The Bronx has come a long way from the burnt down ghettos of the 1970’s and so has its music. In the 70’s, NYC was on fire with new genres of music from the islands of Puerto Rico- Salsa, and from my own backyard, The Bronx, HipHop was born. Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have expressed their spiritual beliefs, including Christianity in their lyrics. In the 1990’s HipHop grew to include a new form called Christian Hip Hop.
A Taste of The Islands
Ernie’s Latin Grooves
Out of all of Puerto Rico’s musical exports, it is best known for its worldwide famous salsa music and reggaeton. Originating with Cuban influence, Salsa is an amalgamation of Latin musical styles, especially Puerto Rican, created in the pan-Latin melting pot of New York City in the early 1970s. Experience the Caribbean sounds that will make you move your hips and the secret beat in your heart. Ernie’s Latin Groove plays Salsa music with a tinge of jazz. Their vocals are both in Spanish and English with rhythms consisting of brass, woodwinds, piano, bass, and Latin percussion. On a beautiful summer day in the Bronx, close your eyes and you will feel like you’re in a tropical paradise sipping pina coladas while listening to the Latin grooves.They can currently been seen playing on April 30, 2009 at 8:00pm til 12:00am at Dona Ramonas, located at 651 Morris Park ave. in the Bronx, New York 10462 telephone 718-239-6993/6994 hosted by Hector Cedeno.
Gospel music for today’s generation
Gospel City
Gospel City was born into this world as Hip Hop, but has matured into a soul saving ministry, ready to spread the “Good News” throughout the world. It all started years ago when Jesus Perez Jr., his cousin Frankie (now Past. Francisco Vega), and his friend Curtis, threw some words together over a P. Diddy beat for a coffee house up in Middletown, NY. The feeling that they felt was almost like they had just finished an hour long praise and worship session, but it was the reaction from the crowd that moved them to consider what they did as a ministering tool.
They have been blessed to work with Sean and Alvin Slaughter, Nikki Cruz’ T.R.U.C.E., and Judy Torres, and have ministered in outreaches in Puerto Rico. Gospel City has won the Mc Donald’s Gospel fest and has built strong friendships with many other gospel artists and churches.
Jesus Perez says “Every fiber of me was born to praise Him, and if I am not doing it the right way, then I am not doing it at all. He saved my life, rescued me and my family from poverty, and I could never forget him for that. I am a Christian, I am my heavenly father’s son, and I am Gospel City”.
Moving to a new level, Gospel City just dropped its second full length album “Not Ashamed. Gospel City is a music ministry, with flavors of Hip Hop, R&B, Reggaeton, Alternative/Rock, and Spoken Word. It’s a melting pot of God glorifying music, that anyone at any age could listen to and fall in love with.