Browse Artists
Varnadeau, Jeni
Sometimes the simplest of life's truths can be the hardest to grasp. And human nature often seems determined to complicate things that are actually very clear . Simple but profound faith in God, a life that reflects that, and music that celebrates it are the heart of Jeni Varnadeau's second and latest album.
"The deeper you go spiritually, the less complex things become," says Jeni. "I've been trying hard to simplify my life, and focus on the things that are really important. Faith in the Lord and absolute dependence on Him in everything we say and do has become a recurrent theme of my ministry. The new album brings that right to the forefront by emphasizing God's eternal faithfulness. I have a zeal to communicate that, because I've experienced both the fruits of that faith, as well the consequences of my lack of it."
As the child of a solid church-going family, Jeni was only seven when she dedicated her life to Christ. By the time she was a teenager, she was well-known among her peers as someone who knew what she believed, and wasn't shy about sharing her faith.
Through years in church and school choirs, while living outside Houston, Texas, Jeni realized her love for music, and the gifts for singing that God had given her. She moved to Nashville, from Albuqurque, New Mexico, to attend Belmont University. In 1994, she graduated from Belmont with a degree in commercial music, with an emphasis on vocal performance, and a minor in music business. With training in both the creative and corporate aspects of her undertaking, she recorded a six-song EP and started marketing herself and her songs in and around Nashville. That mini-album found its way to producers John and Dino Elefante, and Pamplin Music, with whom she signed in December of 1995.
"I feel like God has taken me through a very natural, ordered sequence of events," says Jeni. "His goal is not for me to be famous. That could be part of His plan, but He's looking at a much bigger picture in all of our lives. The key is to not get lost in all the earthly, day-to-day things that happen along the way."
As she simplifies--and intensifies--her own journey of faith, Jeni's sense of purpose is just as honest and transparent as the songs she writes and sings. "I would hope that I could be a role model...that my life and how I live it would be of some benefit to someone else in their own walk," says Jeni. "That sounds funny to say, because who am I to be a role model for anybody? Still, God is capable of using me to be salt and light to the people around me."
And that's nothing but the truth. Plain and simple. [end]
www.todayschristianmusic.com
Jaci Velasquez
"I want to be crystal clear to people that I am who Christ has made me to be, and I'm attempting to follow in His footsteps" - Jaci Velasquez
Years before offering her most anticipated recording to date, Crystal Clear, to, literally, hundreds-of-thousands of eager fans, and before becoming a teenaged singing sensation with album Jaci Velasquezes over the three million mark, Jaci Velasquez seemed destined for musical renown.
It was clear long before her first million-selling recording, Heavenly Place, became the fastest-selling solo debut in the history of Christian music and before her first three recordings (Heavenly Place, Jaci Velasquez and Llegar a Ti) generated ten #1 radio hits, including the first ever for a Christian artist on Billboard's "Hot Latin Tracks" chart.
It was apparent long before she won four Dove Awards - for New Artist of the Year (1997), Song of the Year ("On My Knees," 1998) and Female Vocalist of the Year (1999 & 2000) - and was nominated for a Grammy ("Best Latin Pop Performance") - and received the Premio Lo Nuestro award ("Best New Artist of the Year" 2000).
Jaci's talent began to emerge before she could talk or walk. She was just a baby in a crib when her parents realized she had rhythm as she snapped her fingers in time to the music they were playing in the other room. Then, they realized she could sing. In church one Sunday, the powerful voice belting out "Our God Reigns" turned out to be two-year-old Jaci's, emanating not from the choir loft but the nursery. She made her solo debut at age three; and, at nine, not even a mysterious hearing loss (from which she quickly recovered) could stand in the way of her destiny.
At age 14, Jaci's big break came when the Velasquez family band was performing in Houston. The pastor of an area church called Mike Atkins Management to let them know there was a "bright new talent" in Houston. Two years later Atkins became her manager; and, shortly thereafter, Jaci was signed to Myrrh Records. She now records for its sister label, Word Records.
By the time she was 16, Jaci had a hit CD, Heavenly Place, which debuted in the top 10 of SoundScan's Christian music chart in 1997 and spent 83 weeks on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Her sophomore release, 1998's Jaci Velasquez, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Christian Music Album Jaci Velasquezes Chart and spent 16 consecutive weeks on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums" chart. Every single from both of these discs went to the top of the AC airplay charts. Then, in 1999, to honor her grandparents and her Mexican/Spanish heritage, Jaci released her first Spanish-language project, Llegar a Ti, for Sony Discos; and, it too, became a hit, helping her reach a larger audience than ever before.
"Doors have been opened for me to bring the message of Christ to the Latin audience," Jaci says, grateful that a new audience beyond the walls of the church embraced many of the same songs her Christian listeners drove to the top of Jaci Velasquezes and airplay charts.
But it is not only a Latin audience she wants to reach. She reaches out to young people of all races and backgrounds with a message of abstinence -that "True Love Waits," as the name of one organization she supports so aptly puts it. "Relationships come and go, but what matters most is your longstanding relationship with Christ," she tells concertgoers. It's a message that Jaci, a young single woman, puts into practice in her own life.
Now she's chalked up more accomplishments than could fill a high school yearbook; and the momentum continues. She recently completed her fourth album, Crystal Clear, which unites the talents of both her previous producers: top Christian pop producer Mark Heimermann and leading Latin producer Rudy Perez. This award-winning duo has merged energetic, emotional pop with Latin vibrancy, creating an album that is up, joyful and celebratory - an accurate reflection of who Jaci is.
"I try to let my records reflect who I am," muses Jaci, "because I think songs are soundtracks for life; and life is very good."
The lyrics Jaci sings are up front, candid and truthful - leaving no room for doubt as to the source of her joy. "I want it to be crystal clear to people that I am who Christ has made me to be, and I'm attempting to follow in His footsteps," she says.
In addition to producing her own vocals this time around, Jaci also penned two songs on Crystal Clear: "You're Not There," in which she sings that God is present in her heart rather than distant in the universe, and the lively, Latin-influenced "Escuchame (Listen to Me)," in which Jaci's recollection of her mother's frequent admonitions not to make the same mistakes she did is punctuated musically by a surging horn section.
From the title cut, "Crystal Clear," in which she paints a portrait of falling in love with Jesus, to the straightforward "He's My Savior," Jaci reveals the source of her hope. Yet she never ceases to be amazed by a God who knows every detail of her life ("You Don't Miss A Thing") and loves her in spite of her imperfections ("Every Time I Fall").
The intricate duet "Come As You Are" (with well-known Latin singer Luis Fonzi) and the lushly-orchestrated pop ballad, "Imagine Me Without You," showcase Jaci's emotive vocals, the latter a stunning performance that rivals any pop diva's.
Perhaps it is "Center of Your Love" which best captures the theme of this album as well as the desire of Jaci's heart - "to be in the center of God's love, able to live and breathe and know Him every day and every second of my life." It's a life-giving relationship she wants for all of her listeners, reminding them in the soaring anthem, which concludes the project, that it's "Just A Prayer Away."
"I'm not perfect, but I'm doing the best I can," she acknowledges. Crystal clear with her struggles as well as her faith, she's blossomed into a young woman who knows that her destiny is in God's hands - and as it unfolds, she'll be singing about it for years to come.
Visit Official Website.
"The deeper you go spiritually, the less complex things become," says Jeni. "I've been trying hard to simplify my life, and focus on the things that are really important. Faith in the Lord and absolute dependence on Him in everything we say and do has become a recurrent theme of my ministry. The new album brings that right to the forefront by emphasizing God's eternal faithfulness. I have a zeal to communicate that, because I've experienced both the fruits of that faith, as well the consequences of my lack of it."
As the child of a solid church-going family, Jeni was only seven when she dedicated her life to Christ. By the time she was a teenager, she was well-known among her peers as someone who knew what she believed, and wasn't shy about sharing her faith.
Through years in church and school choirs, while living outside Houston, Texas, Jeni realized her love for music, and the gifts for singing that God had given her. She moved to Nashville, from Albuqurque, New Mexico, to attend Belmont University. In 1994, she graduated from Belmont with a degree in commercial music, with an emphasis on vocal performance, and a minor in music business. With training in both the creative and corporate aspects of her undertaking, she recorded a six-song EP and started marketing herself and her songs in and around Nashville. That mini-album found its way to producers John and Dino Elefante, and Pamplin Music, with whom she signed in December of 1995.
"I feel like God has taken me through a very natural, ordered sequence of events," says Jeni. "His goal is not for me to be famous. That could be part of His plan, but He's looking at a much bigger picture in all of our lives. The key is to not get lost in all the earthly, day-to-day things that happen along the way."
As she simplifies--and intensifies--her own journey of faith, Jeni's sense of purpose is just as honest and transparent as the songs she writes and sings. "I would hope that I could be a role model...that my life and how I live it would be of some benefit to someone else in their own walk," says Jeni. "That sounds funny to say, because who am I to be a role model for anybody? Still, God is capable of using me to be salt and light to the people around me."
And that's nothing but the truth. Plain and simple. [end]
www.todayschristianmusic.com
Jaci Velasquez
"I want to be crystal clear to people that I am who Christ has made me to be, and I'm attempting to follow in His footsteps" - Jaci Velasquez
Years before offering her most anticipated recording to date, Crystal Clear, to, literally, hundreds-of-thousands of eager fans, and before becoming a teenaged singing sensation with album Jaci Velasquezes over the three million mark, Jaci Velasquez seemed destined for musical renown.
It was clear long before her first million-selling recording, Heavenly Place, became the fastest-selling solo debut in the history of Christian music and before her first three recordings (Heavenly Place, Jaci Velasquez and Llegar a Ti) generated ten #1 radio hits, including the first ever for a Christian artist on Billboard's "Hot Latin Tracks" chart.
It was apparent long before she won four Dove Awards - for New Artist of the Year (1997), Song of the Year ("On My Knees," 1998) and Female Vocalist of the Year (1999 & 2000) - and was nominated for a Grammy ("Best Latin Pop Performance") - and received the Premio Lo Nuestro award ("Best New Artist of the Year" 2000).
Jaci's talent began to emerge before she could talk or walk. She was just a baby in a crib when her parents realized she had rhythm as she snapped her fingers in time to the music they were playing in the other room. Then, they realized she could sing. In church one Sunday, the powerful voice belting out "Our God Reigns" turned out to be two-year-old Jaci's, emanating not from the choir loft but the nursery. She made her solo debut at age three; and, at nine, not even a mysterious hearing loss (from which she quickly recovered) could stand in the way of her destiny.
At age 14, Jaci's big break came when the Velasquez family band was performing in Houston. The pastor of an area church called Mike Atkins Management to let them know there was a "bright new talent" in Houston. Two years later Atkins became her manager; and, shortly thereafter, Jaci was signed to Myrrh Records. She now records for its sister label, Word Records.
By the time she was 16, Jaci had a hit CD, Heavenly Place, which debuted in the top 10 of SoundScan's Christian music chart in 1997 and spent 83 weeks on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Her sophomore release, 1998's Jaci Velasquez, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Christian Music Album Jaci Velasquezes Chart and spent 16 consecutive weeks on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums" chart. Every single from both of these discs went to the top of the AC airplay charts. Then, in 1999, to honor her grandparents and her Mexican/Spanish heritage, Jaci released her first Spanish-language project, Llegar a Ti, for Sony Discos; and, it too, became a hit, helping her reach a larger audience than ever before.
"Doors have been opened for me to bring the message of Christ to the Latin audience," Jaci says, grateful that a new audience beyond the walls of the church embraced many of the same songs her Christian listeners drove to the top of Jaci Velasquezes and airplay charts.
But it is not only a Latin audience she wants to reach. She reaches out to young people of all races and backgrounds with a message of abstinence -that "True Love Waits," as the name of one organization she supports so aptly puts it. "Relationships come and go, but what matters most is your longstanding relationship with Christ," she tells concertgoers. It's a message that Jaci, a young single woman, puts into practice in her own life.
Now she's chalked up more accomplishments than could fill a high school yearbook; and the momentum continues. She recently completed her fourth album, Crystal Clear, which unites the talents of both her previous producers: top Christian pop producer Mark Heimermann and leading Latin producer Rudy Perez. This award-winning duo has merged energetic, emotional pop with Latin vibrancy, creating an album that is up, joyful and celebratory - an accurate reflection of who Jaci is.
"I try to let my records reflect who I am," muses Jaci, "because I think songs are soundtracks for life; and life is very good."
The lyrics Jaci sings are up front, candid and truthful - leaving no room for doubt as to the source of her joy. "I want it to be crystal clear to people that I am who Christ has made me to be, and I'm attempting to follow in His footsteps," she says.
In addition to producing her own vocals this time around, Jaci also penned two songs on Crystal Clear: "You're Not There," in which she sings that God is present in her heart rather than distant in the universe, and the lively, Latin-influenced "Escuchame (Listen to Me)," in which Jaci's recollection of her mother's frequent admonitions not to make the same mistakes she did is punctuated musically by a surging horn section.
From the title cut, "Crystal Clear," in which she paints a portrait of falling in love with Jesus, to the straightforward "He's My Savior," Jaci reveals the source of her hope. Yet she never ceases to be amazed by a God who knows every detail of her life ("You Don't Miss A Thing") and loves her in spite of her imperfections ("Every Time I Fall").
The intricate duet "Come As You Are" (with well-known Latin singer Luis Fonzi) and the lushly-orchestrated pop ballad, "Imagine Me Without You," showcase Jaci's emotive vocals, the latter a stunning performance that rivals any pop diva's.
Perhaps it is "Center of Your Love" which best captures the theme of this album as well as the desire of Jaci's heart - "to be in the center of God's love, able to live and breathe and know Him every day and every second of my life." It's a life-giving relationship she wants for all of her listeners, reminding them in the soaring anthem, which concludes the project, that it's "Just A Prayer Away."
"I'm not perfect, but I'm doing the best I can," she acknowledges. Crystal clear with her struggles as well as her faith, she's blossomed into a young woman who knows that her destiny is in God's hands - and as it unfolds, she'll be singing about it for years to come.
Visit Official Website.
Albums
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Colors of Truth
No Hesitation
Tracing His Hand
Melange
Something Changed
The Book of John Volume One