Plugging In To IBA Unplugged

Four Bands One Competition One Winner.

Undecided

from SS Gospel Centre

H.I.S.

from Antioch NetWORK CommUNITY

99+1

from Klang Gospel Hall

and et cetera

from Shah Alam Gospel Centre...

(oh yeah, et cetera is the band name...)

This year's IBA Unplugged was cool!

You have speaker who wore rugged jeans.

And imitating Rudi's style of chairing

It's amazing that the "We are in a Brethren church" Christians in Malaysia

are raising such fine musicians

with the drums, electric guitar and keyboard

which were considered "evil" by conservatives.

One definitely cannot equate conservative with Brethren today.

Yet, the musicians never forget that "Brethren distinctive"

of creating biblically deep meaning for songs and hymns

which so many contemporary Christian music is lacking.

This year sees a raise in standards of creativity.

Teams wrote their own songs as a band

and remix hymns in ways beautiful and serene.

I particularly like the band 99+1

who wrote the song Rush of Fools

and totally remade the hymn "A Purple Robe"

with mellow music and RAPPING!!!

H.I.S. also did a great job on daring to try new stuff.

They sang Salvation Is Here in a cool slow way and

those jokers (literally) did a great job

in presenting the Gospel through the medley

albeit rendered confusing by judges.

I love the ending of the medley:

"It's not a human right

to stand and not fight" from Solution.

Two bands covered the hymn Nothing But The Blood.

Simple hymn but it speaks tonnes

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

washed us white as snow...

Overall, it was a great time listening to songs

and worshipping God at the end.

Oh yeah, by the way, the winner was undecided...

(the band Undecided? get it?)

As the speaker said, we are born with a purpose

We are all born to say

what the song Et Cetera played

"I'd Love You So"...

Way to go man, BRETHREN music

Take over Hillsong one day lar!