The group was founded in 1969 by Russell Knighton at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the group was called the Macalester College Black Voices. It was in 1971 when current director Gary Hines took leadership over the ensemble, and the group name was officially changed to Sounds of Blackness.
The chief lead singer of the group was Ann Nesby until 1995 when Nesby left the group to pursue a solo career. The group continues to perform internationally. The group performed the original songs for the 1999 Disney animated short John Henry (based on the folklore character) as part of Disney's American Legends, the short was re-released in 2015 as part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection. The original songs were written by Gary Hines and Billy Steele, with a score by Stephen James Taylor
The group has received three Grammy Awards, four Stellar Awards, one Emmy nomination, the International Time for Peace Award, the International Dance Music Award, five NAACP Image Award nominations and 1 NAACP Image Award.
Sounds of Blackness's "Time For Love" was nominated for the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for R&B Song of the year.
O' Come All Ye Faithful
Sounds Of Blackness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
The song "O Come All Ye Faithful" by Sounds of Blackness is a traditional Christmas carol that was first published in the 18th century. The lyrics describe the joyful and triumphant arrival of the faithful to Bethlehem to see the birth of the King of Angels, Jesus Christ. The opening lines depict the excitement and anticipation of the faithful, inviting them to come and see the newborn King. The song emphasizes the adoration and worship of the Christ child by all who come to pay homage.
The second verse calls on the choirs of angels to sing and exalt in celebration of the birth of Jesus, giving glory to God the Father in the Highest. The inclusion of angels in the song emphasizes the miraculous and divine nature of Jesus' birth. The third and final verse greets Jesus as the "Word of the Father", who has appeared in flesh to save humanity. The song ends with another call to come and adore Christ the Lord.
Overall, "O Come All Ye Faithful" expresses the universal Christian message of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and recognizing his divine nature. The song has become a popular Christmas carol in many cultures around the world, uniting believers across different languages and traditions.
Line by Line Meaning
O Come All Ye Faithful
This is a call to everyone who has faith to come and celebrate the birth of Jesus
Joyful and triumphant,
We should be happy and victorious because the King of Angels is born
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
We should all go to Bethlehem to see the newborn King
Come and behold Him,
We should go and see the newborn King with our own eyes
Born the King of Angels;
Jesus is born as the King of Angels, let's celebrate His birth
O come, let us adore Him,
Let's show our love and worship to Jesus by coming to see Him
O Sing, choirs of angels,
Angels should also sing and rejoice at the birth of their King
Sing in exultation,
Sing with great joy and happiness
Sing all that hear in heaven God's holy word.
Sing for everyone in heaven to hear the good news of Jesus' birth
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
Give glory to God who is in the highest place in heaven
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
We hail and welcome the Lord Jesus, our Savior
Born this happy morning,
Jesus was born today, which is a joyful and happy day
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
We will forever worship Jesus and adore His name
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Jesus is the Word of the Father who has appeared in human flesh
Writer(s): JOHN FRANCIS WADE
Contributed by Layla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
HSSU Camera Club
on Black Butterfly
Black Butterfly by Sounds of Blackness
Chorus
Black Butterfly, you can do most anything your heart desires
Freedom comes with understanding who you are
Its time to reclaim your place among the stars
Spread your wings and fly
Awakening the genius has been asleep too long
A people with a beauty rich and strong
A heritage that rates second to none
Original, your qualities, don’t change them to fit in
Now that you’re on top just keep rising
Experience new life, be born again.
Chorus
What’s going on?
To not reveal unless we choose to see
Has generations lost in history
To hide our culture and identity
Keep your pride
You can’t be another color butterfly
So when you shine, let everybody see your light
Cuz you know out of sight means out of mind