “Mama, that is NOT me, that is Rhonda.”.

KM: It’s good when you can confuse the daylights out of people. In the sense that you keep them guessing. For instance, if you sound the same way on every song, it gets boring very quickly. But if you can keep the intrigue of the listener, then you’ll always have their attention. Blessed seems to do that very well. Who was the key producer and writer?

Cynthia: I wrote most of the songs and was responsible for production on “He’s Sweet”, “Jesus Is Lord”, For Your Good, “Your Mercy”, “Be Holy Still”. I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t know why it comes out that way; I’m also a classical music lover so maybe that comes out in it – I’m not sure.

I can tell you for sure, that “Your Mercy” was purposedly done with just piano because I didn’t want to have the lyrics impeded by the music. I just wanted to make sure that people didn’t get a hold of the song based on it’s instrumental content, but on it’s lyrical content - I wanted them to really listen to the words.

I love the CCM style also. Some songs---that’s just what I heard. And in communicating that to the guys who helped me produce the songs, that’s just what they heard as well. And sometimes, just the way the song is written, that’s what they hear also. So they just put in what they heard. And it just came together that way.

I wrote “I Praise You”, but that was produced by “Michael Robinson” who loves the funky music sounds. “I Praise You” and “Jesus Name” – you’ll notice those beats are heavier

KM: Who do you like to listen to?

Cynthia and Rhonda: Yes, well you mentioned Trinitee 5:7, CCM style – yes all that. But Witness was the first female group that actually became a favourite of mine. And I was trying to figure out why.

The Winans, oh, I’ve loved the Winans ever since I was young, they were one of my role models. We like male groups because I love deep singing. We have so much depth in the group, we don’t always have to use it, but it’s nice to be able to use it at will. But you’re right about the male groups.

And Fred Hammond! I love Fred Hammond and Commissioned. There’s always so much stuff going on in the music. Not just the music, but also the lyrics. I think the reason I’ve liked Witness so much is because they had Michael Brooks – who brought the Commissioned/ Fred Hammond thing to their sound. Take 6 as well .

Overall, I prefer male singers to female singers, in fact Rhonda and I were recently talking about this on a trip not long ago.

KM: Has your group been performing at a lot of festivals recently?

Angela/ Rhonda/ Cynthia: Yes, we just did a festival a short while ago, in Columbus Georgia. I guess our goal right now is to get on every possible Festival and advertising at other venues like the Chicago Festival and the Essence Festival. There’s also a festival in Birmingham as well.
(Author’s note: The girls “Blessed” came to the Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest (North America’s Second Largest Bluesfestival) and tore it up with their crisp harmonies and precision singing. It was definitely one of the best performances over the course of the 5 day celebration which saw groups like Mary Mary, James Hall & Worship & Praise, B. Chase Williams and Shabach & MC Hammer)

KM: I loved “Be Holy Still”, with all it’s changes that happen so swiftly, whose brainchild are the vocal arrangements?

Angela: In writing the songs, Cynthia can hear all the different parts; she’ll hear it and give it to someone to sing and their flavour just jumps out. But she already knew that their flavour would be there before she gave the part.

I can remember us getting together on songs and one of us will hear something in a particular section and then someone else would add their thoughts and as the parts begin to come together, people will just sing them the different ways they hear them then we agree on the one we like the best.

It is a lot of openness, creativity and flow. Let alone when the band gets to playing,..oh Lord. Blessed will just freelance and play around with that music for hours.

KM: Angela, you recently had a baby. What did you have and how did your delivery go?

Angela: Yes, I’m holding this little bundle in my hands. He’s 5 lbs 5 ozs and I had him a week ago today. Every mother need that 6 weeks because there’s so much to learn. This is my first baby and miracle because I was the one that was told I couldn’t have any children.

I named him after the brother my husband lost a few years ago, so this is a miracle on another level. He wasn’t born prematurely (except taken two weeks before his due date to avoid complications in delivery), but he was just born little.

I was pregnant a whole nine months and still walking around in disbelief. God has been so good to me.

KM: How will this impact your life with your performance schedule ramping up? What about the rest of you? Do all of you have children?

Angela: We all have children. But their ability to deal with and handle children with the ministry has been my role model and the motivation that I needed to go ahead and have my baby.

Cynthia: I have three children.

Rhonda: I have four children. (“Good Lord!”, I said!)

Rhonda: My hands feet, mouth, ears and everything is full.

Josslyn: I have one daughter.

Angela/ Rhonda/ Cynthia/ Josslyn: It’s the support system of husbands, babysitters, grandparents and so on that really makes it work, because without those people, we would never be able to do this.

As performing wives and mothers, we know the value of our work in the ministry, but we also know the real value of our support systems. In that, we are truly Blessed.