The third Gospel Jam in Massachusetts was held on 28th June 2009 at Ushindi Church in Lowell. On the performance list was gospel artist Kiki, gospel R&B vocalist Yvonne Makilya, newcomer Shei and reggae artist Julius Kamau. DJ Fresh and DJ Humbleskillz did their thing on the decks filling the venue with hard thumping gospel music.

DJ Fresh and DJ Humbleskillz

As had been the case with previous jams, the event started at 5pm with a live video mixx set as guests arrived into the venue. Thereafter, there was an opening prayer and a formal introduction. First up was newcomer Shei backed by his producer Eddy Njenga who performed two songs from his new debut self titled album.

After a dance session, Julius Kamau took to the mic and dropped two tracks and proved to all why his upcoming album is worth the wait. He also stepped out of his reggae comfort by dropping an R&B track. More dancing ensued with Kenyan, salsa, hip hop, dancehall and reggae on the offing. The dance styles ranged from helicopter and mosquito to new school and hip hop, including krumping sessions.

Julius Kamau

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Yvonne Makilya also belted out two of her hit songs and gave way to Kiki, who was the day's main performance. Kiki dropped her popular hits Usife Moyo, Nishike, Thank You and Habadiliki to a standing ovation. She also went beyond her powerful vocals and led the crowd in some dance moves leaving no doubt that she's a performer; other than just a singer.

There was also a dance competition with winners getting six $50 tickets to the graduates ball organized by the Association of Kenyans in the Diaspora. The event winded down at 11pm with a refreshing dub session. Check back on this site to see the next event in Massachusetts. For more info on the Gospel Jam series, visit www.kenyangospel.com/gospeljam