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Gospel according to Caesar

January 2, 1998

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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.

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She has sung for presidents at the White House, before 1 billion television viewers, and on Broadway. She also served as a city councillor in her home town, where she pastors a church, and racked up 34 recording industry awards. This busy woman is Shirley Caesar, the "First Lady of Gospel", who is returning to Grand Cayman with a nine-piece band for a 31 January concert at the Lions Centre. Also appearing is A-1 Swift, a husband-and-wife Christian rap duo who were in Cayman last year, and Perl Blake. Ms Caesar has won 15 Dove Awards, 10 Stellar Awards, and nine Grammy Awards, and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. She is known for her songs "Hold My Mule", "No Charge", "Don't Drive Your Mama Away", and "This Joy that I Have".

Her four decades of gospel work has earned her this praise from The Washington Post: "She can twist, compress and enhance a lyric a dozen ways without abandoning her central message of affirmation." Pop singer Whitney Houston, who sang backup when Ms Caesar sang before 1 billion viewers during the 1996 Grammy telecast, said, "She's anointed with a power and a force that runs through her." Ms Caesar also has sung on Broadway with fellow gospel powerhouses Cissy Houston (Whitney's mother) and Tramaine Hawkins in This Is My Song, part of the Mama I Want to Sing trilogy. The 31 January concert begins at 7:30 pm; the doors open at 6 pm. Tickets for the concert are $18 in advance, and $25 the day of the concert. Children younger that 12 may enter for free when accompanied by a paying adult. Refreshments will be on sale, and a $1,000 give-away is planned.

Tickets go on sale on 9 January, and may be purchased at Christian Enlightenment Centre; Champion House II; Foster's Food Fair (Airport Road only); McRuss, located in Prospect; Hottrax; and MoneyGram, H&M Trading, Rankin's Plaza.

The concert is sponsored in part by Heaven 97.7, Olson Construction, KFC, and the Worship Committee of the Open Door Christian Church. Proceeds will aid the purchase of church. furniture and transportation. (ODCC)