NEW ORLEANS--Gospel superstar Yolanda Adams ministered to a New Orleans Jazz Fest crowd Sunday afternoon, preaching the importance of faith, hope and dance through an energetic set that showcased her mighty vocals.
The Grammy Award-winning musician lived up to her joyful reputation during Sunday's performance. Adams flowed onto the Congo Square Stage wearing a bright green-and-yellow dress and wide smile, eager to launch into a series of upbeat inspirational songs flavored with rhythm and blues.
Adams kicked off with "Rejoice," a bubbly single off her 2011 album "Becoming," which set the tone for the show.
"I came today with a song of hope," Adams sang. "I want you to lift your hands, move your feet, and start to dance."
Adams's fierce, in-your-face optimism combined with her renowned vocal skills to deliver messages of victory over life's battles. The gospel artist boasts one of the most beloved contemporary voices in the genre. The Houston native began earning praise with the release of her debut album, "Just As I Am," in 1987. Since then, Adams has racked up awards from the Gospel Music Association, BET, Soul Train and the NAACP. Adams continues influencing the modern gospel scene and winning new fans with her buoyant lyrics, muscular vocals and charismatic persona.
In recent years, Adams has expanded her uplifting message beyond music to include a syndicated weekday radio show, a motivational book about faith and appearances as a judge on BET's hit singing-competition show "Sunday Best."
A popular presence in New Orleans, Adams has performed several times in the city, including shows in 2009 at the reopened Mahalia Jackson Theater and at past Essence Music Festivals. Her appearance at this year's Jazz Fest rounds out a particularly impressive lineup of strong female performers including Janelle Monae, Florence and the Machine, Feist, Esperanza Spalding, Jill Scott, Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, Marcia Ball and more.
Adams is set to return to Essence Fest this summer as part of an all-star tribute to fellow gospel celebs Fred Hammond and Mary Mary. The musical tribute is planned for the free Essence Empowerment Experience in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Like other contemporary gospel artists, Adams refuses to allow a "gospel" label to confine her sound within church walls. She cites influences like jazz great Nancy Wilson and soul legend Stevie Wonder, and has collaborated with mainstream artists and producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, James "Big Jim" Wright and Warryn Campbell to create some of her most successful work.
Sunday afternoon's Jazz Fest show demonstrated how gospel acts like Adams can get a large, diverse crowd rocking to a catchy blend of the spiritual and secular. Most songs featured heavily inspirational lyrics, but the music reflected more diverse influences: traditional gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz, hip-hop. Her performance turned Congo Square into a laidback party combined with a makeshift church service. Festival-goers waved their arms in the air and shouted agreements as Adams told the crowd to have faith and dream bigger.
Adams performed with an inconspicuous three-piece band and recorded backup vocals, a setup that allowed her powerhouse voice to take the full limelight. Her vocals expressed her lyrics with dramatic climbs and dips, shifting from raw to smooth, ferocious to gentle, fiery to soothing.
With decades' worth of work from which to choose, Adams picked a set list that swung from older songs like "Be Blessed" to newer tunes like "Be Still." The crowd grew more enthusiastic as Adams tapped into her hit list with "Open My Heart," "Yeah," and her signature song "The Battle is the Lord's."
Between songs, Adams expounded on her lyrics, advising the audience to put the words into practice.
"If you don't like something that's on the inside of you, change it!" she yelled.
Adams closed with the jaunty "Victory," which got more of the crowd grooving.
"Get your victory dance on!" she shouted, jerking to the beat and admonishing festival-goers to move more. "Y'all know I don't just do the church dances."
"What I'm about to do is a combination," she continued. "As you can hear, this is not a typical church beat."
Strutting and swaying, Adams continued pressing the crowd to dance until nearly everybody in Congo Square was at least on their feet and bouncing.
Finally satisfied, Adams finished her set with a prayer for the audience.
"Amen!" the crowd roared as Adams floated off the stage with a smile.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Tuesday, May 1st 2012 at 12:56PM
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