An NPR (National Public Radio) Tiny Desk Concert is a huge deal! So is a Grammy Nomination. LaKecia Benjamin has three nominations and a Tiny Desk Concert. She is also one of the few women leading her own Jazz Quartet. This will ensure the coveted golden Gramophone won’t elude her long. You see, Lakecia Benjamin is a worship leader.
What?
Yes. LaKecia Benjamin is a worship leader. She takes her love of God and the gift God gave her and synergizes it into a beautiful worship experience. The audience is taken on a journey that fuses spoken word, testimony, and deliverance, along with praise and worship services and infused with Jazz, and the ride is at times laid back and other times “toe-tappin’ hand slappin’ good”! There are moments when we can feel glossolalia in the static tongue of her instrument. In one piece, Mercy, the audience was reminded that to everything, there is a season with the refrain “let go, let flow” from her album Phoenix.
Her Tiny Desk appearance in gold and white reminded me of Earth, Wind, and Fire. She embodies those elements. Her feet are securely planted on the earth, and when she picks up that woodwind, it is FIRE! Although that was so corny you could probably shuck it, it was also accurate.
In her music, you can feel that she has been influenced by multiple genres—everything from Hip-Hop to Bluegrass and everyone from Prince to Trane. Her music has textures and layers that almost make you think you understand what it feels like to be a synesthete because you can smell and taste the music. Her energy on stage is contagious, and she quickly got the audience involved in her performance. What stood out about Benjamin for me is that, at her core, there is a quiet stillness that can only come from spending time in the Secret Place with God.
I watched a little of the Tiny Desk Concert and a few other videos to get a feel for who Benjamin is. It becomes evident when you meet her in person (virtually) that she is a down-to-earth, confident young woman who loves the Lord but doesn’t take herself too seriously. One thing she does take seriously is her love of music and her passion for the gift. I learned of LaKecia from our Editor-in-Chief, Darin Kent, who knew her from the music ministry of Greater Centennial when they both attended.
At this point in the article, you, the astute reader, are probably wondering why this article does not include a build-up with early childhood up to the teen years and then the wonderful things that LaKecia is doing now. I will tell you why. I want you to go to AMEZ.TV or the Star of Zion Facebook page and watch the interview for yourself I don’t want to spoil the experience for you by telling you in this article everything you’re going to see in the video. So, after you finish reading this article and your interest has been fully piqued, go for the interview. If you have not subscribed, do that first. Then, watch the interview. LaKecia is one of us and a member of The A.M.E. Zion Church. Once you watch the interview this article refers to, watch the Tiny Desk Concert. You’ll be glad you did.
We at The Star of Zion wish that LaKecia will experience all that God has in store for her and multiple Grammies!
For more information on LaKecia Benjamin and her music, visit her website: https://lakeciabenjamin.com/
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