Music is a universal language and it can express any emotion and feeling. Music says different things for different people, but the universally acknowledged thing is that music can express anything. Gospel music is a kind of music that has traditionally been sung to express faith, devotion and praise to God. The genre of Gospel music is characterized by dominant vocals and strong use of harmonies of a religious nature. Gospel music is more particular to Christianity. Gospel music was created by the exponents of African American churches during the 1930s. Gospel music is said to have originated during the enslavement of the African. At that time they were not allowed to pray openly and even if they were permitted, they had to do it with their masters. It is due to this, that they started to pray secretly, organizing meetings unknown to others. Here they developed their own hymns and music for the prayers, and later this came to be known as Gospel music. In Gospel music, the instruments most commonly used are drums, guitar and electric guitar and bass guitar. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the most popular early gospel singers. She was extremely popular and remained so until the 1940's when she drew huge numbers of fans from all walks of life to see her perform live the Gospel songs she sang. She performed live across several venues in the United States, so the reach of her music was huge, though confined to some particular territories. Although Gospel music was started by African Americans, the hymns spread worldwide. Now you can find this music being played and sung all over the world. Several genres of music were created out of Gospel music over the last few years. The reach of music has always been world wide, and Gospel music is no exception. The first new genre to emerge under Gospel music was urban contemporary gospel music, and this genre was popularized by the southern slaves who sang the songs to praise their God. In the 1920's, artists like Arizona Danes and other prevailing preachers of Christianity made huge contributions toward making Gospel music popular. They started making a record of Gospel music in a style that merged traditional hymns with blues and boogie woogie-style music, with the inclusion of drums and other musical instruments. Southern Gospel is another genre that emerged from early Gospel music which is also hugely popular today. Like all other forms of music, Gospel Music has also evolved a lot over the years. Today, many new instruments and sounds have been added to this form of music in an effort to make the music popular. Some bands like The Mike and Kelly Bowling group, the Crabb family, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Three Brides and many others, have incorporated the new beats and style to this songs. They perform regularly and that, too, to sell-out crowds. A number of radio stations also broadcast Gospel music, making this a popular form of music among the younger generation of today.