New Collection from Jaime Cortez Gives Advent a Fresh New Sound

“Adviento, the new release from Jaime Cortez, provides a bilingual, twenty-first century soundtrack for Advent. Featuring contemporary and Latin styles, these 14 Spanish, English and bilingual songs capture all the color and longing of this hopeful season.

Mary figures prominently here, just as she does in the Advent readings. Sung entirely in Spanish, “Ave Mar픝 is Jaime’s tender new folk-guitar arrangement of the Hail Mary. Another easy-paced ballad, “Nothing Is Impossible” (sung entirely in English) is a meditation on the Magnificat and God’s limitless power.

“Let the Lord Enter” is a gospel-style setting of Psalm 24. Powerful and prayerful, the bilingual “Advent Litany” has the assembly sing, “O come, O come,” after each of Christ’s traditional Advent titles. Opening with a burst of trumpets and Latin percussion, “Ven, O Ven, Emanuel” is a bilingual, Latin-style song inviting all to make straight God’s way.”

Stumble it! | |