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Palm Harbor Unity Church To Present PosiPalooza!

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: September 27, 2008

It will be an evening in which voices will soar - and also spirits.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Unity Church of Palm Harbor will present an evening of positive music, "PosiPalooza!"

"They are songs that make the world a better place one song at a time," said Richard Mekdeci, one of the event's four performers and a founder of "PosiPalooza!" Mekdeci is associated with Unity Village, headquarters of the Association of Unity Churches International, in Lee's Summit, Mo.

In 2004, artists who wanted to concentrate on positive music began visiting Unity churches across the country singing pieces with an uplifting message. The number of events has steadily increased due to hunger for music that expands both the heart and spirit, Mekdeci noted.

"There's a huge market for this kind of song," he said.

The public is already familiar with constructive music, such as "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," Mekdeci explained, noting that pop artists such as Sting and Stevie Wonder often include feel-good songs in their albums.

The event is a concert in the round with all the performers on stage at once. "There are no headliners. We're all together so that it doesn't appear someone is warming up the audience for someone else,' Mekdeci said.

The songs come from a wide variety of genres. The 2008 Posi Awards for inspirational music were given for music in healing, personal transformation, spiritual social action, uniting, story songs and group chant.

Mekdeci brings his background of song writer and club performer to the event.

Singer Faith Rivera will perform both music she has written herself and old favorites such as "You Raise Me Up." All her material is "about empowering others and empowering the planet," she explained.

In 2003, Rivera won an Emmy Award for outstanding original song. When not on the "PosiPalooza!" circuit, she does session work for artists like Luther Vandross.

She has also worked on Neil Young's Grammy-nominated album "Living with War" and World Peace One's theme song "Give Your Love" with Al Jarreau, Brian McKnight and other international artists. She was also in the comedy film, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," where she sang "These Boots Are Made for Walking" in Hawaiian.

The PosiPalooza tours have helped shorten the gap between her Catholic upbringing in Hawaii and her present New Age thought, Rivera noted. "Now, I see more similarities by looking at the core of religions, the Golden Rule."

Other performers are Sue K. Riley, music director of the Unity Church in Clearwater, and Leroy White.

According to his Web site, White has chalked up nine CDs and crisscrossed the country a dozen times performing. His purpose in life, he says, is "to be still and let the wonder of my vocation fill the ethers with music that inspires, renews and joyfully reminds us of who we are behind our eyes and to move into the world as a musician in the ancient tradition of service."

"PosiPalooza!" will appeal to people of varying musical and spiritual tastes, said Gregg Akin, coordinator of the Palm Harbor event. "It's an opportunity for people of different faiths to come together through music with a positive message."

The lowdown

"PosiPalooza!" will be presented 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Unity Church of Palm Harbor, 1960 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Tickets, $20, are available at the church's bookstore. If there are seats, tickets will also be available at the door. They can be reserved by calling 727-457-2176.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached at 727-815-1069 cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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