Singing English Christian Songs in Spanish

When we started the Samaritan Revival Group, one of the questions that we were faced with was "What kind of music are we going to sing?"  There is such a variety of Christian music today that it is hard to pick the right style.  Some people will only listen to old hymns and there is nothing wrong with that but others like the more contemporary style of music.  I talked to the guys and with their talent, the can sing just about anything but I wanted something for this group that would not only touch other people but it would minister to us also.  

For the last few years, I had heard of a group called Mercyme.  I knew that they had really hit it big with a song called, "I can only imagine" but that was all I knew about them.  I decided to go to Itunes and purchase their music.  I purchased every album they had ever recorded.  I spent the next few weeks listening to their music and really embedding their words in my heart.  Some nights, I would lay in bed listening to "Homesick" which is a song that everyone should hear at least once in their life.  All I could think about was my Dad who is now in heaven but when I heard the song "You Reign", all I could think about was how great the Glory of God was.  

A few weeks later, a friend of mine from Carrollton, Ga called me and said, have you ever heard the group Casting Crowns.  To be honest, I had no idea who they were.  He said that I really needed to listen to their music.  Once again, I went to Itunes and downloaded every song they had and uploaded it to my ipod.  I will never forget the first day or let me say, the first minute I heard "Who am I".  Then I heard Set me Free and The Word is Alive and I will never forget East to West.  In that moment, I knew that I had found the music that we were going to sing.  I never dreamed that one day we would actually have the permission to record any of these songs in spanish but we did and the power of the Lord is felt in spanish as it is in english.

WHO AM I - QUIEN SOY YO - SAMARITAN REVIVAL

I can only Imagine Spanish - Samaritan Revival

I have added two videos to this blog.  One is us singing 'Who am I" from Casting Crowns in Spanish which is called "Quien Soy Yo" and "I can only Imagine" from Mercyme in Spanish which is called "Puedo Imaginarme".  Let me just say that please don't think that we are comparing ourselves to these unbelievable groups but what I am saying is that even in spanish, these songs are touching many spanish speaking people all over the world.  I have come to realize that it is not the singer or the group but if a song is inspired by the Lord, no matter who sings it, there will be people who will feel the Holy Spirit touch their life.

Philip

www.samaritanrevival.com