World Gospel Jam 2006

Bringing A World Of Gospel To Canada's Capital

OTTAWA, Canada - Black gospel music is thriving and has been experiencing unprecedented popularity in Canada's national capital over the last decade. The upcoming July 15th World Gospel Jam is further evidence of gospel's viable growth. Even though he won't readily admit it, Urban Arts Executive Director Mark S. Gordon, has undoubtedly been a major catalyst in the increased visibility this genre has gained among a rapidly expanding fan base in Ottawa that now extends beyond the Church community to more secular venues like the internationally renowned Cisco Systems Bluesfest.

Prosper & GPM

In this interview, the Ottawa-born radio host, auditor, choir director, clergyman and music promoter talks about his involvement with North America’s 2nd largest blues festival and the new initiatives aimed at broadening its reach to an increasingly diverse community.

- Mr. Gordon, you’re always in the mix of community events and gospel heavyweights that come to town. What’s on the agenda for summer 2006?

Saturday, July 15th my team and I have the privilege of showcasing World Gospel Jam 2006 at the Bluesfest. It’s an all-day gospel festival featuring gospel artists and icons from the U.S., Central America, the West Indies and Canada. It has never been done before.

- Can you tell us something about your history with Ottawa's Cisco Systems Bluesfest?

Kay Morris

My involvement with this festival dates back to about 1997 when Ray Charles was the headliner and the theme was "Seek Your Salvation at the Blues Festival". For about 8 years now, I've been a member of the programming committee, strictly programming all of the national and international gospel acts that have performed at the Bluesfest.

-Initially, how was the incorporation of gospel into a blues festival perceived?

Malcolm Williams

Many people thought it was long overdue. Many of the blues and R&B artists that you see at the festival came out of the church. Many of them have that gospel background and have gone into a more worldly or secular orientation in their music. Thus there is this mix and intertwining between blues and gospel. So it was a predicted fit. When gospel choirs decided to come, the Bluesfest executive director, Mark Monahan, as me to seek out gospel choirs, groups and soloists who wanted a forum to sing and evangelize. From then on it snowballed into what we had a few years ago with one week-end then two weekends' worth of gospel in a tent and now leading up to what we're having this year with World Gospel Jam 2006.

-What have been some of the major highlights of the Cisco Systems' Bluesfest Gospel Tent or gospel component?

Voice Of Praise

The tent was a highlight in itself! The charismatic church is fast growing and people are curious. That’s how the Gospel Tent came about. We're talking about a tent seating 2,000 on the previous Bluesfest sites at Lebreton Flats and Confederation Park, and the average attendance at the festival is somewhere in the range of 200,000. So this was the only venue that had a covered tent that accommodated that many festival goers. We're talking about artists like Mavis Staples, Pastor Hezekiah Walker and his Love Fellowship Choir from New York; Chicago’s Ricky Dillard and New G; another New York choir, James Hall & Worship and Praise. From Oakland, California, former rapper-turned-preacher, Reverend MC Hammer also stopped by.

-What about the Bluesfest Gospel Stage as a way to showcase local talent, do you feel that has given any impetus to gospel scene here in Ottawa?

T-Bone

Absolutely! The whole premise behind the Blues Festival is to create an avenue, especially for those artists in this city. Although it's an international event - the second largest blues festival in the world after Chicago - the Ottawa Blues Festival's success as well as that of the Gospel Stage, is really driven by the local performers and volunteers. Many local artists like Voices of Praise have been headliners at the Festival. Artists like Ottawa gospel diva Kathy Grant Mahon, who is currently recording in New York, have used the festival as a platform to further their careers. There's also the Cornerstone Cathedral Choir, Divine Connection and many other local choirs that have done well at the festival.

-This year, you've decided to add a new component to the Gospel Stage?

Dickson And The Haitian Mass

For the first time, it will be a little more international in its scope. Typically over the years, we would bring gospel artists from Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal then we'd look for acts south of the border in the U.S. This year, as part of a new program we're instituting called the BROAD Communities Program (Bluesfest Reaching Out to Align with the diverse communities, we're trying to attract the diverse members within this city’s community (Jamaicans, Haitians, Latinos, Trinees, etc...) who love gospel music. This is a pilot project featuring artists from different countries in order to make the Bluesfest more representative of the City of Ottawa. So we'll be having performers like Jamaica's own reggae superstar Papa San, Haiti's Dixon Guillaume and the Haitian Mass Choir, El Salvador’s gospel rapper/actor T-Bone, and also some American acts like Chicago's Malcolm Williams and Great Faith. Then there's the local talent: from Ottawa, Patrick Prosper Laguerre and God's Plan Ministry as well as Voices of Praise; also from Toronto, 2004 and 2005 Gospel Music Reggae Gospel Award winner, Kay Morris. So Saturday, July 15th this year will be a fun time for anyone who enjoys a variety of gospel music!

-And lastly, there's an added element with the involvement of local community organizations and cultural groups this year?

Papa San

We've not only diversified the performers on stage but also created an avenue to give more exposure to cultural associations and smaller organizations even in the religious community so that they can be a part of this event. We want to make Bluesfest more representative of the people in this city, their cultural background, ethnic origin etc. Organizations like the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Jamaica (Ottawa) Community Association, the African Diaspora community Cooperative, community radio stations like CHUO 89.1FM and CKCU 93.1FM, Gospelcity.com, BlackOttawa411.com, The Spectrum, religious bookstores, this will be the first time that groups like these can actually market themselves to the rest of the city of Ottawa at such a large venue. We're excited about this new initiative and we're really hoping for a great turnout!

For more information on the 2006 Cisco Systems Bluesfest, see www.ottawabluesfest.ca or visit www.urbanartsinstitution.org.