New Yorker Francesca Battistelli is a singer whose eclectic vocal style has catapulted her to Christian music’s upper echelons. Her classy song stylings, described by one critic as a “soulful piano-pop sound that resembles a blend of her music interests – jazz, rock, gospel and R&B,” won her acclaim at GMA’s 2009 Dove Awards. There the singer won her unprecedented awards for Female Vocalist Of The Year, New Artist Of The Year and Song Of The year (for her first single “I’m Letting Go”). Her track “Beautiful Beautiful” is currently getting a lot of play on Cross Rhythms radio.
Francesca was born on 18th May, 1985 in Manhattan, New York. Both her parents were involved in musical theatre. Francesca was a precocious young talent. She told Cross Rhythms broadcaster Mike Rimmer, “I danced for 10 years. I was Miss Ballerina and I was on the stage in plays and stuff. I would always try to make up dances like doing ‘The Nutcracker’ all by myself, and in one song I would choreograph the whole thing myself and invite the neighbours over to watch. I was 10 years old.”
Francesca’s childhood was a very happy one. “I was an only child, raised knowing the Lord from day one. I’m very blessed to have that heritage. I was home schooled. My dad always worked at home and my mother raised me, so the unique thing about my upbringing was that I was home a lot with my parents. I always got on better with adults as I was around them more. I’m grateful for that now, as I can get along with people of all ages.”
“MOTION OF MERCY”
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