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Sunday, March 31, 2019

African American Choir Wearing West African Kente Cloth Stoles Sings "Lord I Want You To Help Me"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series on the song "[Oh] Lord I Want You To Help Me".

Part III showcases a Gospel choir singing this song accompanied by a classic orchestra. Special attention in this post is given to the different types of kente cloth stoles that members of the choir wear over their choir robes.

The Addendum to this post presents some information about Ghana's and the Ivory Coast's (West Africa) kente cloth fabrics.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/three-accapella-renditions-of-song-oh.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I showcases three accapella renditions of "Oh Lord I Want You To Help Me". Part I also includes lyrics for one version of this song that is featured in that post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/six-renditions-of-oh-lord-i-want-you-to.html for Part II of this series. Part II showcases six renditions of "Lord, I Want You To Help Me. Lyrics for three of these versions are also included in that post.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composer/s of this song and thanks to The Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, Pastor Marvin Winans and Carolyn O’Bryant as well as the Cincinnati [Ohio] Symphony Orchestra who are featured in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/kente-cloth-worn-by-american-gospel.html Kente Cloth Worn By American Gospel Choirs for a 2014 post

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Classical Roots 2014: Oh Lord I Want You To Help Me



CSOvideo, Published on Feb 12, 2016

The Classical Roots Community Mass Choir led by conductor A. Michael Cunningham and featuring Pastor Marvin Winans and Carolyn O’Bryant performs “Oh Lord I Want You To Help Me" at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's 2014 production of Classical Roots

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INFORMATION ABOUT KENTE CLOTH
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kente_cloth#Symbolic_meanings_of_the_colors
"Kente, known as nwentom in Akan, is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips made and native to the Akan ethnic group of Ghana. Kente is made in Akan lands such as the Ashanti Kingdom, including the towns of Bonwire, Adanwomase, Sakora Wonoo, and Ntonso in the Kwabre areas of the Ashanti Region. This fabric is worn by almost every Ghanaian tribe. Kente comes from the word kenten, which means basket in the Asante dialect of Akan. Akans refer to kente as nwentoma, meaning woven cloth. It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. However, its importance has remained and it is held in high esteem by Akans.

Characteristics
Kente cloth varies in complexity. Ahwepan refers to a simple design of warp stripes, created using plain weave and a single pair of heddles. In contrast, adweneasa, which translates to "my skill is exhausted", is a highly decorated type of kente with weft-based patterns woven into every available block of plain weave. Because of the intricate patterns, adweneasa cloth requires three heddles to weave.[1][2]

The Akan people choose kente cloths as much for their names as their colors and patterns. Although the cloths are identified primarily by the patterns found in the lengthwise (warp) threads, there is often little correlation between appearance and name. Names are derived from several sources, including proverbs, historical events, important chiefs, queen mothers, and plants. The cloth symbolizes high in value.

[...]

Symbolic meanings of the colors

Akan Kente cloth color variations

black: maturation, intensified spiritual energy

blue: peacefulness, harmony and love

green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal

gold: royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity

grey: healing and cleansing rituals; associated with ash

maroon: the color of mother earth; associated with healing

pink: assoc. with the female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red

purple: assoc. with feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women

red: political and spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death.

silver: serenity, purity, joy; associated with the moon

white: purification, sanctification rites and festive occasions

yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty"...
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/kente-cloth-worn-by-american-gospel.html for Part II of a four part 2014 pancocojams series on kente cloth. That post is entitled "Kente Cloth Worn By American Gospel Choirs".

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This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series.

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