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The Gospo Collective and Jones Commentary

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The 'In Fight' vocal session featured the following members:

Jessica Bigg
Ellen Walsh
Hannah Cooper-Dineen
Kelvin Maynes
Zac Moore
Bailey Barnes
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African rhythm meets western harmony, worlds of hymns and hip-hop collide, whilst a fourteen-piece vocal ensemble shows the intricacy of the human voice, backed by accomplished instrumentalists.

Birthed out of a love for people, passion for education and a belief that music can transcend us to a level of deeper understanding of ourselves and others, Gospo Collective, Adelaide’s leading gospel choir was created. Director, conductor, arranger and composer, Charmaine Jones-Devasgayam uses influences of her musical journey through life to create a unique ‘gospel experience’.

After completing her education at the Elder Conservatorium, under the tuition of Connaitre Miller (conductor of renowned Afro Blue), Charmaine spent over a decade teaching vocals at the Elder Jazz course, and is now part of the team at Monash University in Melbourne. Her desire has grown steadily to musically excite and educate, not only those in such creative institutions but the general public.
So in true roots style, she takes it to the 'streets' for all to enjoy.

This vocal group is inspired by genius gospel artists such as Kirk Franklin, Andrae Crouch, Israel Houghton, Donny McClurkin and Take 6 to name but a few. The repertoire is then tailored to the show, it’s audience and purpose, interwoven with the flavours of other well-loved musicians, secular and sacred; herein lies the identifying difference in the work of the Gospo Collective.

GospoCentric, March 2009, highlighted the eccentricity of gospel music from the early slave songs and other contributors to the more modern gospel R&B music heard today, while GospoTivity, December 2009, was a new musical interpretation of the old nativity story combining well-loved carols and modern gospel anthems bringing a fresh offering to the festive season.

Their second sell-out show, GospoAzz featured in the South Australian Jazz Series for 2010, displayed the essential place of gospel music in the jazz idiom.

Utilising negro spirituals, jazz standards, and contemporary jazz-gospel with tunes made famous by greats from Billie Holiday, Chick Corea to The Yellow Jackets, GospoAzz re-featured in the Adelaide Fringe Festival, March 2011. In the biggest Gospo adventure yet, combining more than 200 students from a plethora of Adelaide’s secondary schools at historic Adelaide Town Hall, there was no definition of private or public institutions present. Emulating Jones-Devasagayam’s ethos of art imitating life.

Gospo Collective has been privileged to work with pop icon Leo Sayer for the Leukemia Foundation Fundraiser, Light the Night, and the gospel set even included a tribute to Sayers hit You Make Me Feel Like Dancing! Perhaps this was the conception point for Gospo's latest and most successful show to date; Gospolicious. he troupe brought Gospel back with a slammin' show, with new tunes, new beats, and Secular/Sacred remixes with a number of sell-out shows during the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2014.

Gaining attraction by the producers from Fremantle Media and Australia's Got Talent, Gospo Collective flew to Melbourne in 2015 for a performance to a packed audience at Her Majesty's Theatre. Eddie Perfect and Kelly Osbourne were impressed by the Gospo vibe and style, arrangements and presence, solidifying the fact that Gospo Collective is indeed the premiering gospel choir in the Southern Hemisphere.

Charmaine Jones-Devasagaym has a dream to travel with this talented and committed group of musicians, throughout Australian schools, suburban and rural, changing their perspectives on art and life, bringing the wider community together to celebrate Australian talent through music and the capability of the youth of today to achieve goals wherever the road leads through the Gospo experience.


All details can be found on gospocollective.com.au


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