Mormon Artist magazine is launched

The new magazine, Mormon Artist, is available online for free here.

Ben Crowder (not pictured above) is founding editor of the newly launched magazine, Mormon Artist.  The magazine is dedicated to Latter-day Saints in the arts and Mormon themed art, music, photography, dance, theater, and cinema.  

The magazine looks great and will serve a highly needed role in the Mormon arts community.  

The top 10 most famous Mormons in 2008:

1. Mitt Romney
2. Harry Reid
3. David Archuleta
4. Glenn Beck
5. Aaron Eckhart
6. Thomas S. Monson
   
7. Orrin Hatch
8. Gordon Smith
9. Bob Bennett
10. David Neeleman

David Archuleta at Sundance

 The Los Angeles Times covers an encounter with the young Mormon singer, David Archuleta, while partying during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Jeff, watching with me, nodded and said: "This is how Mormons party. It's just like kids everywhere, just without the sex and drugs. But there's always lots of music." He credited the Mormon faith for encouraging this devotion to music. "It's about instilling in them a sense that there are no limits to what you can be."

If one wonders where a David Achuleta comes from — a prodigy who expresses himself more naturally in music than in words — this seemed a glimpse at the answer. Through the night, the wandering tribe of 9- to 19-year-olds rarely paused, breaking into song at every possible moment — even, as I soon learned, in extreme circumstances.

Gladys Knight and her Mormon faith

Gladys Knight shares her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music and the spoken word as she tours the world.  A Canadian newspaper takes a look at Ms. Knight's music and work on behalf of the LDS Church.  

She was recently in southern California with her Las Vegas-based multicultural Mormon choir.  The show was fantastic!

Latter-day Saints among finalists on American Idol

David Archuleta and Brooke White are going all the way and David is favored in some polls to win the entire competition.

Snoop Dogg becomes member of the LDS Church

The musician, Snoop Dogg, has joined the Mormon Church in the Los Angeles area.

For more information, read this article from CNN.

Mormons Polynesian dancers at Washington DC visitors' center

An acquaintance posted this on youtube:

Live from DC . . . . 

Southern California Mormon Choir schedule

The 2008 schedule of the Mormon Choir of Southern California is available here.

Mormon musical performances in Southern California

Father and son will unite in song next week in two Poway performances of Handel's "Messiah" oratorio.

Steve Blinco and his son, Michael Blinco, will be two of the four featured soloists in an Easter-themed concert presented at 7 p.m. March 19 and 20 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road in Poway. The concert will feature the Poway Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' 70-member choir and soloists Anna Bjarnson-Carson and Jan Jensen.

Bass Steve Blinco has performed as a "Messiah" soloist all over Southern California and performed with the Southern California Mormon Choir. Baritone Michael Blinco, a recent vocal performance graduate from Chapman University Conservatory of Music and graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School, has performed in numerous operas in Orange County.

Call (858) 675-9870.

(Story provided by the North County Times, California)

David Archuleta exceeds on American Idol

A Latter-day Saint youth named David Archuleta has taken American television waves by fire.  Archuleta is a Mormon, and is posed as the favorite in this season of American Idol.

"Aunty" Genoa Leilani Keawe passes away

"Aunty" Genoa Leilani Keawe passed away yesterday. She was a famous LDS musician, known for her beautiful Hawaiian-style music.  NPR covered this story briefly today.  

Known as the "Hawaiian Lady of Song," she regularly performed at Church events, and many public venues.  Her first claim to fame was her designation as an official performer for the soldiers stationed in Hawaii prior to the second world war.  Until recently she even played every week at the Marriott hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.  Aunty Genoa and her music will be missed dearly.  She was just about 90 years old when she passed away at home in Oahu.

Visit her official website (and turn on your speakers to hear the music that automatically plays).

American (Mormon) Idol

Several Mormons are participating in FOX's American Idol this season. LDS singer Brooke White (originally from Mesa, Arizona and now lives in Van Nuys, California) has been selected as a show contestant by the three judges on American Idol... she's headed for Hollywood!  She is not the first Mormon to participate in American Idol.  She is preceded by Jon Peter Lewis and Carmen Rasmusen. Below is the video of Brooke's initial audition in Philadelphia:

Also, David Archuleta, an LDS singer, received approval from the judges in his San Diego audition.  His film can be watched below:

We wish both very good luck in the competition!

Also, never forget the heavy Mormon involvement in popular television programs like "So You Think You Can Dance" (Benji Schwimmer , his sister Lacey Schwimmer, and Jaymz Tuaileva, among many other contestants) and "Dancing with the Stars" (Marie Osmond and others).