The Tribe (dance band)

The Tribe
The Tribe
Also known as	World Wide Message Tribe
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	CCM, CEDM, Christian hip hop
Years active	1991–2004
Labels	N'Soul/Diamante, Warner Bros., Resolve/Diamante
Past members	Andy Hawthorne; Mark Pennells; Zarc Porter; Elaine Hanley; Sani; Beth Vickers Redman; Cameron Danté; Deronda K Lewis; Colette Smethurst; Claire Prosser; Emma Owen; Tim Owen; Lindz West; Jhorge Mhondera; Quintin Delport

The Tribe, formerly the World Wide Message Tribe (WWMT), were a British Christian dance band. Their aim was "to communicate the gospel to young people in Greater Manchester".^[1] They were part of the Christian charity, The Message Trust, in Manchester.^[2]

Background[edit]

The World Wide Message Tribe formed in 1991, and grew out of an evangelistic project called "Message to Schools" run by fashion designer Andy Hawthorne and singer Mark Pennells.^[3] The Tribe disbanded in 2004.^[4]

The line up of the Tribe varied over the 13 years and included many recognised Christian artists including Andy Hawthorne (director of the message), Mark Pennells (co-director of Innervation trust), Zarc Porter (also co-director of Innervation Trust as well as producer and co-writer for most of the Tribe's musical output), Elaine Hanley, Lorraine Williams, Sani, Beth Redman (internationally known artist and author and wife of Matt Redman; she was later in a band called Storm which released an eponymous album in 1998.^[5]), Cameron Danté (formerly of Bizarre Inc), Deronda K Lewis, Colette Smethurst, Claire Prosser, Emma and Tim Owen, Lindz West, Jorge Mhondera and Quintin Delport (Jorge and Quintin were formally members of SA band, M.I.C. and have now set up a new bands known as Whistlejacket and Shackleton respectively).

The Tribe's parent organisation, The Message Trust, has since created three bands, BlushUK (a girl group), LZ7, a hip hop group fronted by ex-Tribe member Lindz West, and Twelve24, another hip hop group. "Genetik", the tribe academy has been set up with the vision to train up young evangelists in an Urban or Creative course at its Manchester base. Mark Pennells and Zarc Porter have also continued to develop evangelistic bands and projects as part of the Innervation Trust including Shinemk, V*enna, thebandwithnoname, tbc, BeBe Vox, iSingPOP and iSingWorship.

The group won three GMA Dove Awards.^[6]

Discography[edit]

WWMT – Take A Long Hike With The Chosen Few (N*Soul/Diamante, 1993) – N*Soul's first CD
WWMT – Dance Planet (N*Soul/Diamante, 1995) – Compilation, #1 radio hits
WWMT – Jumping in the House of God (Warner Alliance, 1995)
WWMT – We Don't Get What We Deserve (Warner Alliance, 1995)
Jumping in the House of God II (Alliance, 1996) – Various artists
WWMT – Revived (Warner Alliance, 1996) – Compilation
WWMT – Heatseeker (Warner Resound, 1997)
Jumping in the House of God III (Alliance, 1998) – Various artists
WWMT – Frantik (Resolve/Diamante, 1999)
The Tribe – Take Back The Beat (Alliance, 2001) – Three track/video cd-rom
The Tribe – Raise Your Game (Authentic, 2003)
The Tribe – Message to the Masses (2004) – Compilation

Singles[edit]

Year	Song	Album	Billboard Chart	Position
1996	"The Real Thing"	Jumping in the House of God	Hot Dance Music/Club Play	22

References[edit]

Andy Hawthorne, Diary of a Dangerous Vision, Kingsway Books, 15 April 2004, ISBN 1-84291-184-8
Porter, Zarc; Wanstall, Matt (14 November 2004). "Tribal History". Cross Rhythms (83).
Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "World Wide Message Tribe". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 1056–1057. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
"World Wide Message Tribe". 7ball (20). September–October 1998.
"World Wide Message Tribe". 7ball (7). July–August 1996.

Notes[edit]

^ "About Us". thetribeuk.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
^ "The Message Trust: Sharing Jesus Christ with the hardest-to-reach young people in schools, local communities and prisons". Message.org.uk.
^ "Jesus Army: Magazine – Talking to". www.jesus.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
^ "Alove :: ALOVE – the Tribe Announces Their Farewell Tour". Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2006.
^ Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "Storm". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. p. 888. ISBN 9781565636798.
^ "News". thetribeuk.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

External links[edit]

[1] "About Us". thetribeuk.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

[2] "The Message Trust: Sharing Jesus Christ with the hardest-to-reach young people in schools, local communities and prisons". Message.org.uk.

[3] "Jesus Army: Magazine – Talking to". www.jesus.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2004. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

[4] "Alove :: ALOVE – the Tribe Announces Their Farewell Tour". Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2006.

[Powell_Fe-5] Powell, Mark Allan (2002). "Storm". Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. p. 888. ISBN 9781565636798.

[6] "News". thetribeuk.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

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