“Covered” Anisa Fowler RNU Records (release date: November 12, 2021) www.anisafowler.com By Robert M. Marovich “Covered” identifies Long Island’s Anisa Fowler as an emerging gospel singer-songwriter of note. The melodic ballad, which Fowler co-wrote with Joshua Arnoux, reckons with the anxiety of the times by reminding listeners that no matter how close they are to giving up, Jesus is the remedy. The lyrics follow Kenneth Morris’ formula of presenting a problem in the first half of the verse and offering a solution in the second half (I call it the Kenneth Morris “But”). The shift from problem to solution is ...

“Everyday” K-Anthony K-Anthony Music (release date: May 15, 2020) www.kanthonylive.com By Bob Marovich Expressions of worship come in many forms. Some are clothed in hymnody, others in straight-outta-church gospel, and yet others in flourishes of pop. “Everyday” is the latter. Christian singer K-Anthony coats this explosion of joy in a sugary-sweet melody with bright beats, buzzing electronica, and breezy chord changes. The earnest lyrics, sung with barely-contained enthusiasm, is in the language of someone whose life has just changed for the better. And there’s “no going back, I’ll not be the same.” From Falmouth, Jamaica, K-Anthony is a classically-trained musician ...

“Follow” Marshalee Praise Nation (original release date: 2015, re-release date: 2020) By Bob Marovich Christian singer-songwriter Marshalee Ellis-Kehlhem co-wrote with Jeff Pardo this breezy anthem about walking into her destiny by following Jesus, even if it requires climbing high mountains. That’s the price of discipleship. A touch of her Jamaican accent adds crispness to her vocal delivery while the bouncy arrangement and instrumentation combine elements of modern pop and country. Although released in 2015, “Follow” is being re-introduced to radio to garner greater attention than it got five years ago. It doesn’t sound any the worse for wear. Born and ...

By Bob Marovich Once upon a time in Grand Rapids, Michigan, life was looking pretty good for Steven Malcolm. He and his family lived in a middle-class home. Their father, Winston, a Jamaican by birth, had a decent job at General Motors. Then when Steven was about ten years old, Winston was arrested. He had been caught selling drugs. Since Winston was not a U.S. citizen, officials deported him to Jamaica. That was the last time Steven ever saw his father. “He was a great guy, a great dad, but he decided to sell drugs,” Steven told the Journal of Gospel ...

“Even Louder” Steven Malcolm feat. Leeland From the IVAV (Word Entertainment) EP The Second City, Pt. 2 (release date: June 8, 2018) www.StevenMalcolm.com By Bob Marovich “Even Louder,” written by Steven Malcolm and Leeland Mooring, blends musical understatement with Malcolm’s declarative rap about the many wonders of salvation. Its lullaby-like melody, incessant beat, atmospheric swirl of background voices (courtesy of Christian worship band Leeland), and string-laden interlude combine to create a captivating conclusion to Malcolm’s second in a four-part EP series called The Second City. From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steven Malcolm is part Jamaican and celebrates his roots on the EP ...

Bruce Parham Your Presence We Here Now Music Group (release date: June 15, 2018) By Bob Marovich An early impetus for Bruce Parham’s solo career came from his grandmother, who instructed her grandson in no uncertain terms to “Open up your mouth and sing!” Sing he did, before church congregations and annual gatherings at the Mt. Sinai Holy Churches of America convention. Bishop Bruce V. Parham Sr., PhD. parlayed his grandmother’s admonition into an integral part of his ministry. Your Presence, available this month, is the latest example of his beefy tenor and love for contemporary and traditional songs and ...

“Light Up the Darkness” Andre Byrd Independent release (March 2016) www.andrebyrdonline.com With “Light Up the Darkness,” Stamford, Connecticut, singer-songwriter Andre Byrd injects into song his call for direct social action. To a hook-laden pop melody that shimmers with Shellback-style blasts of electronica, Byrd appeals to us to stop acting like mannequins, going along with whatever society tells us, and let our little light shine to make the world a better place. Andre Byrd is a product of Jamaican-born parents who fostered within him a love for reggae as well as of traditional gospel. Growing up in the U.S., Byrd soaked ...

URIM 7 The Assignment JOSJOI Productions (2015) https://www.reverbnation.com/urim7band By Bob Marovich Not all Jamaican music is reggae, dancehall, rock steady, or any of the other popular sounds associated with the country. In fact, with rare exception, as Mike McGonigal pointed out in his notes to the reissue collection, Noah Found Grace, Jamaican gospel music was inspired by white southern gospel singing heard after hours on U.S. AM radio. Although a connection to the contemporary gospel music scene has added more soulfulness to the Jamaican sacred sound over the years, gospel from that country still has more in common with the softer ...