FEATURE
BREED
The 2CD and DVD can be purchased separately from iTunes, www.kingswayshop.com and your local Christian bookstore.
gives the low down on this exciting new release We wanted to do something big in the gospel industry. I am very honoured to be selected with these awesome men. I’ll tour throughout the rest of the year, host the annual worship conference, “Deeper 2012”, and then prepare for some international touring next year.” The great thing about Israel’s music is that it is a fusion of a wide range of music styles that tap into the psyche and musical tastes of the modern worshipper. Israel can do rock, pop, gospel, latin, soul, r’n’b and, with ‘Jesus At The Centre’, he even toys with the electronic sound, so popular with modern pop artists and audience. It’s hardly surprising that Israel’s music has a host of different flavours and touches hearts. He is of mixed French and African-American heritage, raised in a Mexican American neighbourhood. He was almost not born, as his mother was encouraged by her parents to have an abortion, because of his mixed parentage. Mrs Houghton defied her parent’s wishes and had her child, despite her doubts. During the pregnancy, Israel’s mother split up with his biological father late in the pregnancy, and a chance encounter with a Christian woman, who told her she’d made the right decision to keep her child and that Jesus loved her, inspired her to make the decision to become a Christian.
Following Israel’s birth, she went on to have her child, get married, and raised Israel and his three younger siblings in Arizona and New Mexico. Israel showed musical talent from a young age, and recorded two solo albums for Warner Brothers. His recording career moved into another gear when he released ‘Real’ in 2002. It was his debut CD on Integrity Records. It pinpointed Israel as an artist whose music touches a major chord with listeners. Israel has been on an upward trajectory ever since, with his subsequent albums, which include ‘Live From Another Level’, ‘Again I Say Rejoice’ and ‘Alive in South Africa’, garnering him thousands of album sales, and numerous Grammys, Stellars and Dove Awards. ‘Jesus At The Centre’ gives audiences a new opportunity to once again experience the spiritual potency and relevancy of Israel & New Breed’s worship ministry, as well as be encouraged.
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