print: Tracii Chinwah - Interview (October 2006) | BlackGospel.com, Your Music Ministry Source!

Interview with Tracii Chinwah
October 2006, BlackGospel.com by Christopher Heron

Ladies and gentlemen, the South has done it again. Like a phoenix emerging from the hot Arabian peninsula, a striking new artist with uncompromising faith and undeniable chops has arrived on the Gospel frontier from Dallas, Texas to proclaim, “This Is The Day…”.

Her enchanting name is Tracii Chinwah, a product of the Lone Star state who has captivated audiences and hearts with a sound and spirit that’s all about Jesus. Her new album is poignantly entitled, This Is The Day, a debut release destined to draw street level attention both towards her growing ministry and her impressive CD.

To complement her burgeoning gift, the Lord provided her with a God-fearing family firmly rooted in music, a church family that embraced her calling and a husband that elevated her gift to another level as a talented artist filled with oodles of potential. Her story is a fascinating one rich with revelations, confessions and testimonies, a story she shared exclusively with BlackGospel.com.

Christopher Heron: Tracii, I want to start our conversation by getting a better sense of the woman behind the music and ministry. I always think that if you can trace back to one’s childhood days, you’ll discover where the passion and gift in a person was first sown. Could you tell us a little about your childhood days, growing up in Texas and in the church? What are your fondest memories as a child? And when did your interest and love for music begin to show seeds of promise and move you into special places?

Tracii Chinwah: Where do I start? My childhood memories are ones filled with great times! I am a "Church Girl" for real. Both of my parents and every one of my aunts and uncles were and are Quartet Styled Gospel singers. They had a family group called The Faithful Travelers and the Faithfulletts of Mexia, Texas.......and you have to add ‘Of Mexia, Texas”!

All I knew was church and ‘sanging’! I can remember being as young as 5 or 6 having rehearsals once a week at the house. All of the adults would be in one room rehearsing and all the kids would be in the other room pretending to have church! We had the best time taking turns imitating the grown-ups. My dad use to make me sing "Glory Bound Train" all the time and I got pretty good at it so I began to sing at church in the youth choir. I especially liked to harmonize and try different melodies.

My parents didn't know that I had "The Ear" and could really sing until the day I made a tape of me singing 5 part harmony. I was about 12 or 13 years old. I pushed two tape players together and kept "ping-ponging" until I got all 5 parts on one tape. It was very hard to hear but that was my first studio - my bedroom and 2 pink jam-boxes!

CH: You’re the Minister of Music at the City Temple SDA Church. I grew up in the SDA Church as a child and adolescent and my experience was that the SDA church is a conservative church when you compare it to COGIC, Pentecostal or other Charismatic churches. So how did you first develop and eventually nurture your love for Traditional and Contemporary Gospel music, particularly during your days in the choir – Mark White & The Chosen Generation? And how did that love for Gospel music eventually lead you into circles that included personalities like Karen Clark-Sheard, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Tarralyn Ramsey, just to name a few?

TC: My husband and I are both assistant Ministers of Music at my home church (City Temple SDA) and I have to say that all SDA churches are not alike. Some are a bit more Charismatic than others! I did not grow up in the SDA church so I’ve been exposed to Baptist, Methodist, COGIC, and Pentecostal church settings. I have always had a love for singing because that’s all I was exposed to as a child, but because I’ve experienced more than one type of church setting, I’m able to draw from the uniqueness of each one when I minister.

Singing with Mark White & Chosen Generation was a great experience. It was my first singing group that was not a choir. It was kind of scary at first because there were only a few people and everyone could sing! I couldn’t blame my bad note on the sopranos on the top row! I really had to pray and ask God to help me strengthen my gift because I didn’t want to come before Him with anything other than a perfect praise. I learned to like the group setting more than the choir! I started singing with Darryl and Latonya Blair and their ministry was such a blessing for me. Just being on the scene and around great singers all the time is what eventually gave me the opportunity to accompany Tarrarlyn, Dorinda, & Karen on stage. Hopefully, in the near future I will get the opportunity to actually record a song with each one of them. Pray for me!

CH: Your ministry and calling was further anointed and confirmed when you tied the knot with your husband and producer-extraordinaire – Madukwu Chinwah. Tell me a little about him, his experience, how the two of you joined in lifelong communion and how he particularly elevated your gift to the next level.

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TC: Wow! My husband is the best! I absolutely love and adore him. He is my homeboy!! We have so much fun together. He is the most humble person I know. When I told him that he was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards, his response was, “Ok, that’s nice.” That’s just who he is. You just have to know him. He’s the most intelligent person that I know. There is so much more to him than music but his musical gift is truly from God. He can play everything! Almost all of the music that’s on my project is played by him, not sounds from a workstation. His understanding of music and the ministry behind it is what fascinates me the most about him.

We met through another producer friend of ours who referred me to him. I had just decided that I wanted to work on my own project. He thought that Madukwu would be the best producer to work with and after we met, I agreed! He has elevated my gift so very much. Watching him work is a workout for me! He’s very swift. His ear is ridiculous. He makes me listen to music to identify sounds and instruments which makes my ear better. He’s very serious when it comes to the studio. He has me singing notes that I wouldn’t normally try in front of anyone but I appreciate it because in the end it usually is a great thing. He's the best. He totally ROCKS!!!

CH: Dallas and Texas, in general, is certainly making a lot of noise these days, in terms of Gospel music. We’re hearing more names and talents emerging from the Lone Star state everyday. The ambassadors used to be Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Kim Burrell. But today, you’re hearing about a list of new artists like Myron Butler, Lyric Sings, Surel and Tracii Chinwah, to name a few. Has it always been hot in Texas and I’m not talking about the weather? And what is making Texas’ Gospel scene rise to national prominence?

TC: Well you know what they say……There is something in the water in Texas! Dallas/Ft. Worth has some of the most talented singers and musicians you will ever run across. And Houston is just as ridiculous. I have to thank artists like Kirk, Kim, and Yolanda for opening the door for other Texas talent like myself. They are still ambassadors and have truly been a blessing for all of us. It’s always been this kind of hot here. It’s just taken the industry a while to figure it out!

CH: Let’s talk about your brilliant album – This Is The Day. Could you share with us how this album that incorporates a variety of sounds and influences, how it was crafted over time and how laborious or tedious was the process for you of writing songs and recording music in the studio over time?

TC: “This Is The Day” is about who I am, what I’ve been through, and what I stand for. It’s a message of hope, encouragement, and recognizing where your strength comes from. We both love all types of music such as Contemporary Christian, Quartet, Rock, R&B, Pop, and Traditional Gospel so we tried creating songs that reflect what each of us likes. My husband wrote all of the songs, I helped out on a couple. We actually wrote a lot of the project on the way to and from the Grammys, especially on the way back because we were really motivated after actually winning the Grammy. It took us three years to complete the project. It was a lot of hard work and it wasn't cheap but our investment was necessary. We took our time because we wanted it to be right. We had at least 30 songs to choose from! In the end we narrowed it down to what we felt were the best 13 songs to convey the message.

CH: I will declare on BlackGospel.com…it is an awesome project that is well deserving of public praise and industry recognition, particularly as an Independent release. How happy are you with the final product and what kinds of feedback are you receiving across the country from radio and Internet or when you get the opportunity to perform your songs?

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TC: We could not be more please with it. We told God that we were going to put everything into making a great project for His glory and we truly feel like we did. People are loving the project. People are constantly telling us how complete it is and how much they absolutely love it. They are most pleased with the fact that it doesn’t sound like anything else out there and how much they like the tone of my voice. I was really surprised to find out that I was getting much love in Japan. The initial reaction when people see me perform is really funny. They think “Oh here is another one of these too cute to sing girls” but they have no idea that I’m about to let them have it. I’m there to minister and that’s just what I do.

CH: Finally Tracii, as an artist and as a minister of music, whether a person picks up your CD or hears you ministering at church, what do you pray you’re able to deliver through your music and your voice?

TC: Even before I open my mouth to sing, I want people to be able to see Christ in me and to see that my message is sincere and heart felt. There is a story behind each song. If someone is encouraged and inspired to be closer to God by my story then I am pleased; more importantly God is pleased.

For more information on Tracii Chinwah, visit her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/traciichinwah. You can purchase her new album – This Is The Day - at www.cdbaby.com/chinwah. To contact Tracii Chinwah for appearances or general enquiries, email her at vanguardimg@yahoo.com or call 469-628-5645.