By Andrew Macko
Between the cantaloupe and coffee at a leisurely Sunday brunch, patrons stand on chairs and wave napkins frantically in the air. They’re not asking for more maple syrup but enjoying the stirring gospel music of Kathy Grant Mahon and her band Chosen at Bravo Bravo Bar and Ristorante on Elgin Street.
The local brunch is the only regular gig for gospel musicians in Canada, which Mahon says seems unusual, but makes sense. “Toronto and Montreal do have a bigger scene than us,” she says, “But a lot of Canadian gospel groups do come from Ottawa.”
“Ottawa’s just starting to rebuild its gospel scene — originally, back in the 1970s, there was no outlet for gospel acts, and so they had to go to Toronto.”
“Gospel’s been growing over the years, and crossing into the mainstream scene,” says Grant Mahon.
Artists like Kirk Franklin and the Family and Bebe and CeCe Winans have been successful on both the gospel and the pop charts.
Bravo Bravo’s gospel brunch, which it bills as “Ottawa’s most heavenly brunch experience,” originated in New York City.
The owners of Bravo Bravo, Excellent Eateries, caught on to the idea and brought it to Ottawa.
The concerts began in November, and part of the proceeds from every brunch sold go to The Snowsuit Fund, a local charity which supplies snowsuits to low-income families so children can stay warm during Ottawa’s bitter winters.
“One of the reasons we’ve wanted to do this is the aspect of helping people and bringing a message of hope and encouragement to people,” says Grant Mahon after one show. “So many people go through silent griefs and pains. It’s very difficult and you don’t find them in church on a Sunday.”
Grant Mahon has always loved performing, feeling that her music helps people.
“I love singing. I really love to sing. Regular opportunities come few and far between,” she says of the Bravo Bravo gig. “I’ve been waiting for something like this all my life.”
Grant Mahon graduated from Vocal Performance at Brock University and has sung publicly since she was 17.
“This is an absolutely wonderful venue,” she adds. “It has so much character and so much warmth. The staff and the owners are incredible people to open their doors and have us come in.”
Chosen is also enjoying the unique opportunity. The group formed last May, and played at the summer Bluesfest.
Four different churches are represented in the 11-member band.
“It’s a blast,” says Kurt Carter, a backup tenor vocalist for the band. “When you perform on stage, you tend to be removed from the audience, and you have to work a little harder to get the closeness. When you’re in a restaurant, you’re really close to them, so there’s that intimate, enjoyable atmosphere.”
“I love the music,” says Anne Tshimbalanga, who attends the gospel brunch most Sundays. “Every time I come here, people are having fun and are happy. It’s new, and there’s a lot of rhythm,” she says, swaying to the stirring music onstage.
“Sunday’s just a brunch-going day,” says Lori Hillary, a manager at Bravo Bravo. “The idea of gospel, too, on a Sunday, seemed appropriate. It’s lively music, it’s fun, and you can get into it.”
“People tell their friends and they’ve brought more people,” says Grant Mahon of the Sunday shows. “We’ve been really blessed to have great audiences that are really excited about what we’re doing.”