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Michael Tait To Join Forces With Santana
- 05/02/04
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Forefront Records, home of Christian artist Tait, has announced that Michael Tait will be joining forces with legendary guitarist and vocalist Carlos Santana. Tait will be performing vocally for Santana's upcoming European tour. You can ready the full press release here.
Does anyone else find this troubling? Santana is currently touring in support of his most recent album which is entitled Shaman. That alone should be a warning. In case you are unfamiliar with that word, Webster's defines it as follows: "A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events." Furthermore, Santana has several songs whose lyrics are obviously inappropriate for Christians to sing.
I wonder why this is being heralded as a great honor for Tait and why people are excited that he has accepted Santana's invitation. I do not wish to pass judgment on Michael Tait, but I wonder how he can, in good conscience and with the industry's blessing, accept this opportunity.
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Comments (9)
This is odd - on the one hand I have to think, all non-Christian artists are of an unregenerate mind and thus follow after false gods. So is there a difference whether it were Santana or the Eagles?
Yet I do think there is something particularly disturbing about Santana's new age pantheistic worldview. It is very "spritual", but blatantly anti-God.
My vote is to do away with the whole CCM ghetto - if you can't hack it in the mainstream market then you shouldn't be able to in some secondary market and then call it a "ministry." There is nothing different about CCM - they serve as a soapy alternative to the mainstream. There lyrics typically aren't very theologically sound and their level of artistry is sub-par at best. And the industry is just as inflated with self-congratulatory egos as the mainstream music biz (seriously what is the difference between the Grammies and the Doves except that one is PG-13 rated and the other is G rated?).
Hope that wasn't too harsh Tim - I know there are exceptions... I'm glad to see Switchfoot and bands like that find success. I just get sick of the Nashville establishment throwing around the word "ministry" all for the sake of a buck.
That's it, Matt. Just let it all out! ;)
I do think there is some validity to saying that Christian music should not be its own genre. It is, after all, the only genre that is defined by lyrical content rather than musical style.
At the same time, I see now real problem with grouping the music together by content. It sure makes it easier to find in the store!
I do think that Christian music is getting better in terms of musical and lyrical ability. Perhaps I am just wishing it to be so, but I really do think things are improving. Probably a lot of it is just that there are bigger budgets now and that allows the bands to achieve a more polished, more professional sound.
I think, perhaps, you are "attacking" something of a caricature of the industry rather than an accurate depiction. However, I have little to do with the industry so I could be off-base.
Yeah, that probably did sound "rantish." I guess I am thrown off by a focus on image and superficiality in CCM marketing... the hair is always perfect (or perfectly imperfect), the clothes are always immaculately hip, and the facial expressions are always so pensive (and yet so welcoming). I agree that the musical quality has certainly gone up as the money has come in from increased sales and touring revenue. I think I am just frustrated that there seems to be ten of every Tait for every one Derek Webb out there. It should be the other way around.
I do think CCM producers suck eggs - they can take a genuinly good and talented live act and overproduce it to the point where the record sounds plastic and contrived. So perhaps the problem is not so much with mediocre musical talent, but with producers who couldn't hack it in LA and moved to Nashville instead. Just a little more fuel for the fire... =) I'll go to an AC/DC show anyday over a Tait/Santana billing!
Money?
I don't think Michael needs the money at all. In fact, at GMA he talked about the best aspect of TAIT being the opportunity to minister to kids one-on-one that wasn't there with DC Talk. I don't know how he's going to deal with songs that have questionable content. Time will tell.
Matt, don't forget that a lot of Christian albums are being produced and mixed by "mainstream" folks these days. Even MercyMe has been "making it in the mainstream."
Yes, some have joked that GMA means "Give Me Attention," but I certainly ran into a lot of artists who impressed me with their attitudes. I for one wouldn't want to have to depend on artists popular with the world in order to provide music for my kids. It may not be pure art, but I'd rather have my kids listening to good lyrics from a less-talented band than getting trashy lyrics from brilliant artists.
Randy - good thoughts. I would be just as hesitant to allow my children to listen to music that is essentially "artistic dung" as I would to allow them to listen to anti-God lyrics.
I grew up in the CCM subculture - where I was told "Oh, you like Nirvana? Hmmm. Here's X - they are the Christian equivalent." But the problem was that Nirvana was good and X was not. I may not commend Nevermind or In Utero to my own kids, but I cringe at the substitution thinking that seems so common. We need to be grooming our young artists to be of a high caliber - such that they aren't forced into some niche market (or relegated to your local Christian bookstore).
I think I may have strayed a bit from the subject of Tim's post! =)
Matt, "artistic dung" certainly isn't appealing, but there's a lot of Christian music that's much better than "dung," and obviously there's tons of dung out in the world, and I mean musically, not just lyrically. Does anyone really think Limp Bizkit, Insane Clown Posse or Britney Spears made it big because they were brilliant artists?
The substitution thing can be overdone, but it can be helpful when used properly. When I was young I wanted music that rocked, but had God-honoring lyrics. It helped to get an approximate idea of what Christian bands sounded like before plopping down my hard-earned cash.
I totally agree with you that Christians need to pursue quality in art. That's why I'm gritting my teeth as I look at the tuition to send my daughter to Maryland Institute College of Art in August. It's the oldest art school in the country, and I'm sure the percentage of Christians among the 1500 artists there is small, but I want her to pursue being the best artist she can be with the talent God has blessed her with. I'm putting my money where my mouth is on this one.
I think a lot can be surmised from Tait's statement.
It is a great honor for me," says Tait. "To even be asked to join with one of the greatest artists in the history of rock and roll is humbling to say the least."
I think Tait is letting his musician side get to him. Putting performance and the prestige of being a star before the actual message of his words. Of course I do not know this for sure, how can I? I am just taking what I can from Tait's own words.
My hope is that Tait in the end could be a positive influence and grab some souls from the tour. But I too am a little upset that he would feel so much honor at playing with Santana. Yes, it is like an artist getting to paint with great painter or an actor getting to study with a popular acting company, but in a way Tait aligns himself with Santa in his statement. I have to trust that Tait will keep his head on straight, and play with Santana as a musician, and use this opportunity as a Christian.