honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, June 4, 2004

Velasquez faithfully testing new paths

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Vocalist Jaci Velasquez's music these days is part Latin, part pop, but still unquestionably Christian-based.

Christian vocalist Jaci Velasquez is also an actress. In the 2003 film "Chasing Papi," she plays a spoiled New York heiress scorned by a Mexican playboy.

Sante D'Orazio • Twentieth Century Fox

The 24-year-old has been singing since age 10 — first in her family's ministry, and before she was out of her teens as a million-selling contemporary Christian recording artist. She's had almost equal success on the Latin pop music charts as she's had on the Christian charts. Velasquez has even dabbled a bit in acting.

In town tonight (along with Avalon vocalist Jody McBrayer) for her third O'ahu performance visit, Velasquez will headline a multi-act show certain to show off her varied musical colors.

Here's some stuff you might want to know about her.

• Every one of her English-language Christian albums have hit the Top 5. Velasquez has had four albums at or near the top of the Billboard Contemporary Christian album chart: her debut, "Heavenly Place" (No. 2, 1997), "Jaci Velasquez" (No. 1, 1998), "Crystal Clear" (No. 3, 2000) and "Unspoken" (No. 2, 2003).

Jaci Velasquez

With Jody McBrayer of Avalon, Kutmaster Spaz, Kelly Boy DeLima, Nalani Choy, Danny Couch, Rocky Brown, Maila Gibson, Kanoe Gibson, David Katina, Dane Ison

  • 7:30 p.m. today
  • University of Hawai'i-Manoa Stan Sheriff Center
  • $15-$25
  • 944-2697
• Nope, she's never won a Grammy. But Velasquez has been nominated three times. She did, however, score a Billboard Latin Music Award in April for Latin Christian/

Gospel Album of the Year for her fourth Spanish-language disc, "Milagro." Velasquez has also won seven career Gospel Music Association Dove Awards for her English and Spanish albums.

• She's a music industry mogul. Sort of. Velasquez launched her own record label, Apostrophe Records, earlier this year and is its CEO.

• She was one of three women cheated on by a notorious Mexican playboy. Well, in the almost universally panned 2003 film "Chasing Papi," anyway. Velasquez played a spoiled heiress who, along with a hot-tempered dancer and bookish attorney also being cheated on by the titular "papi," comically runs from the law when the guy mixes pills and scotch and goes unconscious. Velasquez has a three-film deal with 20th Century Fox.

• She's happily married. Since September, to guitarist/vocalist Darren Potuck of the Christian band a.m. Drive.

• Sen. Orrin Hatch is on her songwriting team. Again, sort of. The conservative Utah senator co-wrote the title track from Velasquez's "Unspoken" CD, and is a serious Christian songwriter and music composer. He even has a Web site dedicated to his many musical accomplishments (www.hatchmusic.com). Enjoy only in moderation.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.