As one travels from region to region, language, skin color, and cultures differ. Where showing skin may be a sign of beauty to one people, showing anything but the eyes may be offensive to another. These differences sometimes serve as excuses for war, hatred and intolerance.

However, if we take more moments to seek common ground as South Florida did on June 18, then we would find more than just our differences to war against. An undeniable similarity enjoyed by every culture around the world is music.

It was what drove Eddy Jackson, also known as Mr.E, Chairman of Soul Movement Crew to host the first annual Urban Gospel Fest at Oasis Church Miami in North Miami, Florida. It was an opportunity to celebrate not only the spirit of diversity in music that is home to South Florida, but also the faith that drives the music: Christianity.

"Great music goes far," said Mr. E. "We showed that South Florida has one of the best Urban Gospel scenes because our cultures are so rich down here."

With a total of 300 people in attendance, Soul Movement Crew managed to pull in five genres of music under one huge celebration of the urban gospel variety. Rap, R&B, Soul, Soca, Reggae and Latin Urban were all represented.

Among the lineup were crowd favorites like Latin Urban artist Rey Cruz, Neo-soul artist LaVie and Caribbean artists Troy Genius and Nigel Lewis. 

Rey Cruz, born in the Dominican Republic, did an excellent job at getting the crowd moving to his up-tempo Latin rhythms. Audience members merengued away as he sang some of his biggest hits like "Solow" and "Libre."

As he switched back and forth from Spanish to English, everyone could translate the message of Jesus. Not only was the crowd able to relate to Cruz's music, but his personality also captured the hearts of many new listeners.

R&B artist Dunamis wowed the audience with a voice that very few people are blessed with. Not only was the crowd able to relate to lyrics like, "He knows me within, and my heart he is holding,” but his personality was also amicable.

As he struggled through a couple technical difficulties, Dunamis stirred everyone to laughter, saying "I don’t care how many tries it takes, I’m gonna sing this song!”

For a change of pace, artist LaVie took the stage, romancing us with her soulful melodies. Staying true to her name, which means "The Life" in French, LaVie breathed vibrant emotion into each song she sung, including her songs "Crazy" and "Better."

After her set, she told NEWD Magazine that her greatest message is "to live life to the fullest and do not allow it to pass you by."

For the younger generation of festival goers, rapper Duke remixed some of today's mainstream rap songs into more positive renditions.

Duke transformed mainstream artist Wiz Khalifa's hit song "I Roll Up," in his own, equally "live" version, "I'm Prayed Up."

In it he says, "You feel like you're under attack, ain't yah. And the problems of this world are surroundin' yah...Put your trust in God and he'll take care of yah!"

As Duke continued to tear up each track, remixing songs like "Racks on Racks on Racks," there wasn't a person in the audience who wasn't moving. Kids could relate to him because of the familiarity of his beats.

CUDS Music, a rap duo, was also a hit for the younger crowd, performing tracks from their new album "Gone Green."

But what everyone, young and old alike, was really waiting for, were Caribbean artists Troy Genius and Nigel Lewis who took the stage just before dark. 

The rain clouds were setting in and it began to drizzle, yet Troy Genius reassured the audience.

"Mi nuh fraid ah no rain!" he said.

He quickly cleared things up for his non-Jamaican audience members with the translation: "I'm not afraid of a little water, we're still gonna praise Jesus!"

Troy, who grew up around reggae being the son of a member of Byron Lee & the Dragonaires and the brother of dancehall artist Red Rat, offered up a new more Christo-centric sound than his father and brother. 

In an interview with NEWD Magazine, he said in his signature Jamaican accent, "Once Jesus calls you, you have to answer the call...so once I got the call I had to come out of secular and come to gospel."

Troy had everyone singing along to his lively reggae version of "Amazing Grace."

He asked his wife to join him, surprising the audience by doing her own verse in the song.

As his performance continued, Troy sang one of his hottest singles "Give him the Praise."

To end the night, Nigel Lewis, former Soca Road March King of Trinidad and Tobago, finally gave the audience what they had been wanting since the fest began at around mid-day.

He ended the evening with a bang as he performed some of his most well-known songs, including "Moving to the Left," "Jesus Team," and "What a Feeling."

As the sun set, all that could be seen were flags, towels, napkins and whatever else people could get their hands on to wave to the sound of Nigel's songs, "Having a Good Time" and "Jump."

People even marched around in one big circle, dancing and singing to Lewis' much anticipated Caribbean melodies. 

"Nigel Lewis and Troy Genius stole the show! Even though I mainly came to see these two artists, the [Urban Gospel Fest] definitely opened my eyes to a lot of other types of urban gospel," said Jhoniel Ferguson, 18, after leaving the trail of dancing festival goers. "I’m hoping I can get this much musical diversity in my church soon!”

Attendees were so unified that one could only wonder if this was the same genre of music being shunned by the church.

In our interview with Lewis, we asked how he felt about churches that were reluctant to accept all types of urban gospel as opposed to the traditional hymns.

"We live in a society where we cannot sing Amazing Grace to get people in church the way [we used to]...we have to change with the times or we will be left behind," he said.

Troy Genius knows all too much about changing with the times, as he was savvy enough to adapt the 200-year-old hymn to a modern audience of reggae-lovers.

"People are people and they are going to like what they like. [For example], if I eat ackee and you don't eat ackee, it's just a flavor...My music isn't geared for the church, it's geared for saving souls," said Troy Genius.

Urban Gospel Fest was sponsored by Oasis Church Miami, FNFLive.com, MyKindofEvents.com, Vision Music , Divine Purpose and Associates, Spit Truth Radio and NEWD Magazine.