¡Oh Antonio Delgado!

Heather and I met in Austin. We are both from El Paso but didn’t meet until she got to Austin-town. Funny how things like that work out.

Our meeting is kind of an interesting story. My dad and her mom met have known each other since middle school. Fast forward a few years and she happened to meet my parents at bible study in El Paso. At the time, Heather was preparing to move to Austin for an internship with a magazine, post college.

My parents gave her my info and that week my dad told me that i might hear from Heather. A few weeks later, we exchanged a few emails and decided to meet up.

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People from El Paso share a kinship. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it is the fact that El Paso peeps see friends as family. Once you are in, you are all in and no one is left behind.

In the Winter of 2010, Skipper wanted to build a pedalboard for her husband Preston. She asked me to get him a few pedals off of Craigslist. After some research, I found a guy who lived around the corner from me, who was selling a bass fuzz and chorus. In the end, I found out he was from El Paso. We discussed meeting after he got off of work, around 11PM. the hours went by and he didn’t get out until 1:30AM that day. But since he was from EP, I felt safe enough to make the deal. By the time I got to his place it was 2AM. He offered me a beer and his roommaes and I shot the breeze till 3AM. Keep in mind, I am not advocating a Craigslist deal in the dark of night but the El Paso heart we shared made me feel safe in this unique situation.

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Heather and I met and we hit it off.

We spent the next few months playing church music on my patio. We quickly began to co-write music in a seamless manner. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first song we completed together. God Among Us in her living room in Bee Cave, Texas and was finished on my patio, at the Baylor house in the same month.

Our desire was to write a song about Christ the babe, from our eyes today. We see the nativity scene, we see the manger, we sing the carols. But do we understand that he fulfills the prophecy from the Old Testament? Do we remember that this is the savior who hung from a cross and made way for redemption?  This is the same babe! Let us make way in our hearts!

We have been slowly recording this song over the last year. The guitars were recorded in Arlington, Texas with Thomas Edward shoemake while all vocals and keys were finished at Electrotype Studios in Austin, Texas.

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In October 2010, I asked Heather to join in leading congregational worship at Northwest Baptist Church – NXNW service. Heather, Skipper, Preston and myself spent the next year learning about the heart of worship and what it means to be challenged my the words you sing. Heather started her first few weeks timidly. But this last Sunday, we finished and I noticed how she had grown and matured in all manners of her life – emotionally and spiritually. She has been working to mentor the 180 youth band at Northwest Baptist Church. It has beautiful to see how the youth at NBC have taken to her.

I am blessed to have her as my dear friend, co-writier and fellow artist. As songwriters and storytellers, this is our Christmas gift to you this year!

Be blessed!

GOD AMONG US
By: Heather Calvillo + Antonio F Delgado
Date: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 @ 2:00 AM + Saturday, August 7, 2010 @ 2:00AM + Friday, August 27, 2010 @10:30pm
Key: F

foretold, our Emmanuel is born
let us draw near
to the
child born unto us
our Lord and King of Kings
the song and melody
blessed Prince of Peace

He’s a new born baby

come and show us mercy
come, come and show us grace

and God you’re among us
and you truly save us
God you’re among us
to bring us (pause before ending) everlasting life

did you know
that the Jesus that you see
is the Jesus that is
free from a crown of thorns
and not held down
born from a virgin
scorned by the crowd

he’s a new born baby

come and show us mercy
come, come and show us grace

and God you’re among us
and you truly save us
God you’re among us
to bring us (pause before ending) everlasting life

God, oh God we remember your son
God, oh God
you sent us your love

Who am I that I know your name
our blessed promise is born today

He is Christ oh let us arise
we find redemption in His eyes

Tags: Christmas, Craigslist, El Paso, Gift, Heather Calvillo, Magazine, Music, Northwest Baptist Church, NXNW, Peace On Earth, Preston, Skipper, Storytelling