Da'Quela

by Monica Watkins

If you’ve been looking for a fresh face and a new sound in Gospel music, look no further than EMI Gospel’s new artist, Da’Quela (pronounced Duh-kway-luh) and her debut project entitled Blue Sky. Da’Quela had a bit of a fairytale arrival into the world of Gospel music. Having no previous industry experience, she surpassed 16,000 contestants to win Trinity Broadcasting Network’s (TBN) first singing competition, Gifted. 

"...You have a special gift, and whether or not you win this competition you should be making CDs so we can all enjoy it," said industry veteran Eddie DeGarmo during the competition.

EMI Gospel did an amazing job with song selection for Da’Quela, as the project delivers a very seasoned sound. She holds her own in the presence of Gospel powerhouse Darwin Hobbs, who lends his distinctly rich and flawless vocal gift to a duet on the track Never Too Far. The voice of a veteran such as Hobbs not only enhances the quality of the project, but adds commercial value to this project as well. 

Da’Quela displays her versatility in her delivery of up-tempo tracks like So Happy, I Got You, and U Gonna Make It. However, It’s Love is probably one of the more revealing songs on the project, offering a more vulnerable look at Da’Quela, the person behind the artist. Snippets of her personal story of trials and triumphs are sprinkled throughout the song.

Shining Star is a wealthy cocktail of smooth Jazz and R&B, and it’s what I call my “repeat track”. You know...the track you can’t seem to stop listening to, so you put it on repeat and play it a million times until you are hypnotized by it, your family now sings along with it, and your neighbors are praying that you will give it a rest! The song was co-written by Antonio Neal, Kyle Lovett, and label-mate Darlene McCoy, all phenomenal songwriters, so enough said. By the way, this song happens to be one of Da’Quela’s favorites, too. Likewise Psalm 23, a kindred companion to Shining Star, offers a new twist on a very familiar verse of scripture. It’s a great track for private worship.

The evidence is lucid, and selecting a favorite track from Blue Sky will prove to be a laborious task and one that will quickly be abandoned at first spin of the project. Inspirational lyrics overlay tracks full of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, pop, and even disco influences. Blue Sky promises a collection of sounds capable of pacifying the ears of the most discriminating listener. Believe me, I know. I am that listener.

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