|
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 sales 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 Sales 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 sales 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. 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").
"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.
 _.:Jaci
Velasquez Site
|
