Album Notes

“Songs of Hope” is the second release from inspirational jazz vocalist Anika-Tene’. While her rich, mellow voice with its perfectly delicate vibrato is reminiscent of the great jazz singers, her message is the pure truth of the gospel: that there is hope in Jesus Christ.

Anika-Tene’ has been using the gift of lyricism to communicate God’s love for over 10 years. Her first CD, “My Prayer,” combines song and spoken word to present Jesus in a socially relevant way through songs like “Parallel,” about the Indian and African-American experience in a new America, and “My Mother is Sick,” a plea to save Africa from the ravages of HIV and AIDS. “Shadowdance” was written as a tribute to her grandmother and speaks on the value and uncertainty of life.

On “Songs of Hope,” Anika-Tene’ at times takes listeners into Bible stories and characters to glean encouragement from their accounts. In “Dancing in the Flames,” the courage of the Hebrew boys is told in their defiant voices, set to a traditional jazz rhythm. The angst of a mother-to-be is heard in the plaintive “Hannah’s Prayer.” The singer’s heart for worship is evidenced in the beautiful ballads “10,000 Tongues” and “Psalm 150,” which features Dr. Saïs Kamalidiin, Coordinator of Flute Studies at Howard University, on flute.

A stand-out of the project is Anika-Tene’s interpretation of the jazz standard, “My Favorite Things,” the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic made famous in “The Sound of Music.” This spiritually-minded update declares that, “Heaven is one of my favorite things.”

“Rainbow and Butterfly Child” could be considered Anika-Tene’s anthem. In it she sings, “Butterflies and the rainbows form, from rain and pain, cocoons and storms; they are children of hard times. And so it is for the life full of trial, you endure the pain through faith, rainbow and butterfly child.”

“I chose the butterfly because it truly represents the Christian life,” she said. “There are many times that we feel like a worm! We are discouraged beyond belief because of the trials that come into our lives. God does not want us to allow our trials to keep us wallowing on the ground. He has a higher call. By submitting to the hand of God and allowing the metamorphosis He wants to take place, we can expect to fly like the butterfly.”

Anika-Tene’ is also an educator in the traditional sense. After receiving her B.A. in Elementary Education from Howard University, she taught for several years in the Montgomery County Public School system. After four years in the classroom, she completed her M.A. in Theatre Education, followed by an M.M. in Music Education, with a focus in vocal coaching, two years later. She currently teaches music and drama at the Washington Classical Christian School (wccsonline.org) while working on her doctorate in Speech and Theater Education.

The foundation of Anika-Tene’s ministry is Psalms of the Butterfly (www.psalmsofthebutterfly.com), the company she began that is dedicated to creating original music, poetry and other inspirational products that artistically share the truths of God's Word. She has written a devotional, WHEN WORMS TAKE FLIGHT, showing readers how to endure and be victorious in trials, and will soon release a children’s book.

Her pursuit of education and professional training in the arts is fueled by her desire to give God's message to the world through professional creative expression. It is her hope and prayer that people will know God, His Word and His love through the message of her music.

How would a butterfly sing? How would his praise sound? Listeners of “Songs of Hope” will hear the mellow, fluid hum of the butterfly’s song from Anika-Tene’.