Ryan Chung, our Canadian Correspondent, is back with another artist he wants to highlight.

He’s actually wanted to highlight them for MONTHS, but I usually sleep on the artists he suggests until he either SCREAMS at me or I come across them myself, then I remember “oh wait… Ryan said something about them.”

He’s quite good at picking ‘em, though, and he’s doing an awesome job of telling us in the U.S. why we need to pay more attention to Canada.

So without further delay, here’s Ryan to tell us about Cheryl James & VOW…

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Cheryl James & Voices of Worship (VOW) is among the list of artists that have made a vital impact on the Canadian Gospel industry, along with Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale, Paulis Sanchez and Richard J. Brown to name a few.  Her directing skills blossomed as she became head director for the Toronto-based Faith Outreach Choir.

Today, Cheryl James is an artist in her own right.  The only artist I can relate her to in the United States is Natalie Wilson & S.O.P.– the energy, the movement, the rhythm!

Her debut album, Cheryl James & VOW – LIVE, was released in 2008 under the production of Melvin Crispell (James Hall & WAP, Hezekiah Walker & LFC).  Backed by an amazing group of musicians and her 15–voice ensemble, Cheryl fulfills her calling in the gospel industry by “bringing forth the Word of God through music, to heal, mend and restore broken lives to their right standing in God.”

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Definitely piqued my interest… And, because Ryan did such a great job convincing me, I simply HAD to grab an mp3 to share with you guys.

So, I just added her track, “Let Him In,” to the PunditPlayer.  I’m enjoying it cuz it’s got a classic choir vibe (and you KNOW I’m a sucker for that).  Click here to take a listen and let me know what you think!

And say “thanks” to Ryan for me… he works hard, guys.

Aight, folks… I know it’s been a minute since you’ve heard from him, but I promise he’s been on the GRIND for GospelPundit.com.  Our Canadian Correspondent, Ryan Chung, has been working like mad to get some exclusives and to make sure we’re kept in the Canadian loop down here in the States.  I can barely keep up with him (thanks for your patience, doc!).

This time around, he’s letting us know about an awesome artist from Canada– Paulis Sanchez.  I’ve been hearing her name in different circles for MONTHS now, so when Ryan said he wanted to write about her, I thought “absolutely!”

Without further delay, here’s Ryan…

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Paulis Sanchez is a BIG breath of fresh air in the Canadian gospel music industry. All the way from Toronto, Ontario Canada (native of Cali, Colombia), Paulis is a force to be reckoned with. Her debut album Seguro En Ti (in English: Safe in You) was released in 2008 and is definitely something to add to your collection.  The whole album is being received not only from the Latin/Spanish community, but from the English-speaking audience too!

Now I ain’t gonna lie to you, I don’t speak a LICK of Spanish (por favor… lol), but this album was put together well. “Me Tienes” (produced by another Canadian affiliate, Atlanta-based Sean Simmonds) is a mash up of her Spanish roots mixed with a lil’ hip-hop/R&B vibe, but with a message– you can get your groove on to this, IN THE NAME OF JESUS! LOL

One of my ABSOLUTE favorite songs is the classic “Thank You” performed by Walter Hawkins. Now this is where Paulis Sanchez gets ratings in my book– she flipped it and made it into her own.  The track, “Gracias,” is her spin on the gospel classic and it’s like she took Rev. Hawkins on a gospel fiesta (the reprise “Gracias Fiesta” is like a Spanish Praise break, with KILLER instrumentation).

In my opinion, what separates Paulis from most artists is her HUGE heart for worship. A great example of this is the title track, “Seguro En Ti”. With production from Maurice Rodgers and writing from Richard J. Brown, the song captivates the heart’s cry to the Lord: Mi Corazon seguro en ti/ Eres mi roca/ Y mi torre fuerte/ mi vida se esconde en ti/ Mi escudo eres y/ Mi guardador/ Mi guia y protector.

Noted by such gospel heavyweights as Tye Tribbett, Israel Houghton and Canton Jones, Paulis signifies her culture in this album, while making it known– Jesus Christ is Lord. GRACIAS DIOS!

Paulis Sanchez will be re-releasing Seguro En Ti in the coming months with three additional tracks in English… and I hear that Myron Butler will be helping out with the lead track!

Be sure to check out Paulis at www.paulissanchez.com, at MySpace, and on Twitter. She is also A BIG VLOGGER, so catch her on YouTube by clicking here.

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Thanks, Ryan!

I checked out Paulis, too, and I have to say that I kinda can’t quit listening to “Gracias,” the remake of Walter Hawkins’ “Thank You” (y’all know it’s my favorite song).  She’s got a great voice and a great presentation.  Make sure you check her out, folks!

Anybody already heard of her?  What do you think???

I recently announced the launch of this new series, O Canada.  Click here if you need a refresher on why I’m featuring Canadian artists.

First up: Brian Hamilton & Divine Worship.

They’re a new/developing ensemble in Toronto and I think they do a great job.  So far, I’ve only heard a few tracks, but they’ve got some INCREDIBLY refreshing arrangements of some popular songs, with nice vocals and a band that is KILLIN’ it.  I want a bit of a better mix on some tracks (bgvocals are too distant from the track), but it’s a good first offering and I think they DEFINITELY deserve a listen!

Their full album is expected in October of this year but, in the meantime, their calendar of upcoming shows has more dates on it than a lo of established gospel artists… y’all better GIG!

Check out their tracks at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/divineworshipgroup.

Come back and lemme know what you think!

In case you didn’t know, the song “O Canada” is the national anthem of our neighbors to the north.

And it’s also the name of my newest series!

I got a Facebook IM from a loyal reader in Toronto who basically said “umm… when are you gonna feature some Canadian artists?!”  And the reality of the situation is that the United States gospel market hasn’t exactly EMBRACED the Canadian gospel community…

…which is weird considering we’ll run up there to do a live recording in a MINUTE (i.e., Hezekiah Walker’s Live In Toronto, Ricky Dillard’s 7th Episode, and James Hall’s upcoming live recording in a coupla weeks).

Soooooooo… O Canada will feature some stuff that’s going on in the Canadian gospel music scene.  If you don’t live in Canada, read it anyway cuz it’s good to know what the Kingdom is doing WORLDWIDE, not just in your church, amen?

And if you live in Canada, I’ma need some content!  Get at me!