British R&B gospel duo MV fielded some Tony Cummings questions

Mr Mo and Sista-V

Tony: Can you give me a biography up to the time of the recording of "On The Move"?

(Sista-V): Well Mo and I met two and a half years ago at our church The Tabernacle (Lewisham). We found a mutual love for God and music. We started writing and making music together, then our Pastor (Michael White) launched the vision PPP (Property, Purchasing, Project) to have a bigger premises providing services for the community (homeless, elderly, young offenders, etc, etc). The goal was to raise 70,000 in 2003.

(Mr Mo): Yeah so for us to contribute money we wrote a song called "On The Move" telling people it's time to make change, don't wait for anybody, get a job, buy a house, get a degree, get on the move, choo-choo. We did different remixes for all ages, ie, hip-hop, soca (calypso) and a smove mix. We manufactured and released the CD through our independent label Planet V Entertainment and the rest you know.

Tony: How did you become Christians?

(M): I've grown up in church after getting baptised at the age of seven and receiving the Holy Spirit. However, although I've been in church for years let's just say my mind hasn't always been. God has really wrestled me in the last few years to take my call in life seriously so his light and power can flow through me.

(V): Amen. Unlike Mo I didn't grow up in church, far from it. I spent years searching for the peace of God, however whenever it touched me I would run... I really wanted to build on my relationship with God and make a commitment to Jesus. I didn't want to just rely on friends, family or music to make me happy 'cause at different points they all let me down, so I turned to the perfect one and got baptised in 2002. Since then life hasn't been the same.

Tony: "I Can't Stop" seems a musical development on from "On The Move". Does your music take hours and hours in the studio to evolve?

(M): Not really, the ideas come easy as we write and produce our own music. We have so much creativity in our spirit so we come up with hooks (chorus) and start writing our raps. I guess lyrics take the longest as we don't want to say any old rubbish.

(V): Yeah, people don't understand there is a art to rhyming and there is power in the tongue, plus there is a lot of competition and we are up against people like Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, Eminem, as they are the voice being heard around the world and are the faces on MTV. What we need to do has to be as good in terms of quality if their fans are gonna start listening to us. However we are gonna be moral, righteous, spreading faith, hope and love.

Tony: Are we likely to see an MV album before too long?

(M): The album is being written as we speak, we are trying to write a project that is relative to all types of people as we are called to be fishers of men. It's gonna be full of songs about life, love, having fun, coping with ups and downs, empowerment and encouragement.

Tony: Who would you say have been your major musical influences?

(M): Between us we love Michael Jackson, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, TLC, Jodeci, Commision, Outkast, Fugees, Jay-Z to name but a few... Music is made to make you feel good and all of these people have done so. It is our turn do the same and share the love of God through our melodies, raps and beats.