ValLimar Jansen

Introducing the person behind that incredible voice. You've heard her soaring soprano and soulful, spine-tingling vocals on gospel, jazz and pop tracks and wondered, "Wow! Who is that?"

Blessed with an extraordinary voice, ValLimar Jansen is a highly regarded singer, cantor and recording artist. She is also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer and a workshop presenter at conferences across the United States.

Known especially for her work with gospel, contemporary Christian and gospel-jazz styles, she sings a wide range of music, including spirituals and traditional, organ-based choral music. In 2005 she released her first solo collection, You Gotta Move. Other recent projects include her stirring, gospel-style rendition of Jaime Cortez's classic "Rain Down" on the Live It! two-CD compilation.

ValLimar Jansen has a long history of singing sacred music, starting from the age of five and professionally since the age of six. She received most of her training in music and performance at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and she holds professional degrees in the Arts from California State University and The University of California. So she's got both experience and credentials.

She has sung and toured professionally throughout the United States, Jamaica, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Scotland, Israel and Japan. She played the role of Beneatha with the Broadway touring cast in the European premier of Raisin. She went on to co-author a one-woman musical about the life of Ethel Waters that received a special commendation from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Today, ValLimar tours regionally, nationally and internationally as an actor, a song leader, principal vocalist, psalmist, workshop presenter, and/or emcee. You can hear ValLimar as a guest artist on a number of CDs, including: Endless is Your Love, Live It, Clothed in Love, Make Us One, Luke: The Feast of Life, Turn My Heart, That You May Have Life, By Heart, Another World and Christmas Child. ValLimar and her husband, Frank, have a few CDs of their own: You Gotta Move (Spirit and Song), African American Sacred Songs (GIA), and Ethel (AFW Music). She also has a DVD of her work as a storyteller entitled, “Inspired” (Harcourt Religion Publishers). ValLimar is professional director, actor and singer. She is also a professional storyteller, a college/university professor, a leader of worship and prayer, and a workshop presenter at conferences across the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East--in both sacred and secular venues.

Maybe you're familiar with her from one of the many liturgical and pastoral conferences she attends throughout the country. She has been the cantor for several jazz liturgies and closing liturgies at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. She has served as a cantor, principal vocalist, lector and workshop presenter at the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Sacramento Jazz Festival, NPM conferences, the National Encuentro Conference, the National Jubilee Justice Conference, the Los Angeles Liturgy Conference, the East Coast Conference, and many other major events.

She has also collaborated with some of the best-known songwriters and musicians in contemporary Catholic music, including Jaime Cortez, Bobby Fisher, Jesse Manibusan, Danielle Rose and many others.

Look for much more from ValLimar Jansen in the very near future.