I have been to heaven and back. Twice. I had the luxury of watching two of the nation’s most phenomenal women perform: Jill Scott and Amel Larrieux. To refer to what I attended as mere “shows” or “concerts” is like referring to a Rolex as a watch. To simply say that they sing well does the ladies no justice. What I encountered was an experience. They were born to sing, to write, and to perform. They were born to transform-to transform people’s perception of music, of the world around them, and of themselves. When I am exposed to this level of musical and artistic greatness, I am often reminded of the pop culture matrix that this world lives in.

Jill and Amel: Same impact. Different sound. Same passion. Different Crowd.

Jill brought sexy back. Her performance was, for lack of a better phrase, the real thing! Singing most of the tracks from her recently released The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, she used this performance as an opportunity to reveal some of her personal experiences and inspiration behind the many sexually charged lyrics. It was certainly not a show for kids. In a hall with approximately 4000 people, she was able to create a feeling of intimacy. She talked to her audience and not at them. She respected her fan’s time and their appreciation for music just as much they respected her for her talent. Unlike some artists who sell out shows by wowing people with their alter ego and larger than life stage props, Jill thrives on presenting the absolute essence of who she is. Her ability to illustrate the pain of divorce, the fear of loneliness, and the power of sexual yearning through her voice was the most amazing part of the show. It was ministry through song. She brought life to an above average album in her ability to musically illustrate life’s harsh realities.

Amel is much more low key and performed for a much smaller audience. However, she brought the same level of talent and passion to her listeners that Jill did. She performed a medley of songs from Infinite Possibilities, Bravebird, Morning, and Lovely Standards. She allowed audience members to yell out song requests and write personal messages to her on napkins to give to her while she performed on stage. It was a very intimate setting but a very powerful and unique experience. I am a bigger fan of Amel so I am biased when I say that enjoyed her performance more. The things she can do with her voice are next to Godly. Her ability to improvise and change keys, speeds, and octaves left many of us speechless. Her band was not as impressive, but that only helped to illuminate her talent. She was flexible during the show as she changed the order of her songs and sang quite a few acapella at the request of audience members. She is just as socially conscious as she is musically conscious on stage (she brought a previously ill woman on stage and sang to her).

True artists should look beyond the dollars and cents of shows, album sales, and ringtones. They ought to focus on how they can use the talent they have to give backto their audience. They should strive to inspire and influence listeners and other artists to bring out the best in who they are. Jill and Amel did that for me. They are truly the diamonds in the rough-the unsung heroes that help to keep hope alive during one of the worst times for mainstream music.