The popular Argentine singer Athenas has released a short album with a Christmas spiritual theme, called christmas is jesus. He explains to ReL that it includes several classics “that we thought needed to be more widely known in Spanish.”
– What are those Christmas classics that you take up again?
– Some are more popular classics in other languages than in Spanish, others had fallen out of use. We have Lord, we cry out to you, of Advent, which is of French origin, although it is also sung in Spanish and English. Then this The first Christmasbetter known in English as The first Christmas. Very well known is christians let’s gowhich is a Spanish translation of Adeste Fideles. Silent Night is very well known and is sung a lot, but hasn’t really had many contemporary Catholic recordings.
» They are all very rich songs, loaded with meaning and with a very deep spirituality, which is worth relaunching. I believe that we still have a long way to go in the composition of Advent and Christmas songs in our Churchat least in the context of Latin America.
– Are there Advent songs? Are they different from Christmas ones?
– Yes, Advent songs are different. In this time we meditate on the gift of Christian hope and the coming of Jesus. Songs help us prepare the heart for that coming, which can be the coming in the manger or that last coming of Christ. On our new short album christmas is jesus we include two Advent songs. One is Lord, we cry out to you. The other, called God childwe released it 3 years ago, but this time it’s a more acoustic version.
– Many Christians wonder how to make the most of Advent…
– Every liturgical season is an opportunity to meditate and ask. In Advent we contemplate the mystery of God made man, made a child, for love, for our salvation. We can ask for the gift of humility, the gift of hope and faith. It is good to propose a concrete path of prayer. Let’s not forget a good confession, to prepare the manger of our soul to receive the child at Christmas and that He brings us all the spiritual gifts that we are needing. Also It is a time of joy and a time to value and enjoy the familya great gift from God.
– Christmas… is it more seclusion or is it more of an announcement?
– Both. In this time of noise, the Recollection is very important to be able to listen to God and to be able to talk with Him, to be able to contemplate, stop, the silence. But in turn it is necessary, more than ever, to proclaim the love and joy of following Christ. In this album, we focus with the music in the first aspect, but I think with the videos we can reflect through the beauty, manger, christmas decoration a bit of the latter.
– How can we use this music?
– I like to use it to give a particular space to prayer, be it individual, family or community. Why not light a candle, listen to a song and say a prayer? It can be done in Advent, or the same 24 at night.
– Any more information about this Christmas production?
– On this occasion, the producer is my husband Tobías. I’m glad, because here he was able to express two of his passions: on the one hand, the piano; and on the other, the string orchestra. In addition to being a pianist, he has a degree in Musical Composition. He studied conducting and as a boy he also studied cello. So now he has put at the service of these songs everything he was learning throughout his life.
– Where do we hear these songs?
– The album christmas is jesus It is available on all digital platforms from Monday, December 12. We hope it helps to put its protagonist at the center of Christmas, who is the Child God, our Lord Jesus.
The list on Youtube is here.
the list in spotify is here.
– A few weeks ago we saw you and your family, elegant at the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas…
– Our recent album, Alpha and Omegawas nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category “Best Christian Album” and that’s why we attended the Latin Grammy Gala, it was a blessing. This year the winner was Marcos Witt, who is one of the greatest exponents of Christian music. We, with the nomination and the countless messages of support and encouragement from the people, already feel more than winners.
– At the Latin Grammys people are dressed with very strange things. You wore a pink dress…
– Hahaha… the pink dress, and also my husband’s suit were made by a friend who is a designer. But not just any one, it is a designer with a great Catholic faith, who flew specially from Guadalajara, Mexico and brought our clothes to Las Vegas. The same day of the gala he finished sewing the last adjustments, so that everything would be perfect. Something very nice is that every detail of the dress had a Catholic symbology. For example, the veil that I had on my shoulder was an allusion to the veil of the Virgin Mary.
Athenas, her husband Tobías and little Elías on the 2022 Latin Grammy carpet in Las Vegas.
– What do you learn in a Latin Grammy award?
– They are very nice places to know music industry people and also to generate opportunities for future projects. We were able to personally meet two of the people with whom we later worked in this Christmas project. Before going to the Gala we said a prayer. There we feel blessed to have the opportunity to go to these environments to bear witness to Christ and also to family. There was my husband Tobías, my baby and my mother. My son Elías was the only baby on the entire red carpet and I think he stole all eyes, LOL.
Athenas launches 5 Advent and Christmas songs, “to put the Child God back in the center”