It is exactly one week after The Experience, and it is safe to say that the whole world is still reeling from the effects of the just concluded The Experience virtual concert. The Experience which has been dubbed the largest gospel concert on the planet earth (arguably) held its 15th edition last Friday, 11th December, and for the very first time ever, the concert was 100% virtual, with millions of people streaming across all seven continents of the world.
The Experience 15 was tagged “Global Edition” this year because the outbreak of COVID-19, tremendously changed the face of events globally. However, instead of postponing or cancelling, convener of The Experience, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and his team pivoted to something very innovative, making The Experience a virtual event.
As with all things “new” and “outside the box”, fingers were crossed as to how this was going to play out, seeing as this hadn’t been done ever before, at least not on this magnitude or scale, which further ramped up anticipation about The Experience. It goes without saying though, that The Experience was a mind blowing success as it lived up to the rave of being the “Virtual Event of the Year 2020”. Here’s a quick look at five unforgettable moments from the world’s largest concert.
The Nigerian National Anthem Rendition by Segun Obe, Chee Okebalama and Eno Michael
The Nigerian national anthem which is one of the best in the world according to sports enthusiasts was rendered so beautifully by this trio. Some participants said other than the magnificent vocal acrobats and prowess displayed by the singers, it made them believe that Nigeria can be great again.
Goodwill Messages from Iconic Men And Women Across The Globe
One of the upsides to a virtual event is that distance ceases to be a barrier, and that was very eminent at The Experience 15, as participants received goodwill messages from notable global figures, some of which include Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby; Bishop of the Potter’s House, Bishop TD Jakes;
Lead Pastor of Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen; renowned Ghanaian Theologian, Dr. Mensa Otabil; Pastor at Jesus House UK, Agwu Irukwu, Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo; famous American fitness evangelist, Angela Davis, CEO of EbonyLife Media and Award winning film maker Mo Abudu, Grammy Award winning artiste Michelle Williams and many more.
Pastor Paul Adefarasin Featuring In the Global Rendition of The Blessing
The Blessing originally by Cody Carnes, Elevation Worship and Kari Jobe was one of the songs that made it to The Experience 2020, but what made it more spectacular was the lineup of over 60 artists who performed it.
They include American Grammy award winning artist, Israel Houghton; Sidney Mohede, Indonesia; Noel Robinson from London; Kees kraayenoord from The Netherlands; Martin Smith from Brighton; Lagos Metropolitan Choir from Nigeria; Kingdom choir, UK; Langa Mnonambi, South Africa; Muyiwa Olarewaju from London; to mention but a few.
The icing on the cake however, was when Pastor Paul declared The Blessings from Africa to the world, pairing powerful spoken words with the beautiful background melody. It was truly remarkable! You can watch it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqhOmzGcCSw&t=4842s at the 6hr 5mins mark.
The Spoken Word Presentation by Nokwe The Poet
The Experience is majorly headlined by musical ministrations, but for her second appearance at The Experience, Nokwethemba Mchunu, popularly known as “Nokwe The Poet” delivered an extraordinary and mesmerizing performance of a gospel themed poem. You definitely love to see it.
The Various Collaborations between Artists from Across the Globe
For anyone who has witnessed The Experience at one point or the other, one of the things that makes The Experience special, is the array of artists that headline the event. But then The Experience Global Edition took things up several notches, as artists collaborated and created new versions of their hit songs, delivering beautiful medleys and symphonies.
One of such was the medley of What a beautiful name and Imela performed by Nathaniel Bassey, Chevelle Franklyn, Donnie McClurkin, Sidney Mohede, LMGC and House on the Rock Choir, London.
Another was popular worship song Way Maker by Sinach featuring Michael W Smith from Nashville, USA; Sheldon Bangera from Mumbai, India; Travis Greene Columbia, USA; Planetshakers from Melbourne, Australia; Maori Choir Auckland, New Zealand; Martin Neil (Percussion) Chester, UK; Abishal Samuel Sonkamble Mumbai, India; Potters House Choir Dallas, USA, Lawrence Johnson London, UK, Priscilla Campbell-Jones London, UK, Tina Brookes London, UK and Teni Tinks London, UK