Biography

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CONTACT:
Paula Vega Vondenstein
(228) 357-0088
Paula@BibleBeltBlues.org

Songwriter/Producer: Paula Vega Vondenstein
Publishing & PRO: CDBaby Publishing, ASCAP

THE MUSIC TEAM:
Paula Vega Vondenstein - Producer, Songwriter, Mixer, Vocal Coach
Harold Vega Vondenstein- Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Mixer, Music Composer
Produced by: Bible Belt Blues, Gulfport, MS
Recorded by: Harold Vega Vondenstein
Mixed by: Paula & Harold Vega Vondenstein
Mastered by: Harold Vega Vondenstein
Cover Design by: Paula Vega Vondenstein

ALBUM 1: "I'M NOT ASHAMED TO BE A CHRISTIAN"
Released: January 5, 2019

ALBUM SUMMARY:

"A new genre of music has been birthed, Bible Belt Blues, with its hauntingly beautiful early Mississippi Delta Bentonia blues style wrapped around bold, biblically sound lyrics. Not your typical Christian lyrics. A sermon in a song."


ABOUT THE ALBUM: (Feature Article)

"A Bold New Music Genre: How It All Began"
by Paula Vega Vondenstein

(January 2019) We are Bible Belt Blues! Original Bentonia blues influenced music with bold biblically sound lyrics. Our mission is to bring the message of hope, repentance, salvation, and revival to the nations through our music.

The journey began two and a half years ago on April 17, 2016 when my husband, Harold created his very first Christian Blues song, “Taking Back the Blues.” My gut told me he was onto something and I was right! Researching the Christian Blues genre I found to my amazement that it was so rare a genre that it wasn’t even listed as a sub-genre of music! Researching even further I discovered that almost everyone who had created Christian Blues abandoned it altogether after only producing one or two songs! But why? Much to my disappointment, my husband, Harold, followed suit along with all the rest! Could it be that they had bought into the lie that blues music was the devil’s music? After all, the story about Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at the Crossroads of Hwy 49 and Hwy 61 had been fabricated, I would soon discover after further research. Could it be that churches were not open to allowing this music to be played in their church? Could radio stations not have known what station to play in on since it wasn’t even listed as a sub-genre?

Despite my husband’s decision to abandon the creation of Christian blues music, I proceeded forward full speed ahead with my research. I ordered several books on the history of the blues, purchased early recordings and diligently studied them. I encouraged my husband, Harold, to watch numerous documentaries on the history of the blues with me and we would also listen to hours of the early Mississippi Delta blues recordings on YouTube. I would hear a certain sound and say to Harold, “Wow! I like that sound! Can we replicate that?” I encouraged my husband to learn the harmonica (which I think is key to preserving the history of the blues) and to my delight, after months of online classes, he has become an excellent player!

Purely by accident, I stumbled upon the early Bentonia blues school of music (Skip James, RL Burnside, and Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, etc) which originated from Bentonia, Mississippi on the outskirts of the Mississippi Delta. Their gritty guitar picking style and hauntingly beautiful minor D and E chords totally mesmerized me. I just knew in my heart of hearts that this sound would lend itself perfectly as the backdrop music for repentance songs that were so lacking in the church these days! I couldn’t contain my excitement upon further research that no one yet that I had discovered was creating Bentonia style Christian blues music! To my utter amazement, we were creating our very own genre of music! This was beyond my wildest imagination! At that very moment Bible Belt Blues was officially born! Thank you, Jesus!

What happened next is so remarkable that there is no other way to explain it except that it was a God thing. A talent I had for lyric writing that had been sitting dormant for over 40 years suddenly blossomed! I somehow persuaded my husband to let me write the lyrics first then have him craft the music around the lyrics. This was something new for him since he had originally crafted the music first then added the lyrics. The lyrics started flowing, bold, biblically sound lyrics like I had never heard before in a church or on Christian radio. I sought to capture deep theological truths that people struggle with understanding and put it in a song where people actually get it. A sermon in a song! The first day I had written three lyrics while he was at work! I was writing repentance songs, invitation songs, prayer songs, revival songs, and closing songs. I even wrote a song to promote celibacy before marriage and another for suicide prevention.

After the creation of the lyrics we would sit up till the wee hours of the morning crafting the music. We always prayed before our recording sessions and invited the Holy Spirit of God to take over. Sometimes the music came out totally different than we had imagined! After we came into agreement on an arrangement for the song, Harold would record several versions of the song and I would choose the best arrangement. Since Harold is quite the computer geek, he mixed down each song and then mastered it. In a seven week period (from Sept. 3rd- Oct. 20th 2018) we had recorded 20 songs!

Our very first album for Bible Belt Blues, “I’m Not Ashamed to Be a Christian” (for which I designed the album cover) includes twelve of these twenty songs and was released on CD Baby for international distribution on Jan. 5, 2019. We are already working on our second album which is scheduled to be released on June 1st, 2019. My husband’s talent as a guitarist, songwriter, singer, and now as a harmonica player has grown tremendously since we married three years ago after having first met on Christian Mingle on Christmas Day of 2014. This is the happiest and most productive time of our lives producing Christian music together as a couple. God has blessed us beyond measure with the birthing of a brand new genre of music, Bible Belt Blues, with bold, biblically sound lyrics that glorify God. All songs were recorded with instruments tuned to the healing frequency of 444Hz (the Key of David). We fervently pray that our Bible Belt Blues music will be a catalyst for revival in America and around the world as it softens the hardened hearts of those who are lost to further build Christ’s Kingdom!

We are humbled and honored to bring this music to today’s generation that so desperately needs God in their lives! All glory and honor go to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE SONGS:

1 - Seeker of My Very Soul (3:56)

How do you witness to someone who is successful on the surface, but is living their life on their own terms without God? You shake them out of their complacency, like Bible Belt Blues has done with their song, “Seeker Of My Very Soul,” that starts with these surprisingly bold lyrics: “I’m master of my own domain, I’m going nowhere fast.” Coming face to face with the majesty and glory of God, the listener is at a pivotal place of possible surrender to the “Creator of the Universe.” Wrapped in rhythmic Bentonia style blues, “Seeker Of My Very Soul” continues along this same path with lyrics that are even bolder: “It’s time for me to step down from the throne of my own life and give Jesus His rightful place.”

2 - Soften My Hardened Heart (3:18)

Most hearts that are not receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ are hardened. Before one can be receptive they must first have a softened heart to the things of God. Bible Belt Blues' song "Soften My Hardened Heart,” which is an actual prayer, prepares the listener to receive their Salvation through a heart that is fully repentant and surrendered to Jesus Christ.

3 - We Worship the King of Kings (3:24)

Created to facilitate peace and racial harmony, Bible Belt Blues’ “We Worship the King of Kings” explores what Heaven will be like as people of all color from every tribe, nation, and tongue come together to worship King Jesus! (Revelation 7:9) Its lyrics explore all facets of worship while it challenges its listener to create a bit of Heaven on earth with its bounty of color and cultures united in worship to King Jesus.

4 - Into The Arms of Jesus (3:39)

With upbeat lyrics and a surprising harmonica solo, Bible Belt Blues’ song, “Into the Arms of Jesus,” illustrates the process of sanctification for a Christian as we become molded and shaped into the image of Christ. “I’m running from myself and into the arms of Jesus. I’m running from my pain and into His arms of peace.” As we surrender to the things of God, we surrender “our plans for His plans, our will for His will, and our heart for His heart.”

5 - God’s Not Through With You (3:14)

What words of encouragement would you give to someone who is on the brink of suicide? Bible Belt Blues' first song release, "God's Not Through With You," addresses this question with sympathetic yet powerful lyrics that could potentially be life-saving for someone who is seriously depressed. Share a Song! Save a Life!


6 - I Didn’t Take Time To Pray (3:39)

With bold, unforgettable lyrics enveloped in Bentonia blues style music mixed with a little 70's retro, "I Didn't Take Time To Pray" is both hauntingly beautiful and confrontational for those who struggle with making the time for daily prayer.

7 - I’m Not Ashamed to Be a Christian (2:49)

Bible Belt Blues' seventh song release,"I'm Not Ashamed To Be A Christian," encourages Christians to live our lives with boldness in sharing our faith and unwavering allegiance to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who saved us from the penalty of our sin.

8 - A Life That Glorifies You (2:40)

When you say that you’re a Christian, people do watch our every deed. Do we live daily lives that glorify God? Bible Belt Blues’ song, “A Life That Glorifies You,” captivates its audience with its early Bentonia blues Skip James style and lyrics that challenge its listener to live a life that glorifies God, “not just on Sunday, but on each and every day.” How we treat others is our personal testimony to the world as Christians. “When we live a life of kindness and treat everyone the same, we show the world the love of Christ and bring glory to His name.”

9 - It’s for Your Wedding Day (2:47)

With its catchy tune and upbeat lyrics, Bible Belt Blues takes a strong stand to promote celibacy before marriage in their song, “It’s for Your Wedding Day.” Written as a conversation between a parent figure to a young lady to wait until her wedding day, “It’s For Your Wedding Day” is both compassionate and encouraging to a young lady who is at a pivotal moment of contemplating sexual surrender to a man who is pursuing her. “You don’t have to give yourself away. Your most precious gift, It’s for your wedding day.”

10 - The Glory Belongs To You, Lord (3:17)

We serve a jealous God who does not want to share His glory with another. When we take credit for the things that belong to God, we steal His glory. In a world where too much focus is placed on self, "The Glory Belongs to You, Lord," shifts the focus back on God, who is the provider of every good and perfect gift, including all of our talents. Harold even makes the harmonica weep in this song that is both remorseful and reverential.

11 - Through Christ Who Strengthens Me (2:26)

Bible Belt Blues explores one of the most misunderstood verses in all of Scripture, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and summarizes it in a song (a “sermon in a song.”) With its upbeat sing-a-long lyrics, Bible Belt Blues’ song, “Through Christ Who Strengthens Me” dives in deep to explore the Biblical truth that we can only find peace in the midst of all our pain and joy in the midst of all our suffering through Christ who strengthens us!

12 - It’s Not About Me (3:36)

Riveting, remorseful, and reverential is how I would describe Bible Belt Blues song, ”It’s Not About Me,” which chronicles the story of a self-absorbed person coming face to face with the power, glory, and majesty of God! This song shifts the focus from self to God with its surprisingly bold lyrics that are repeated throughout the song, “It’s not about me, It never was about me” which are followed by “It’s all about You, Lord, and the listing of God’s attributes, two at a time. The closing of the song is nothing less than magnificent as God’s attributes are sung one after another and erupting in total splendor and majesty.


BIOGRAPHY

"How Our Journey Began"
by Paula Vega Vondenstein
(March 2019) Harold and Paula officially met on Christmas Day of 2014 when Harold responded to Paula’s online profile on Christian Mingle. Paula knew exactly what she was looking for and wrote a very tight profile asking for a Christian musician and someone who would not set limits on what God could accomplish through him. Harold responded and the rest is history.

During the past four years which included a whirlwind romance and a quaint church wedding 10 months later, Paula and Harold set out to create their Gateway To Glory YouTube Channel which houses Paula’s bible verse narrations set to motion video along with Harold’s music he had created and recorded before they met and married. Harold also created a YouTube Channel: My Daily Walk in Deliverance.

But nothing could compare with the magnitude of the journey that God now has them on with the creation of their very own music genre, Bible Belt Blues, with original Bentonia blues influenced music with bold, biblically sound lyrics, like nothing Paula had ever heard before in church or on Christian radio. Repentance songs, Invitation songs, Prayer songs, Closing songs, and Church Revival songs. All with the hauntingly beautiful D and E minor chords and gritty guitar picking sounds of the early Mississippi Bentonia blues style.

Some songs even include harmonica solos. In “The Glory Belongs To You, Lord” Harold made the harmonica cry. All are recorded in the 444 Hz healing frequency (the key of David.)

Embark with us on our journey as you immerse yourself in our very first album, “I’m Not Ashamed To Be A Christian.” We pray that our music touches your heart and stirs your soul to the things of God and that you come back wanting more. Our second album is scheduled to be released on June 1, 2019. All glory and honor goes to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.