Page 10
‘Let it out’
News
Street Roots • March 11-17„ 2016
For LaRhonda Steele, gospel music is about freedom to
express. The Portland singer talks about interfaith choir,
the city's pollution crisis and musicians' gift to the world.
BY SUZANNE ZALOKAR
STAFF WRITER
aRhonda Steele has been a part of
Portland’s musical landscape for a
little over 20 years. Her partner in life
and one of her musical collaborators is her
husband and keyboardist, Mark Steele.
She is the choir director for the Portland
Interfaith Gospel Choir, which is made up of
both seasoned vocalists and novice
performers representing many faiths and
cultures. The group’s mission is to use black
gospel music to bring together people of
different backgrounds, ethnicities and
beliefs to celebrate diversity, social justice,
equality and peace.
There are only a handful of other
interfaith gospel choirs - one in Oakland,
Calif., and another in Arcata, Calif.
“It’s not about color,” Steele said. “It’s
about people wanting to experience the
freedom that gospel music brings.... The
freedom to be spiritual and be connected
and be healed.”
Additionally, Steele is music director for
Unity West Linn and performs with several
local blues, R&B and gospel artists. One of
those groups is the Adrian Martin Sextet,
which are taking their Nina Simone tribute
show, “I Put a Spell on You,” to Portland’s
Alberta Rose Theatre on March 19.
Asked about the changes she has seen in
PHOTO BY DIANE RUSSELL
Portland, Steele cited the population growth
LaRhonda Steele performs with Louis Pain. The Portland musicians recently released a CD together, “Rock Me Baby. ”
and the legalization of marijuana, something
that she said would never happen in her
thought she was going to do. Then she had
I love gospel music in the way that you
now,” my kids didn’t like that. I get it, but
home state of Oklahoma.
to drop out of school to support her family.
I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere.
She also talked about the gentrification of are able to express. I grew up Baptist - not
quite Methodist or Catholic, but we were a
She worked in clubs, playing piano.
the city.
She had this classical training along with
bit more subdued than what your holiest of
S.Z.: Have you been following the story
“A lot of the black businesses are gone.
this gospel and blues, and that’s the style
Pentecostal expressions are. But it is all so
about air pollution in Portland?
It’s become so very - what is the word? Not
good. You are so free to just express, let it
that you hear, that isn’t like anyone else.
yuppie. Hipster!” she.said.
L.S.: A bit Just a couple of things in the
“We live right in Northeast and have been out.
news,
but (something caught my eye):
S.Z.:
I
saw
you
play
Jesus
Christ
a
couple
of
I
tell
the
choir,
because
the
group
is
over here 14 to 15 years. My husband is
Precision Castparts?
years ago in an instrumental production of
largely older white people, I am usually
white, so maybe we were a part of that
“Jesus Christ Superstar.”I have to say, I
having to pull the expression out of them.
gentrification? 1 don’t know.
S.Z.: They are one of the polluters. In 2013,
always suspected God was a black woman.
I’m like come on. We each know where this
a team at the University of Massachusetts
music comes from. A song might come from
Suzanne Zalokar: Black gospel music.
ranked them the No. 1 toxic air polluter in the
L.S.: (Laughter) Playing Jesus was really
African slavery. If they can sing it in a joyous
This sounds like a great opportunity to
country.
tough.
I
have
been
invited
as
a
musical
experience it and learn about it. How can I get way, you need to come on with it So we
guest at New Thought Center for Spiritual
teach the history of the song and what was
involved?
L.S.: When I first worked here (in
Living for the last decade or so.
going on in the country at the time, and we
Portland), I worked for a company called
David
York,
who
leads
the
music
ministry
try to relate that so that people can open up
LaRhonda Steele: We have been in
Unit Parts. It was a coating company. We
at the New Thought Center is an Oklahoma
to its expression. It’s really wonderful.
existence for about four years: Each year it
coated nails or washers or other (small
boy
too.
He
pushes
me
beyond
what
I
has grown in size, and so we’ve had to learn
pieces of metal). I worked there for about a
believe that I can do, and that’s a good
S.Z.: You are taking a Nina Simone show
how to manage that.
year or so, and then I got pregnant. My
thing.
to the Alberta Rose Theatre. Tell me about
We have auditions two seasons each year.
husband, Mark, said, “You have to quit this
Several years before I played the role of
that.
We have had wonderful involvement
job.” All of the fumes that were being
Jesus,
I
played
Mary
Magdalene.
I
had
never
We’ve been a part of the Martin Luther
released there with how they treated the
done anything like that before. So it was all
L.S.: We’re doing a number of tunes that
King Jr. celebration that World Arts
metals and stuff?
span her career. She is so deliciously - what new.
Foundation puts on each year - the largest
Precision Castparts was one of the larger
Three
years
later,
I
had
had
the
is it - I don’t like to use the word “tragic.”
one in the country with Ken Berry. We’ve
clients of Unit Parts. To have that come full
mastectomy
and
my
hair
was
just
coming
(Her
performance)
is
the
full
expression
been at that for the past three years. We’ve
circle and to know (personally) what that air
back from the chemotherapy (Steele had
of the highs and lows of an artist. That’s
done the Grotto. This year we are doing A
is like? You know, it’s kind of scary.
been
diagnosed
with
breast
cancer).
I
don
’
t
what that is. It’s a full expression, not tragic.
Life for Lynn, a benefit for Dave Kahl and
And that was 20 years ago. The company
know why I said yes to that man. I could
his family. We have been up to Western
was cited for not dealing properly with their
have
easily
said
I
’
ve
been
through
too
much
S.Z.: There’s nothing that can quite describe
Washington University.
hazardous waste. There were just open
and I can’t (take on the role of Jesus). But I
the feeling that comes over me when I put on
We also have two large concerts a year,
containers of whatever was left from the
agreed
to
it.
Nina Simone.
which are our fund raisers. We teach
treatment of these metals. And not
When
my
kids
saw
me
play
that
role,
I
traditional black gospel music, and we teach
everybody wore masks. It’s really shocking.
L.S.: She has a very different voice. She
affected them in a way that I didn’t really
from a span of history. In a season, we cover
started as an African-American girl being
think
about
because
one
of
the
last
songs
several tunes and genres across historical
taught classical piano. That’s what she
when Jesus is saying, “Kill me, take me,
eras.
B
See STEELE, page 12