A Video Of A Black Canadian Church Choir Marching During Church Collection

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams post about Black church choir "march arounds" during the church service.

Part II provides some information about Jamaicans in Canada and showcases a video of a Black Canadian church choir marching around the sanctuary during a church service for that church's collection. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post. A number of those comments note that this "march around" style is from Jamaica.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/five-videos-of-jamaican-church-choirs.html for Part I of this series. Part I showcases several videos of Jamaican church choirs marching around their sanctuary during church service. Selected comments from some of the discussion threads of these videos are also included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/two-videos-of-new-jersey-church-choir.html for Part III of this series. Part III showcases two videos of what I refer to as "march arounds" by the choir of First United Tabernacle International Ministries' (Orange, New Jersey). Selected comments from the discussion threads of these two videos are also included in this post. A commenter in one of those discussion threads identified the pastor of that church as being Jamaican.

That post presents information about Jamaicans in the United States and includes a description of a church choir "march around" that I observed in Pleasantville, New Jersey (near Atlantic City) on March 10, 2019.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
The original version of this post included information about Jamaicans in the United States and my description of a church choir march around that I observed in New Jersey on March 10, 2019. Instead of including that content in this post, I'll publish it in a separate post along with a video of a march around by a New Jersey church choir.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/black-church-marches-processions-by.html for Part I of a pancocojams series that provides information about possible cultural influences on Black (African American) church usher, nurses, or choir processions. The links to the other posts in that series are found in that post.

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DEFINITION OF CHURCH CHOIRS "MARCH AROUNDS"
"march arounds" - when the church choir leave the choir stand during the worship service and circles the sanctuary by moving up and down the aisles in single or double lines

The church choir may do a march around, in part, as a way of giving their collection/offering. (Based on some YouTube videos) it also appears that some church choirs in Jamaica and elsewhere do march arounds as part of a praise break i.e. to demonstrate their praise toward God and, in so doing, increase the presence of the Holy Spirit in that worship service.

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DEFINITION OF CHURCH CHOIRS "MARCH INS"
"Church march arounds" differs from "church march ins".

"March ins" - when a church choir or other church group/ministry (such as ushers or nurses) march into the church sanctuary-usually from the center aisle- to mark the beginning of the worship service or special program such as that group/s anniversary or a convention.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In contrast to a number of videos of African American church choirs marching in to the sanctuary to begin the church service, I haven't found any YouTube videos of Jamaican church choirs doing "march ins". If you know of any links to those videos and/or if you know of this custom in Jamaica, please share that information in the comment section below. Thanks!

I also haven't found any online articles about Black church processions (marches), including Jamaican church processions, except those pancocojams blog posts that I've published. If you know of any other links to information or comments on this subject, please share them below. Also, please share your experiences with Black church processions (marches), including when and where you observed or participated in those marches. Thanks!

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INFORMATION ABOUT JAMAICANS IN CANADA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican_Canadians
"Jamaican Canadians are Canadian citizens of Jamaican descent or Jamaican-born permanent residents of Canada. The population, according to Canada's 2016 Census, is 309,485.[1] Jamaican Canadians comprise about 30% of the entire Black Canadian population.[2][3]

History
Most Jamaicans who arrive in Canada settle in the census metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Hamilton. The total number of Jamaicans in Canada has increased dramatically since the 1960s,[4] and the reasons for coming are also different. Currently, Jamaicans can be found in every major Canadian city and occupy a multitude of occupations!

Origins
The first Jamaicans who moved to Canada were West Indian slaves imported into New France and Nova Scotia individually and in small numbers. In 1796, the Maroons of Jamaica entered Halifax and were the first large group to enter British North America (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2000). The name Maroons was used to describe slaves who ran away from their owners and created free communities away from the European settlements in Jamaica. A war between the Maroons and the British broke out on the island of Jamaica in 1795. The war ended when the British, realizing that they could not win, tricked the Maroons into laying down their arms and then carried them into exile in Nova Scotia (James & Walker, 1984).

Governor John Wentworth settled the Maroons who numbered over 500 on the outskirts of Halifax and offered the men jobs to fortify the Citadel. Standing proud and still holding on to the memory of being betrayed by the British, the Maroons mounted a strong resistance and refused to be compliant Nova Scotian settlers. After numerous appeals to London, the Maroons were allowed to return to Sierra Leone in West Africa in 1800. The "Maroon Bastion" stands on Citadel Hill as an example of their legacy and the sense of pride they contributed (James & Walker, 1984).

Between 1800 and 1920, small numbers of West Indians were brought from Jamaica as labourers for the Cape Breton mines and from Barbados to work in coal mines in Sydney and Nova Scotia. Migration from the West Indies almost virtually stopped after 1920. As a result, the West Indian population in 1941 was smaller than it was 20 years earlier. Even though pressure for migration in the West Indies mounted, the Canadian government refused to allow any more non-whites into the country (James & Walker, 1984) (James & Walker, 1984)...

Agnes Macdonald, the second wife of the first Prime Minister of Canada, John A. Macdonald, was born in Jamaica. Her brother, Hewitt Bernard, was the recording secretary at the Charlottetown Conference in 1864. After Confederation, Bernard served as the private secretary to the Prime Minister between 1867 and 1873.

Michael Manley, the future Prime Minister of Jamaica, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.

After World War II, a great demand for unskilled workers resulted in the National Act of 1948. This Act was designed to attract cheap labourers from British colonies. This resulted in many West Indians, (including Jamaicans) coming to Canada. The Jamaicans who entered Canada after World War II did so because they still believed it was an opportunity to escape poverty and seek a new start in a world where personal advancement and success seemed to be encouraged. Wanting to stop the in-flow of black West Indians, the Walter Act of 1952 was passed to impose a "severely restricted quota" on black West Indians entering the country (James & Walker, 1984).

In 1955, Canada introduced the West Domestic Scheme (Anderson, 1993). This Scheme allowed eligible black women who were between the age of 18 to 35, in good health, no family ties and a minimum of a grade eight education from mainly Jamaica and Barbados to enter Canada (James & Walker, 1984). After one year as a domestic servant, these women were given a landed immigrant status and were able to apply for citizenship after five years. Even though the Scheme originally allowed only 100 women per year, 2,690 women entered Canada from Jamaica and Barbados by 1965. In 1962, racial discrimination was taken out of the Canadian Immigration Act and the number of Jamaicans who moved to Canada dramatically increased (Lazar & Dauglas, 1992).

After the 1960s
Because changes in the Immigration Act allowed non-whites to enter Canada without restrictions, many Jamaicans took advantage of the opportunity and entered Canada with the hopes of achieving their goals for a better life. After the purging of many racist immigration policies, a large number of Jamaicans started to enter Canada as tourists and many would later apply independently for landed immigrant status (Anderson, 1993). In the late 1960s, the Canadian government instituted the Family Reunification clause into its immigration policy, which made it even easier for Jamaicans and other groups to bring their loved ones to join them in Canada (Anderson, 1993). Thus, during the 1970s and '80s, many Jamaicans who entered Canada were children and husbands of the Jamaican women who moved to Canada between 1955 and 1965. According to Anderson (1993), Caribbean immigrants to Canada were more likely to settle in large cities and their provinces of choice were Ontario and Quebec. The largest concentration of Jamaican immigrants can be found in the following areas of Greater Toronto: Scarborough, Old Toronto, North York, York, Ajax, Pickering, Mississauga, and Brampton. Other cities include Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Kitchener, Waterloo, Windsor, and Halifax (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2000).

In 1989, 86.7% of Jamaican immigrants settled in Ontario, 7.4% settled in Quebec, 2.6% settled in Alberta, 1.7% settled in Manitoba, 1.1% settled in British Columbia and 0.6% settled in the rest of Canada. Jamaicans made up 27.5% of the total number of West Indian immigrants for that year (Anderson, 1993). Because of language concerns, most of the West Indian immigrants settle in Ontario as opposed to Quebec.

Demography
Sources:[5][2][6][7][1]
Jamaica by far has been the major source of West Indian immigration to Canada since West Indians were allowed in Canada. Between 1974 and 1989, 35.7% of all West Indian immigration to Canada came from Jamaica. Nevertheless, there was a decline during the early '80s, a recovery during 1986 and a decline again by 1989 (Anderson, 1993). According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Jamaicans made up 40% of West Indian immigration in the early 1990s.

In a 1996 overview from Immigration Canada, Jamaica was ranked eighth in terms of the number of its citizens immigrating to Canada. Jamaica is preceded by countries such as China, Pakistan, and the Philippines in the number of its citizens that migrate to Canada. The number of Jamaicans immigrating to Canada declined in 1997 and again in 1998. Jamaican immigration to Canada is at an all-time low; it was ranked number 10 by Immigration Canada in 2000.

In 2006, 79,850 Jamaicans lived in the City of Toronto, and 30,705 lived in the Toronto suburb of Brampton.[8][9]

[...]

Population
According to the 2006 Census, 231,110 Canadians identified themselves as Jamaican Canadian.[2] The actual number of Jamaican Canadians should be larger, given that many people identified themselves as "Black" "West Indian", or "Caribbean".[2] In the 2011 Census, 256,915 Jamaican Canadians were counted, comprising an 11.2% increase since the previous census.[5] A total population of 309,485 was tallied in the 2016 Census, an increase of 20.5%.[1]"...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO OF A BLACK CANADIAN CHOIR MARCH AROUND

Offering time @ Abiezer (View the choir in action)



1baw2009, Published on Apr 13, 2009

Abiezer Pentecostal Church: 96 Milvan Drive Toronto, Canada--It's offering time @ Abiezer (This is how we do it every Sunday.)
-snip-
Although there are other YouTube videos of Abiezer Pentecostal Church choir online, this is the only video of that choir marching. This also is the only YouTube video that I've found of Black Canadian choirs marching. I've also not found any YouTube videos of African American church choirs, ushers, or nurses marching around (i.e. engaged in a church processional other than marching in to the sanctuary to begin a church service, church/group anniversary service.

I don't know if Abiezer Pentecostal Church had or has a significant number of Jamaicans in their congregation. Based on the videos that I've watched of some Jamaican church march arounds (some of which are showcased in Part II of this pancocojams series), and based on some of the comments featured below, it seems likely that this choir march around custom at Abiezer was influenced by some of the congregation being of Jamaican descent.

Note that it wasn't just choir members who were marching in this video. At the end of this video, some women in white who are likely church ushers or church nurses march in single file behind the choir.

Description of this march: The Canadian marchers have a set, resolved look on their face that conveys strength and determination. The facial expressions of the Jamaican marchers (in videos showcased in Part II of this series) are more diverse as some of those marchers appear to be experiencing the exultation of feeling the Holy Spirit.

The Black Canadian choir perform a forceful, aggressive style of marching in place and moving forward. This body stance reminds me of jogging or performing a chugging style of dance. As noted by several commenters in this video's discussion thread, this is the same or very similar to the marching style of Jamaican choirs as shown in various YouTube videos. In contrast, during choir march ins that I've observed in New Jersey (since the 1950s), in contrast to the collection march that I observed in New Jersey in March 2019 (described below in Addendum #2), and in contrast to the YouTube videos of African American church choir march ins, African American church march ins during Sunday church services have a less forceful style of marching. During those marches, the body is held erect, and the head is held up.

The Jamaican influence of Toronto, Canada's Abiezer Pentecostal Church choir is also evidenced by the fact that they are marching to two Jamaican Gospel songs.
-snip-
Click the link provided above for information about possible influences on how and comments about why Black church marches were done and are still done in some African American churches.
-snip-
Here are some comments from the discussion thread for this video, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:

1. FaithfulKweenBhee🐝, 2009
"Love it....and the two girls in the front of the choir line...Lord yall better march!"

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2. IsaiahRaymondDyer09, 2009
"OH YES MARCH & RIDE ZION! MARCH & RIDE! I LOVE this!!! GLORYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

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3. 1baw2009, 2009
"I don't know if there is a defined theory behind this (marching at offering time). I need to think about it.
-snip-
This comment was probably written in response to a question about the reason for marching at offering time, although I can't find that question in that discussion thread

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4. TO ON, 2009
"the spirit of God reigns. a church that engages its people is a church that truly challenges every fiber of ones belief. praises is one such example. kudos to the choir."

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5. 1baw2009, 2009
"Chorus: 1
Dont you hear the bells are ringing?
Dont you hear the angels singing?
Its the glory, hallelujah, jubilee.
In the land of sweet forever, just beyond the shining river, they will ring the golden bells for you and me.

Chorus: 2
Im riding with Jesus, on the Alleluia Train
Im singing, Im shouting on the Alleluia Train
And when I reach the station, Heaven is my destination
Im riding with Jesus, on the Alleluia Train"
-snip-
These are the lyrics for the medley of two songs that the choir sung and marched to: "Ring Them Golden Bells" and "Riding With Jesus" (also known as "On The Hallelujah Train")

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6. jchotboy, 2010
"The two girls in the front of the choir takes the cake for me such great worshippers.. Continue to bless the lord in your worship"

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7. antonette holder, 2010
"Y'all got me dancing at work! This is my type of worship!"

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8. eldergunter80, 2010
"I LOVE THIS!!!! KEEP ON PRAISING HIM ABIEZER"

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9. limitedtasks, 2010
"This is off the chain " OFFERING TIME " usually you see people running the other way ( out the door ) We can't touch this, go ahead and STOMP ALL OVER THE DEVILS HEAD!!!!!!Buffalo, New York"

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10. lovejones238, 2010
"I must say I was like why am I watching this over & over then finally realized, I began to feel this just like the saints on the video were, as we say where I'm from, "they began to feel it" and so did I ..great post...I love the energy."

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11. musu480, 2010
"BLESSING A RUN DE CHOIR DUNG!!!!"
-snip-
I think a standard English translation for this Jamaican patois is "Blessings run down on this choir".

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12. Marshalee Ricketts, 2010
"bLESS THE LORD AM RIDING WIT JESUS AN THE HALALUJAH TRAIN,THANK YOU JESUS HEAVEN WILL BE MY DESTINATION. THIS WHAT REALLY WORSHIP IS"

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13. mitzie samuels, 2011
"This is wonderful worshiping. Yes Lord"

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14. NYCsistahofvirtue, 2011
"march march march saints unward christian soldiers!"

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15. John Blackwood, 2011
"This church must be Jamaican background!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could hear the bass player a little bit more thou! If I go to Canada.. I must find this church , where ever y'all are. GOD BLESS THIS CHURCH! AND THE CHOIR!!!!!!!"

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16. Sherice Tomlin, 2011
"This is my Favorite...Imma do this at my church this year. You guys are the bomb. "

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17. Trey Cox, 2011
"I remember coming to Abiezer as a child and seeing the choir do this same march around! Simply Awesome, glory to God, and i love the songs, the choir rock is classic! Go Ahead!!!"

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18. Alma Tyler, 2011
"On the hallelujah train. Lovin' them sisters hats. God Bless this church. i am going to have to visit soon."

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19. Tonya Anderson, 2011
"This is what church is all about... giving GOD your all!!! I was truly blessed by this video." 

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20. Tiffi, 2012
"I feel the Jamaican in this church"

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REPLY
21. MJQ7688, 2013
"I was just thinking that about this church being Jamaican! They got DOWN!"

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22. Mo W, 2012
"Its obvious that this church is jamaican .. The TRAIN!!!!!!!! HALELLUJAH TRAIN iM RUNNING JESUS ON THE HALELLUJAH TRAIN !!!!!"

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23. desmarie spence, 2012
"This is how we do it in Holiness Born Again in Jamaica."

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24. lilmadea07, 2012
"This is what you call praise. What is the name of this song?"

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25. desmarie spence, 2012
"1.When they ring the golden bells- The Pentecostal Hymnal #141 2. Riding with Jesus"

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26. Sashagaye mannings, 2013
"i have never seen such a march i loooooooveeeeeee it"
-snip-
As an aside, I just noticed that this commenter has part of my maiden name (Manning)!

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27. Margaret Mcpherson, 2015
"these saints just know how to trample on them serpents and demons, the action is so important keep on fighting and trampling them forces

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28. ddoddy76, 2015
"ok no offense .....but what was the point?"

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REPLY
29. Miya Henry, 2016
"They make it seems they are marching into heaven... must pentecostal church do this to have a mind set of how they will be like in heaven. I don't know if I'm right but it's my idea"

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REPLY
30. Maubaki Wilson, 2016
"Hey Ms.Henry you are 100% correct..the act of them physically marching signifies unity and strength in Jesus' name. The way they marched with such precision and power was the anointing of God on them. People don't always have to run around and speak in tongues lol..you can concentrate that power into something else"

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31. Kemo Clarke, 2016
"i love it soilder of jesus christ halleluia"

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32. KRISSY MCINTOSH, 2016
"This church reminds me of my church, keep praising God. Im talking about Bethel Born Again Apostolic on Oakland Road in Jamaica, thats how we worship on a Sunday morning. Love u Pastor Yvonne Codner and Bishop Barracks"

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33. Vito Motola, 2017
"giving a offering is a type of worship to Jesus."

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34. Lisa Jackson, 2018
"What happened to church..."

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REPLY
35. Jessica Woods, 2018
"Lisa Jackson Nothing... Listen to the music it's Jamaican. African churches also worship in a similar manner. I think Black Americans would do close to the same if we didn't integrated."

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36. ItsKayTho, 2018
"I remember a church I attended, the whole choir would come down circle the church, turn around and go back up the offering aisle. & they took their time too! I love this choir’s energy"

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37. Neecy Watson, 2018
"A Holy Ghost work out!!!!!!!!❤️"

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This concludes Part II of this three part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Maria Providence - "Hear My Cry Oh Lord" (Jamaican-Canadian Praise & Worship Song, with examples, lyrics & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on the Gospel song "Lead Me To The Rock That Is Higher Than I".

Part II showcases two examples of this song entitled "Hear My Cry O Lord" by Jamaican-Canadian vocalist Marvia Providence. Biographical information about Marvia Providence, song lyrics, and selected comments from one of these example's discussion threads are also included in that post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/king-jesus-is-rock-1925-version-of.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents a version of this song entitled "King Jesus Is The Rock" from the 1925 book The Negro And His Songs edited by Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson (University Of North Carolina Press).

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of this early Black Gospel song and thanks to Marvia Providence and G. E. Peters, the composers of this version of that song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT MARVIA PROVIDENCE
From http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Marvia-Providence-offers-words-of-encouragement_12664540
"In 2005, gospel singer Marvia Providence took Jamaica by storm with her praise and worship hit song, Hear My Cry Oh God.

She is back with a new album titled Be Encouraged which will be released this month. According to Providence, her latest project was inspired by the times....

Born in Lionel Town, Clarendon, Providence migrated to Toronto, Canada, in her youth. In her late 30s, she says she has been a gospel performer since 1987.

Seven years ago, she released the album, Shabach, which included Hear My Cry Oh God. The song took off, influencing a dancehall spin (Yuh Too Bad Mind) by deejay Elephant Man."

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From http://www.last.fm/music/Marvia+Providence/+wiki
"Gospel vocalist Marvia Providence has done something very few Gospel artists have been able to do; she has pierced the mainstream by bringing her island rhythms and fresh sounds to the music scene...

Marvia earned her ministerial licensed as a gospel minister and found her office in the five-fold ministry as an Evangelist after pursuing a Bachelor's degree course at the Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener, Ontario. She graduated in the year 2000 with a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies which better equipped and assisted her in delivering the oracles of God that she whole heartedly believes God has given her for our generation.

... Marvia is a member of the Dominion Deliverance Ministries under the leadership of Bishop Colin Esseboom whom she ascribe as one her mentors.

Marvia’s musical style is heavily influenced by the warm sounds of the Caribbean to the traditional sounds of Southern Gospel. Her soulful and sometimes raspy voice has woven its way through the tapestry of gospel music, weaving a picture of hope and passion for her listeners."


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SONG LYRICS: HEAR MY CRY, OH LORD
(Songwriters: Marvia Lee Providence, G. E. Peters)

Hey!
Come on people of God.
Here we go!

Hear my cry, Oh Lord,
Attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth,
Will I cry out to Thee.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

For Thou hast been,
A shelter for me.
And a strong tower,
From the enemy.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

For Thou hast been,
A shelter for me.
And a strong tower,
From the enemy.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

Do you need to talk to the Lord!

Hear my cry, O Lord,
Attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth,
Will I cry out to Thee.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

For Thou hast been,
A shelter for me.
And a strong tower,
From the enemy.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

For Thou hast been,
A shelter for me.
And a strong tower,
From the enemy.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the Rock,
That is higher than I...
That is higher than I...

Source: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/marvia+providence/hear+my+cry+oh+lord_21045104.html

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Marvia Providence - Hear My Cry Oh Lord



Convertedheart, Uploaded on Sep 20, 2010

Song Info:
Song: Hear My Cry Oh Lord
Artist(s): Marvia Providence
Album: Shabach International Praise & Worship Live
Year of Album Release: 2004
Record Label: Explorer Records

"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalms 61:2 (KJV)
-snip-
Selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread. These comments are given in chronological order based on their posting date by year with the old comments given first. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only.

2010
1. kennetteburgess
"Amen. Love this song."

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2. daintyvj
This song is a blessing to all, all Jamaicans in the USA and UK long this song. AMEN
-snip-
"Long" may be a typo for "love".

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2011
3. latsiomichael
"da chune ya mawd, di drummer sick! my fav P&W song
-snip-
[My standard English translation of this Jamaican Patois: That tune (song) yeah man (?), the drummer is sick [really very good], my favorite Praise & Worship song

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4. Godreignseternal
"This is real praise warfare!!! Halleluyah!!!!!!!"
-snip-
"praise warfare" = battling Satan.

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5. 0o0MyOtherHalf0o0
"I thank God for this song. I'm not jamaican or from the carribeans, but I grew up in a church that had come from Jamaica and the church was always a family towards me. I grew up singing songs like this but when i was older we moved so we went to a different church. It's funny because they sang songs country style so when I sang songs for them it was always with a calypso or reggae beat and the band would always get lost. But PRAISE GOD for Marvia Providence and this song."

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6. Bernie Jeffers
"ITS A OLD CD I HAVE IT SINCE 2003 FROM THE CARIBBEAN.IT WAS A TOP SONG.I LOVE IT VERY POWERFUL.YOU TRY TO DOWNLOAD IT BECAUSE ITS VERY ,VERY OLD SONG."

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7. Chadwick Duncan
"little youht a grow up in a kingston when mi go church dis a di song me did always get up and sing!! cuz i never knew anything else lol"
-snip-
[My Standard English "translation" of this Jamaican Patois: "As a young child I grew up in Kingston (Jamaica). When I went to church and this song was sung I always got up to sing!! Because I never knew anything else lol"

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2012
8. HenriSoNatural93
"this song is hotttt!!!!!"

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9. Inderia Arthur
"grew up listening to this song every sunday in church back home in th bahamas, LOVE THIS SONG!!!"

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10. poohtaylor
"When my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I!!! Heyyyyyyy! Sang!!"
-snip-
"Sang" = African American Vernacular English word [present tense] meaning "sing very good, especially sing soulfully very good]

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11. Fabin Daa
"Beautiful song of encouragement. God bless you Sister Marvia."

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12. Marilyn Turnipseed
"I love this song! It is highly anointed, powerful, exciting and very uplifting if you want to get your "High Praise" on. This song is definitely a plus for the radical praisers who love to praise the Lord ."

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2013
13. Kiehista Ravn
"The First Time I Heard This Song I Fell In LOVE With It. I Went to Trinidad in 2008 and i stayed in a GUESTHOUSE/VILLA. I Had a TV in my Room and When I Turned on D tv not long after that Song Started Playing. I raised up D Volume And all Hell Broke Loose. I started Chantin & Dancin Like D People in D VIDEO/CHURCH. I Got D Holy Gost Spirit Pon Meh Dat Day, I love dat Song Ever Since. GOD IS LEADING ME TO A ROCK WHERE DER IS A HEALTHY WORLD WITH HEALTHY HUMANS/PEOPLE. God Bless Marvia Providence"

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2014
14. RIDETHESUNSHINE
"Psalm 61:1-5

1 “Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”

Thank You "Converted Heart" for posting this uplifting song of praise!!!
Please Be Well, and Stay Strong in The Lord..."

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15. joy robinson
"this song can never grow old because it is so true!!!"

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2015
16. Elaine Mcintosh
"Love the Jamaican gospel songs."
-snip-
"Praise & Worship songs are a form of Gospel music in which the lyrics center around praising God (Jesus).

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Example #2: Marvia Providence Hear My Cry Oh Lord Grenada 2014



Devon Wells, Published on Apr 7, 2014

SEE MORE @ www.GrenadaGospel.com

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This concludes Part II of this series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Black House Parties Then & Now (Part II: Sean Paul's "Get Busy" Video)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part series on Black house parties in the 1990s and 2000s.

Part II showcases the video of Sean Paul's Dancehall record "Get Busy". This song is sometimes colloquially referred to as "Shake That Thing Miss Annabella". Although this video was filmed in Canada and showcases Jamaican style house parties, I'm assuming that house parties also were (or are) that way in Jamaica. Selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread are also featured in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/black-house-parties-then-now-part-i.html for Part I of this series.

Part I showcases a video of the dance off scene from the 1990 African American comedy/drama House Party. Selected comments from that video's viewer comment thread are also featured in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Sean Paul and all those associated with 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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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sean Paul - Get Busy



Maja Martin, Uploaded on Aug 2, 2008

Sean Paul performing Get Busy - Official Music Video
-snip-
Sean Paul is a Jamaican Dancehall singer. "Get Busy" was released in 2002.

This video was filmed in Toronto, Canada . Notice the parkas (winter jackets). Toronto has a considerable number of residents who are of Jamaican or other Caribbean descent.
-snip-
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/seanpaul/getbusy.html

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/what-sean-pauls-get-busy-shake-that.html for a pancocojams post that provides explanations for the lyrics to Sean Paul's "Get Busy".

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SELECTED COMMENTS From that video's viewer comment thread https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmxD7jDuPR0

There were 1,613 comments on that video thread at the time that I completed this post. The selected comments below are representative of two categories. The first category contains comments that compare early 2000s house parties given by Black Canadians, and African Americans (and presumably Jamaicans and other people in the Caribbean) with house parties given by those populations in the mid 2000s. The second category contains additional comments about the dancing in that video and about other aspects of that video.

I've posted these selected comments within one of those categories and assigned them a number within that category for referencing purposes only. With the exception of replies, the oldest dated comments are given first. However, these comments aren't nessarily given in sequential order.

Category #1: Comments Comparing 1990s (or earlier) house parties to house parties in the 2000s

1. Japoliony, 2010
"The Messed up Part is.... NOBODY throws house parties like this no more... EVERYBODY wanna run to the damn CLUB..."
-snip-
The club = nightclub [Going to nightclubs is sometimes called "clubbing".]
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2. MrChr1st0pher1, 2011
"these were good times throwbacks & pinwheel fitted caps, basement parties"
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"throwbacks" = usually a term for something from the past, for instance, on "Throwback Thursdays" people on Facebook may post nostalgic photographs of themselves and others from their childhood or teen years.
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3. kiana young, 2011
"now thats a house party !"
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4. Soranyi perdomo, 2014
"I swear I think I should have been an 80s baby. Maybe then I would have been able to enjoy the good old days. Days that pertained of awesome music as such, & safe house parties. This generation suck A$$!"

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Category #2: Other comments about the dancing in this movie scene

1.lgov4, 2010
"Haha mad dancing!!"
-snip-
“mad” very good
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2.Vincent Johnson, 2010
"i luv the way the girls shake what there momma gave them"
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3. raphael1245, 2010
"the lil black kid got kicked out and he was busting the ill move."
-snip-
"busting the ill move" = doing a really good dance step. "ill", "sick", and "dope" = very good
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4. Missmuffinmcgee, 2010
"love the little boy. reminds me of my little cousin. :) and the old man is true to life! much love to my west indian people."
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Chyna Boo, 2010
5. "LOL that was all of us as kids moms n pops or older siblings throwin a house party and we sneak out our room to watch!!! lolz (hint) scene from the movie "Menace II Society" lol when caine was a kid"
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MelleAndKev, 2010
6. I love that kid @ 3:05. He makes the video. "Let's get it on til the early morn" so we can have another kid that we can send upstairs to bed while we're partying up in the basement. Hehehehe ;-)
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The video's inclusion of the young boy who snuck down to join the dancing adds to the authenticity of this depiction of a house party. Also adding to that authenticity is the scene of people getting food and talking in the kitchen, and playing cards or some other game at the kitchen table. I remember all of these from house parties in the United States in the 1960s and the 1970s.
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7. morpheusxnyc, 2010
"The choreography for this is siiiiick!"
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8. shaiska, 2010
this is the caribean style for ya you american girls watch so you can learn.and this girls are dancing what i would call normal wait untill you go to an carbean club and see what they do on the dance floor.
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9. PerfectAngel316, 2011
He had the best dancers in his videos - always on point.
-snip-
“on point” doing something the exact way it is supposed to be done.
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10. Mustafah Aldohdi, 2011
"SHAKE DAT TING MISS...WO'MAN GET BUSY GIRL SHAKE DAT BOOTY HAHA DAT IS MY SONG JAMAICA ALL DAII ITS HARD NOT TO WHINE TO A SEAN PAUL DANCE"
-snip-
"whine" = the dancing style that is done by gyrating your hips
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11. she487, 2011
THE DANCING IS HOT IN THIS VIDEO
-snip-
"hot" = very good, particularly in sexually provocative, seductive ways
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12. el jordo, 2011
"Why does everyone have crack lighters?"
-snip-
"Crack lighters" are called "lighters" (cigarette lighters) in the USA.
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13. Lady Sachellein, 2011
in reply to el jordo
"@eljordo765 was a trend in the dance hall to raise a light when you think a song is hype.........was the cool thing to do"
-snip-
It was also a very dangerous thing to do, in a basement, or on any crowded dance floor.
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14. ADMNP, 2011
"this video broke so many fire code rules smh...and then he had the nerve to ask for "mo fyah" lmao no wonder the man threw them out"
-snip-
"mo fyah" = more fire
amh- shaking my head (in exasperation and/or disgust)
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15. chum1978, 2014
"Remind me of house parties in Canadian winter. Cold outside but hot like Jamaica in the basement

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This is the end of Part II of this series.

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