Idol Chatter: February 2008 Archives

Angelina Jolie and Aishwarya Rai, among the most beautiful women in the world, have always been compared because of their looks. Now they are both back in the news for a different reason. They are being looked at as possible cousins, or at least having a common ancestor. Why? Because of the blue color of their eyes.

The Journal of Human Genetics reports that scientists studying eye color at the University of Copenhagen have found that more than 99.5 per cent of blue-eyed people who volunteered to have their DNA analyzed have the same tiny mutation in the gene that determines the color of the iris. The study suggests that the mutation originated in just one person who evidently became the ancestor of all blue-eyed people.

According to this new study, all people with blue eyes can trace their ancestry back to one person who probably lived about 10,000 years ago in the Black Sea region.

For a long time now, Chabad, along with many others concerned about the subtle and not-so-subtle influences of pop culture, has been unequivocal about television watching as a harmful, mind-numbing pastime. But that didn't stop the medium from turning its focus on a Chasidic baal teshuva—a secular Jew who chooses to live a Torah-observant life.

According to Nielson Media Research, last Tuesday night's episode of House, Fox Channel's top rated medical drama, concerning a baal teshuvah with a unique medical disorder, was the most viewed spot of the evening.

The episode opened with a wedding officiated by California Chabad House representative Rabbi Yossi Mintz, and the singing of a Chabad style Chasidic melody. Richard Kaplan, a cantor from East Bay, sang the niggun for the episode.

Kaplan, who was contacted by the music department at NBC Universal, says that he is "not formally connected with Chabad, but [I] have great respect for Chabad and derive great benefit from Chabad teachings."

At the outset it's just another Bollywood (India's version of Hollywood, if you didn't know already) love story--running around the trees, dancing, fighting villains, costume changes, catchy songs. The perfect formula for an expensive, highly marketed, typical Bollywood movie.

It's not surprising that "Om Shanti Om," a blockbuster hit in India, is garnering big audiences as it makes its way across America. It's got a winning star cast--Shah Rukh Khan as the hero (with his magnetic personality and six-pack abs that has his fans oohing and aahing), a gorgeous new heroine, Deepika Padukone, and the handsome Arjun Rampal as the villain. Not to mention the guest appearances by every super star and starlet in Bollywood, the catchy tunes, the vibrant dances--it's no wonder this movie has been highly successful.

But what really sets this film apart from the other current Bollywood fare is it's the story of rebirth, a theme visited by older Bollywood movies but not so popular now. "Om Shanti Om" proves why this theme (explored in Western films like "Little Buddha" and "Birth") is one worth revisiting.

With Valentine's Day this week, expectations are high to pull of a perfect romantic date. With that in mind, I asked some Christian artists to share their all-time worst dating disasters.

"My husband Joel was a busy youth pastor so I was thrilled that he was planning a special date on Valentine's Day. A couple weeks before the big day, he started making secretive phone calls with a twinkle in his eye. On Valentine's Day, I went and had my hair done and carefully picked out my outfit … There was an expensive, romantic restaurant about forty minutes away that I'd always wanted to visit, so I assumed we'd go there and then he'd shower me with an incredible, thoughtful gift. I was surprised when we drove past the restaurant. Instead, we reached a small shopping center and Joel pulled into the parking lot of a sporting goods store. He gently grasped both of my hands in his. I looked up at him. "Honey," he said excitedly, "I'm going to buy you a gun." … Before I could utter a word, he pulled me into the store and introduced me to the owner. He looked just as excited as Joel. … This was the mystery man he had been talking to for weeks, picking out the perfect gun."
--Ginger Millermon, singer/songwriter

"When I was just knee-high to a grasshopper, I once asked this young filly to accompany me to a Valentine's party. She accepted my invitation, but another fellow did not approve of me asking her out. Later that night, after the Valentine's rituals had taken place, the kid and a bunch of his buddies took me outside and gave me the beating of my life! I went back inside to clean all the blood up. When my date saw what had happened… needless to say, she thought those guys were jerks and she thought I was cute!"
--Jason Dunn, lead vocalist Hawk Nelson

How can you hear God above the din of your daily life?

That's a question acclaimed worship artist Jaime Jamgochian (pronounced "jam-GO-shzun") asked herself as she prepared to record her sophomore album from Centricity Records.

Her 2005 debut album "Reason to Live" spawned the hit inspirational single, "Hear My Worship." She's spent much of last few years touring and performing, including appearances at Point of Grace's Girls of Grace conference tour. Last year, she traveled to Peru with 800 girls on a Brio Magazine-sponsored mission trip. She's even launched her own girls' conference, Modest Is Hottest.

She was constantly on the move and that can take its toll on anyone, but especially an artist charged with leading people in worship. What Jaime realized was that in order to write music that helped people connect with their Creator, she needed to be still so she could hear His voice above the noise.

Hence the theme of her latest album, "Above the Noise," which releases February 26th.

What I've always liked about Jaime is her willingness to be transparent. When speaking to young girls, for example, she's open about the fact that she didn't become a Christian until she was in college and until then lived what she calls a typical college life. With a heart for hurting women, she's recently teamed up with Family Life Radio for what the station calls the World's Largest Baby Shower to benefit Crisis Pregnancy Centers in Michigan, Texas and Arizona.

That sincerity and openness comes through on the album. The twelve songs, seven of which she co-wrote, are a nice mix of introspective and personal ballads ("For You" and "The Life I Live") and buoyant and joyful pop ("God Unchanging" and "Amaze Me").

Switchfoot and P.O.D helped pave the way for Christian artists to cross over into the mainstream market. Here are five more acts that got their start in the Christian industry but are currently making a splash in the mainstream: 1....