New Henry Louis Gates Jr. Docuseries ‘Gospel’

*PBS and WETA in the present day introduced GOSPEL, a brand new four-hour docuseries that explores the wealthy historical past of Black spirituality by sermons and songs from govt producer, host, and author Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., premiering in February 2024 on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App.

GOSPEL reunites acclaimed Harvard scholar and documentarian Gates with administrators Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris after just lately teaming up on MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. The sequence will premiere on February 12 and 13, 2024, with a particular companion live performance premiering February 9.

From the blues to hip-hop, African Individuals have been the driving pressure of sonic innovation for over a century. Musical types come and go, however there’s one sound that has been a continuing supply of power, braveness, and knowledge from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday: the gospel.

The gospel live performance particular, produced by McGee Media, Achieved + Dusted, and Mates at Work, celebrates gospel music and its extraordinary affect on tradition and pop music. That includes the most important names in gospel music along with the most important stars from the world of pop, R&B, and past, the live performance will likely be recorded in Los Angeles in entrance of a dwell viewers, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This one-hour PBS particular, from showrunner Kristen V. Carter, will each be impressed by and construct pleasure for the landmark four-hour historical past sequence, GOSPEL. A listing of performers will likely be introduced at a later date.

In GOSPEL, Gates, the Alphonse Fletcher College Professor at Harvard College and director of the Hutchins Middle for African and African American Analysis, speaks with dozens of clergymen, singers, and students about their connection to the music that has transcended its origins and now spreads “the nice phrase” all world wide. The sequence options interviews with notable names together with Dionne Warwick, U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, Rev. Otis Moss III, professor Michael Eric Dyson, and awe-inspiring musical performances of Gospel favorites “Can’t No one Do Me Like Jesus,” “Complete Reward,” and others from abilities together with The Belle Singers, Cory Henry, Celisse, and extra.

Gospel is greater than the soundtrack of the African American expertise, “it’s the beating coronary heart and soul,” stated Gates. “From the Nice Migration to in the present day, the historical past of Black gospel music and preaching is one among fixed motion, and it’s lengthy been a dream of mine to convey it to public tv. We’re blessed to have such excellent companions in delivering this sequence and live performance at a time in our nation when the necessity for Gospel’s transcendent, therapeutic powers is so nice.”

Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris, the sequence producers and administrators, stated, “It was such an honor to reunite with the unbelievable group that produced THE BLACK CHURCH on one other highly effective examination of Black non secular expression for PBS. For hundreds of years, the sacred sounds of gospel music and Black preaching have testified to God’s goodness and style whereas embracing the rhythms and riffs of blues, jazz, and hip-hop. They had been the way in which that African Individuals discovered their voice and their energy in a wierd land and have resonated far past the church’s partitions. By weaving intimate interviews with dynamic dwell gospel performances all through the sequence, we wish our viewers to totally expertise and be energized by this uniquely African American artwork type of prayer, reward, and promise.”

“I’m so grateful to have been in a position to work once more with the unbelievable group of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Stacey L. Holman, and Shayla Harris,” remarked govt producer Dyllan McGee. “They’ve created yet one more impactful and essential sequence that invitations audiences to get pleasure from and have fun the sounds of gospel.”

PBS’s Chief Programming Government and Normal Supervisor, Sylvia Bugg stated “GOSPEL celebrates a treasured style of music that has influenced African American tradition and communities, and we’re excited for audiences to affix Professor Gates on this joyous exploration into a singular and ardent artwork type. This four-hour sequence additionally expands upon PBS’s efforts to interact communities throughout America, serving to to construct better consciousness and understanding.”

GOSPEL live performance showrunner, Kristen V. Carter, stated, “I’m elated to accomplice with McGee Media, Achieved + Dusted, and Mates at Work to acknowledge, honor, and have fun the wealthy legacy of Gospel music and the contributions that this style has made all through historical past and tradition. We’re excited to convey gospel and secular artists collectively for this extremely inspiring celebration!”

All through its 4 hours, GOSPEL provides a take a look at the historical past of Black spiritual music and preaching, showcasing the symbiotic relationship of phrases and songs current in any Black church. The sequence examines the origin of Black gospel music, which blended the sacred spirituals with the blues custom and soared to new heights in the course of the Nice Migration. This music served as an outlet for the anger and frustration of residing as a Black individual in America, which stays true in the present day. The sequence additionally explores the evolution of preaching types over time, and the affect of sophistication, gender, cultural improvements, and shopper applied sciences formed the event of gospel since its conception.

GOSPEL is the most recent in a protracted line of acclaimed docuseries from Gates, persevering with his status as one of many preeminent documentarians in public media. His history-producing content material that brings the African and African American expertise to a broad viewers consists of the works MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE (2022); THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG (2021); RECONSTRUCTION: AMERICA AFTER THE CIVIL WAR (2019); AFRICA’S GREAT CIVILIZATIONS (2017); BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE (2016); THE AFRICAN AMERICANS: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS (2013); and AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES (2006). Moreover, Gates’s slate of programming additionally consists of the fan-favorite PBS sequence FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., which can return for a historic tenth season in January 2024.

GOSPEL will likely be accompanied by an outreach and public engagement program, offering alternatives – facilitated by native public radio and PBS member stations – for communities to take part in dialogue and storytelling in regards to the affect of Black tradition, custom, and community-building, and the continuing implications for American society in the present day. As well as, academic assets will likely be designed to interact lecturers and college students by a number of platforms, together with PBS LearningMedia. Viewers are inspired to affix the dialog on social media with @HenryLouisGates.

GOSPEL is a manufacturing of McGee Media, Inkwell Media and WETA Washington, D.C. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the author, host, and govt producer. Dyllan McGee is the chief producer. John F. Wilson is govt producer in cost for WETA. Invoice Gardner is the chief in cost for PBS. Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris are sequence producers and administrators. Deborah C. Porfido is supervising producer. Robert L. Yacyshyn is line producer. Kevin Burke is producer. Barbara Gregson is archival producer.

Company assist for GOSPEL was supplied by Financial institution of America. Main funding assist was supplied by the Lilly Endowment Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc., the Company for Public Broadcasting, the Silicon Valley Group Basis, and the Ford Basis. Funding was additionally supplied by members of The Inkwell Society and by public tv viewers such as you.

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