“Are You Listening”
Kirk Franklin Presents Artists United for Haiti
Verity Records 2010
www.verityrecords.com
This touching ode – the chorus essentially a call and response between a Haitian in distress and the artists (“we’re here and we care and yes, we feel your pain”) – follows the format established by USA for Africa and Band Aid: a queue of soloists takes turns on the verses, dozens of superstar singers carry the chorus, and soloists and chorus come together for the big finish.
The underlying theme is taken from Matthew 25: whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do it for me. Not only is this the essence of Christianity, it is the responsibility of modern humanity. As a wise person once declared, “If you can’t take care of the living or the dead, what good are you?”
Most extraordinary is the speed at which Kirk Franklin organized the gathering. He leveraged the mid-January Stellar Awards ceremony and television taping in Nashville as a chance to complete the project, becuase most of the top gospel artists would be in the same place at the same time.
Humanitarian cause aside, “Are You Listening” is a rare opportunity to hear many of today’s gospel music headliners singing together on one recording.
The single is available for downloading at www.verityrecords.com.
Written by : Bob Marovich
Bob Marovich is a gospel music historian, author, and radio host. Founder of Journal of Gospel Music blog (formally The Black Gospel Blog) and producer of the Gospel Memories Radio Show.
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