HAYWARD Though Miranda Vega of Richmond sang in her Catholic church growing up, the 24-year-old had never sung gospel. Friday evening, she was one of a 120-person Gospel Music Workshop. "There are so many people you don't feel like you are there alone," she said.
The group rehearsed for four hours for an African American/Latin Music Christmas Celebration set for 5 p.m. today at Palma Ceia Baptist Church.
"It's fun, upbeat, interactive and you can feel the music through clapping and movement," Vega said. The event, a mix of praise and worship songs with inspirational gospel, was organized by Silvester Henderson, the minister of music at Palma Ceia. Henderson, 46, has been active in the 4,500-member church since he was 20 and is an acclaimed figure in gospel music.
The idea for the event came to him when he was driving in the neighborhood around Palma Ceia and noticed that it is mostly Hispanic. "It's a humanitarian philosophy to promote love and unity. How do you promote unless you understand?
" Henderson asked. "That's where music comes in." Henderson has organized multicultural music celebrations for the past 25 years and leads several choirs in the Bay Area, though this is the first multiculturalcommunity performance at Palma Ceia.
"We hope this would be a beginning for the church to reimagine its future and not to look at itself as all African American," Henderson said. "All religions have love and support, but all
Vega's boyfriend, Juan Perez, 24, stood in front of the choir directing it in the song "El Es Digno," ("He Is Worthy.") Perez wrote the song for Los Medanos College Gospel Choir, directed by Henderson, in Antioch. Today the choir also will perform another of Perez's songs, "Te Adore" ("I adore you.
") The sopranos on the left quarter of the stage sang, followed by the altos and backed by the tenors. A band of several pianists, a full-set drummer and a couple of guitarists accompanied. Everything in the celebration is Latin-based, including lyrics, Calypso beats and a bi-lingual program.
"There's a lot of Hispanics in the area, and we figure we should open up," said Darline Burrell, a soprano from Castro Valley, who has been singing since she was 6. Burrell learned about 15 songs in the four days of rehearsals leading up to today's celebration. She is a member of the Palma Ceia Gospel Choir, which regularly has about 50 members.
At least that many came from the 25 or so other area churches that were invited. Today's performance will also feature San Francisco Opera singer Antonio Nagore and special guests from Calvary Christian Center in Stockton, the Tennyson High School Choir and Los Medanos College students Contact Rachel Cohen at (510) 293-2463 or .
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