Wednesday, 23 March 2011 11:48

After his first album, there was money, international tours, parties, cars and women, Lyell told the audience. But the high life didn't last forever, and his life has been anything but easy since then.

He says that a voice, God, spoke to him and told him 'I did not give you the talent to be spent this way'. He ignored the voice and continued to party and live the often sought after, life of a rock star.

Wednesday, 24 November 2010 17:15

Tajci is an inspirational Croatian-born, American singer. Catapulting to fame in the 1990 Eurovision competition she rose to the heights of the Pop world only to discover its emptiness. Her return to her Catholic faith and love for Jesus has inspired her to use all her musical and theatrical talents to evangelize. Her latest solo is Dell'Aurora Tu Sorgi Più Bella.

Tajci writes, "in the summer of 2006 I went to visit my two great-aunts (from my father's side) Mitzi and Stefi in Trieste, Italy. I've always been inspired by my Dad singing in Italian and wanted to find a song that would be both a love song and a prayer. After spending an afternoon at the Piazza Unita d'Italia with my boys, I walked into a small bookstore run by some order of nuns and picked up a book of Italian religious music. I looked at "Dell'Aurora tu sorgi piu bella", hummed a few measures to myself and bought the book.

Wednesday, 24 November 2010 15:45

This morning I was asked to look at Kelley Mooney's spiritual lyrical adaptation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". In the video she is accompanied by the Chorale Voce dell' Anima led by Monette Gould on June 1, 2010, at the Monument Lefebvre in Memramcook, New Brunswick, Canada. She performed three songs, one of which was "Hallelujah".

That raises a rather good question. Can we use adapted folk, pop, rock, or even musical hit songs to help form our dialogue with the Almighty within the Mass?

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 15:11

There is no shortage of young musical talent today. But seldom do these talents give glory to their Creator for the gifts received. Seldom does God get a return on his investment. Fifteen year old Stefano Mhanna is a wonderful exception.

A violinist and organist of growing international fame, Stefano Mhanna was born in Rome on the 11th of July 1995. Winner of 5 national competitions and two international competitions, he began his musical training at the Saint Cecilia Conservatory in Rome where he graduated at the tender age of 7 with acclaim. This was new ground for the celebrated Conservatory. 

Friday, 11 June 2010 14:14

As the Catholic music market grows and matures (and it is definitely doing so, based on some of the excellent recordings I heard during the nomination process), we will also continue to experience growing pains when deciding what exactly is Catholic content. If a devout Catholic puts out an essentially secular recording, does that qualify? If a band is essentially an evangelical Christian group with a couple of Catholic members, does that qualify? If the main songwriter of the band is Catholic, should that be the determining factor? If a band covers a song that is not written by a Catholic, should that song and person be allowed to be nominated for Songwriter of the Year? What about an artist who is not Catholic but covers a few Catholic cover songs?

Friday, 09 April 2010 21:57

Yasmeen Olya, known around the web-shere by her hauntingly beautiful YouTube performance on the steps of the Strasbourg Cathedral, is scheduled to perform this summer on Vancouver Island. Yasmeen has been playing Celtic harp for the past 14 years. She describes her harp as "a singing instrument, it even sings if you put it in the wind!". It is this vocal quality that has drawn her to the harp and her own capacity to compose original melodies that compliment a "duet" when combined with her own ethereal voice.

She attributes her inspiration to her beloved late father who sang to her each night as a child. And to her brother for his ongoing musical and spiritual support. Music is her family's language of love.