Harlem Gospel Choir to perform in Hong Kong this week
Gospel choir founded in memory of Martin Luther King rides genre's local revival
Hong Kong is a long way from the churches of Harlem, but a popular gospel choir from the African-American neighbourhood in New York will make its first visit to Hong Kong since the troupe formed 26 years ago.
About 15 singers from the Harlem Gospel Choir will perform two shows in Hong Kong on Friday and Saturday. The group will also tour three major cities on the mainland and perform at the CCTV's New Year's Eve gala special in Beijing.
The choir's founder, Allen Bailey, said many Chinese tourists to New York stop by on Sundays to hear the choir he established in memory of US civil rights leader the Reverend Martin Luther King.
Bailey described a typical gospel choir as lively, with people dancing, stomping their feet and jumping on stage.
"Gospel music is about people who have suffered, so it's very inspirational music. You see a lot of crying and emotion," he said. "We toured Japan a few years ago, and even though many couldn't understand the language, the feeling came through."
Bailey recalls the moment in 1986 when he decided to form the group while attending a commemoration for King at Harlem's famous Cotton Club.