Music Row: Shannon Sanders, Nashville Urban Choir Celebrate Black History Month With Release Of “Fight On”

Shannon Sanders and the Nashville Urban Choir have released a powerful new anthem, “Fight On.” The song is being released on Feb. 8 in honor of and in celebration of Black History Month. Written and performed by Sanders, “Fight On” is the first of many releases to come from the newly-inked partnership between Blue Rose Music and Sanders. “Nashville has become a national story for many reasons, and we saw a great opportunity with Shannon to work with someone who has deep roots in the city, with a sterling reputation and a track record of hit songs, who makes it possible for us to plug into a pool of undiscovered talent,” says Blue Rose Music founder, Joe Poletto. The video for “Fight On” features footage of the choir performing at the legendary Fisk University Chapel juxtaposed with scenes of Sanders, a lifetime Nashvillian, attacking a stream of vocal gymnastics in gritty, insider locations around town. The clip also features an epic scene of Sanders performing on Nashville’s iconic John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. The Nashville Urban Choir, the creative brainchild of Sanders, symbolizes a growing and maturing city, one with a newfound respect and appreciation for the stylistic breadth of music that has always been created in Nashville’s urban neighborhoods but is just starting to be recognized. Featuring a revolving cast of independent and up-and-coming artists from a variety of genres, the choir’s diverse voices come together to experience moments conceived and executed by Sanders’ vision. They can be heard on upcoming recordings from Kaleo, as well as several Dave Cobb-produced albums including Rival Sons and Robert Randolph. The group capped off 2018 with a performance at the 2018 CMA Awards with Chris and Morgane Stapleton with Gospel legend Mavis Staples, Maren Morris, and Marty Stuart, who played Pop Staples’ guitar. “Many music creators move here to pursue a career in the industry, but for me it all started here. Nobody here was interested in promoting hip-hop or R&B until the bottom fell out of the record industry and diversity was the only option to maintain the city’s robust musical eco-system. Now people are becoming more aware of all of the great music that has always had roots here,” said Sanders. “There is a need for cultural authenticity in Nashville, beyond the borders of the Music Row’s status quo. I am particularly excited about partnering with Blue Rose Music. What is most powerful is that we share similar values in that our appreciation for music and our desire to have a positive cultural impact supersede our commercial aspiration.”