How About Rapping the Rosary?
This week I thought I’d change things up a little and write about music. But not just any music. I’m talking Hip Hop and Rap. Yes…that kind of music. But more specifically about a young guy by the name of Joe Melendrez, a Religion teacher, Campus Minister / Pastoral Associate at a College Prep Catholic high school in Southern California. Joe has spoken to and performed for Confirmation classes and retreat groups, Rotary Clubs as well as appear on the Sirius Catholic radio show Busted Halo. He has a unique style of getting the attention of his teen charges by teaching them (and getting them to want) to pray the rosary using Rap.
Here is a 25-year-old guy who prays the rosary everyday. The story goes that way back when he was 15 years old, one of the parents in his carpool had the kids recite the rosary on the way to school. When Joe’s mind started to wander, he changed it up to help himself pay attention and stay focused. RosaryRap was born. Then he began to rap the rosary in front of groups; one thing led to another, and now Joe Melendrez has recorded three Christian Rap CDs. “I like to say that Rosary Rap was produced by the Holy Spirit, my manager is God and my public relations are managed by Jesus,” he says with a smile.
Last year I had the privilege of attending a show in Los Angeles where Joe was a featured performer. The audience loved him, and before long, everyone from 7 to 77 was praying the rosary to a hip hop beat. He assures us that saying the rosary this way “doesn’t break any rules,” and if getting kids to think about prayer means putting a beat to it, that’s a bonus. “Rap is just a way of putting lyrics together…a style of poetry with a beat. If we associate it with negative things like gangs, drugs and being demeaning to women, maybe the way I use the medium can change what we think about rap.”
Last month Joe was a keynote speaker at the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress Youth Day in Anaheim, California; a venue which draws tens of thousands of Catholic followers from all over the world. Whether it’s the “Our Father” or an in-his-own-words spontaneous prayer, for Joe and for many of the kids in his classroom and at his concerts, Rap music opens the door to get young people to pray…and to get closer to God.
You can find Joe Melendrez on iTunes, or go to rosaryrap.com where you can read his blog and listen to his music.
Skip Guinness is discussing. 
Rismi, 
Fr. Jay Finelli, 
Lisa M Hendey and one other person are discussing. 
Anastasis, and 
Sean, and 
Kevin Fraser are discussing. 
Kr_herbert, and 
Medic02093 are discussing. 
Skip Guinness 10:50 pm on May 20, 2011 Permalink |
Iu00a0don’t rap theu00a0Rosary, I ‘run theu00a0Rosary’ check it out atnnSkip Guinness Learns How to Praynhttp://skipguinnesslearns.blogspot.com/u00a0