Inspired by the Rev. Osagyefo UhuruSekou’s forthcoming album “The Revolution Has Come,” we decided to look around St. Louis to find other interpretations of gospel music in the region.
St. Louis has a rich tradition of gospel music, and our inquiry brought us to some unconventional interpretations. But let's start with what prompted this edition of Audio Agitation.
The Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou: Rev. Sekou's album is a collaboration with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay-Marie Hill and approximately 30 other musicians and sound engineers. The album addresses issues of inequality through “movement music” which draws on the tradition of blues and gospel. The Rev. Sekou's song "Goodby Baby" is a St. Louis Public Radio exclusive listen:
The Voice of the Holy Spirit Choir: Not much exists online about the Voice of the Holy Spirit Choir. It appears to be a choral group of African immigrants to St. Louis. The group has released at least one song on Soundcloud as part of Louis Wall’s Texas Room project. The Texas Room pairs new St. Louisans with native St. Louisans.
Catching the Westbound: This folk duo is comprised of St. Louis transplants Emily Stuart and Andy Schreiber. They’ve released a handful of spare folk music heavily influenced by Appalachian gospel.
Audio Agitation is a recurring six-song (today it's five because of that exclusive) playlist culled from recent releases or shaped by events on St. Louis' ever-changing music scene. If you're from the STL area or Missouri and you're putting out a record you think we should hear, send a heads up to warnold@stlpublicradio.org.
