The 22-year-old vocalist has been bringing back historic spirituals first sung by enslaved Black people in America. He says the works transcend time, “because they not only share what has happened in the past, but it paints a very similar picture to the world that we live in today.
Singer Danny Rivera and organist Gavin Rushing perform at the Holy Tabernacle Church in Dorchester. is already at home in several genres, from R&B to soul and pop songs, like the one he wrote in 2019 for Massachusetts congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. He's also performed at the Museum of Fine Arts, MGM Music Hall and TD Garden, singing the national anthem before Celtics games.But most Sundays you’ll find Rivera singing where his journey as an artist began: in church.
Rivera’s talent took him outside church, including to the White House, where he performed with a choir for the Obamas. In high school at Boston Arts Academy, he studied classical music. But Rivera said the lack of Black representation in that genre challenged his identity. He struggled to find his place and his voice. Then Rivera heard spirituals. “I was blown away,” he recalled.
“Well, these were not free men, so whose songs are these?” he explained. “When did they become free? How were they freed through these songs?” These feelings transcended time, “which is why we're so committed to bringing the spirituals back,” Rivera said. “They not only share what has happened in the past, but paint a very similar picture to the world that we live in today.”
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