Resources

FIRST PERSON

Honest to God

Christian singer Jaci Velasquez tasted success while still in her teens, but it’s been a far from easy road, as she tells MIKE RIMMER

Having sold millions of albums, won her fair share of awards, had hits in the Christian music and Latin music scenes, Jaci Velasquez has decamped to London to record her newest album Beauty Has Grace.

These days she’s a busy woman, having married and started her own record label in the last 18 months.

In the mid-Nineties she was thrust into the Christian music limelight when she was still a young teenager, by parents who encouraged her to pursue music ministry. Although she enjoyed great success, it came at considerable personal cost when her parents divorced.

When your parents divorce, it is never easy to handle. In Jaci’s case, it is even more difficult because of the publicity it attracts. She talks frankly about her feelings: “I felt like God betrayed us because we were these faithful servants. My dad was a pastor, mom was a pastor’s wife and I’d been the perfect little angel. I moved out, got a room-mate and I was a Christian and I believed the way I believed, but my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I was just a bit of a robot. I knew what to say because I’d been a pastor’s kid who always knows what to say. So I did that for a little bit.”

In time, Jaci began to get a clearer perspective. “I had held my parents up to some sort of a standard that it’s unfair to put anyone on. I’d lived my relationship through Christ, through them, which a lot of kids do. I’d relied on their prayers. So finally I had to stop and ask: ‘What do I believe? Why do I believe it? Where is it actually MY relationship with God?’

“We as human beings are not perfect, we’re going to fail, we’re going to screw everything up. And we’re going to screw up people along the way too. So I could have chosen to continue to be bitter, be mad at Mom and Dad, or I had to say: ‘Okay, now I know what not to do.’”

Jaci feels that there is a certain expectation placed on Christian artists to be role models, but that this is sometimes taken to an extreme. There is a danger that artists put on a front and the pressure can be difficult to handle. She explains: “I believe that people can see through your fake thing … ‘I don’t do this because I’m a Christian’ or ‘We don’t do this because … well … people are watching!’ I HATE that! Obviously I want to be an example and I don’t want to make other people stumble. But I’ve been very open about my flaws.”

With a dual career in Latin and Christian music, it seems as though Jaci sometimes finds her pop career easier because there is less pressure on her. She answers honestly: “I’m two different people in both of them. I’m actually sometimes a lot nicer in the Latin world, because there everybody’s a rebel! Everybody wants to be a rebel in the secular world. Nobody wants to push the envelope in the Christian world. So I kind of figure that’s my job.”

Her new album Beauty Has Grace certainly does this. Recording for the first time in the UK and using British mainstream producer Martin Terefe has meant that the new material has a less polished, more organic feel. Terefe’s previous clients include Ron Sexsmith, Leona Naess and Juliet Turner, and Jaci’s new material will certainly surprise a few people.

The new musical direction is only possible because Jaci has reached a confident, stable place in her life, both personally and spiritually. She says: “I feel more enlightened. I understand things and see things in a different way than I ever did. I love where I am musically, I love where I am spiritually. There’s always room for growth of course, but I love it. I’m happy.”

Mike Rimmer is a journalist and broadcaster based in Birmingham

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		FIRST PERSON Honest to God Christian singer Jaci Velasquez tasted success while still in her teens, but it’s been a far from easy road, as she tells MIKE RIMMER Having sold millions of albums, won her fair share of awards, had hits in the Christian music and Latin music scenes, Jaci Velasquez has decamped to London to record her newest album Beauty Has Grace. These days she’s a busy woman, having married and started her own record label in the last 18 months. In the mid-Nineties she was thrust into the Christian music limelight when she was still a young teenager, by parents who encouraged her to pursue music ministry. Although she enjoyed great success, it came at considerable personal cost when her parents divorced. When your parents divorce, it is never easy to handle. In Jaci’s case, it is even more difficult because of the publicity it attracts. She talks frankly about her feelings: “I felt like God betrayed us because we were these faithful servants. My dad was a pastor, mom was a pastor’s wife and I’d been the perfect little angel. I moved out, got a room-mate and I was a Christian and I believed the way I believed, but my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I was just a bit of a robot. I knew what to say because I’d been a pastor’s kid who always knows what to say. So I did that for a little bit.” In time, Jaci began to get a clearer perspective. “I had held my parents up to some sort of a standard that it’s unfair to put anyone on. I’d lived my relationship through Christ, through them, which a lot of kids do. I’d relied on their prayers. So finally I had to stop and ask: ‘What do I believe? Why do I believe it? Where is it actually MY relationship with God?’ “We as human beings are not perfect, we’re going to fail, we’re going to screw everything up. And we’re going to screw up people along the way too. So I could have chosen to continue to be bitter, be mad at Mom and Dad, or I had to say: ‘Okay, now I know what not to do.’” Jaci feels that there is a certain expectation placed on Christian artists to be role models, but that this is sometimes taken to an extreme. There is a danger that artists put on a front and the pressure can be difficult to handle. She explains: “I believe that people can see through your fake thing … ‘I don’t do this because I’m a Christian’ or ‘We don’t do this because … well … people are watching!’ I HATE that! Obviously I want to be an example and I don’t want to make other people stumble. But I’ve been very open about my flaws.” With a dual career in Latin and Christian music, it seems as though Jaci sometimes finds her pop career easier because there is less pressure on her. She answers honestly: “I’m two different people in both of them. I’m actually sometimes a lot nicer in the Latin world, because there everybody’s a rebel! Everybody wants to be a rebel in the secular world. Nobody wants to push the envelope in the Christian world. So I kind of figure that’s my job.” Her new album Beauty Has Grace certainly does this. Recording for the first time in the UK and using British mainstream producer Martin Terefe has meant that the new material has a less polished, more organic feel. Terefe’s previous clients include Ron Sexsmith, Leona Naess and Juliet Turner, and Jaci’s new material will certainly surprise a few people. The new musical direction is only possible because Jaci has reached a confident, stable place in her life, both personally and spiritually. She says: “I feel more enlightened. I understand things and see things in a different way than I ever did. I love where I am musically, I love where I am spiritually. There’s always room for growth of course, but I love it. I’m happy.” Mike Rimmer is a journalist and broadcaster based in Birmingham © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.