*“It’s a re-release. It is on Jubilation’s Christmas album,” said Rev. Stefanie R. Minatee about the release of the “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” single from Grammy Award winning Rev. Stef & Jubilation. “This song is re-released because I thought it spoke to a wider audience….with everyone at home.”
The “A Jubilation Christmas” album was released in 2013. By then they were already a part of a Grammy Award winning album. Rev. Stef’s Gospel choir has sung back-up for Queen Latifah at the Super Bowl XLIV; is featured on the Grammy Award winning Queen Latifah “Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration” album; sang with Queen Latifah at the opening of the U.S. Tennis Tournaments when she sang her single “Spirit,” and they performed on “American Idol” backing up Joss Stone. The “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” single is also accompanied with a music video.
“It’s connected to Ray Charles because when I first heard this arrangement we were working with Ray Charles on the ‘Ray Charles Celebration of Christmas with Rev. Stef & Jubilation.’ When I heard it I just had to put my spin on it,” she pointed out.
Rev. Stefanie has a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance and a Certification in Music Education from Kean University. She also holds a Masters and a Doctorate Degree in Theology from Drew University. Her choir was formed when Larry Goldman, the CEO of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and her uncle Donald K. Tucker, a Civil Rights Activist and New Jersey Councilman, asked her to form the choir for NJPAC in 1998. She had already developed a reputation as an adult choir director for the First Baptist Church in N. J. The Jubilation Gospel Choir is also known for offering music scholarships. In 2002 she was ordained a minister and that year Rev. Stef & Jubilation, which boasts over 300 members in 25 cities, toured Japan with Ray Charles.
“We were the last choir to record with him,’ Dr. Minature said.
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On her arrangement twist to the “Rudolph…” single she said, “You can hear the undertone of Gospel. Whatever I do you hear the undertone of the Gospel of Christ. You hear the African roots…stone beats. I try to intertwine all that into what we do.”
Rev. Stef served over 30 years teaching music education in the New Jersey public schools. Her ministry is through the Community Baptist Church in Englewood, N.J. Other credits of Rev. Stef & Jubilation Gospel choir include collaborations with Shirley Caesar, Isaac Hayes, Dionne Warwick and Kenny Logins. They have performed during concerts that included Albertina Walker, Kurt Carr and Donnie McClurkin. Rev. Stef & Jubilation has released a total of six albums. www.JubilationChoir.org www.RevStefandJubilation.org
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Eunice Moseley, MS, MBA, MPhil has an estimated weekly readership of over ¼ million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations Strategist and Business Management Consultant at Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 21st year. Next events are coming to Baltimore Saturday April 17, 2021 at Security Square Mall via Zoom Conferencing and Los Angeles Saturday, November 6, 2021 via Zoom Video Conferencing. The ULMII event is a free conference offering an Entertainment Business Panel Q&A Session, a Talent Showcase and Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $15,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com for more information or to RSVP for Zoom Access email [email protected].
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