FOR MY GOD
St.
Michael Volunteer Shanita Akana Sings From Her Soul
By
Mary Lovee Klipp
“All
of my songs are born out of prayer. They are blessings from God which I
sing for Him.” This is how Shanita Akana, a 36-year-old wife and
mother of three from Ewa Beach, Hi., describes her lifelong love of
music. And when Shanita released her Catholic debut album “My Soul
Sings” in October 2001, she finally realized the dream of her youth.
“I
dreamed for many years to be able to share my music with the world. I
know this is all because of God,” Shanita added.
Turning
her dream into reality was as much a spiritual journey as it was a
musical one for the Catholic singer. Active in music throughout her
years at Sacred Hearts Academy and the University of Hawaii at Manoa,
Shanita has performed as a soloist and in choirs both inside and outside
of school.
But
her confidence as a singer took years to develop. After meeting Shanita,
a woman strongly grounded in her Catholic faith, and hearing the clear
soprano voice that soars on her debut album today, it is hard to imagine
she was once a young girl suffering from stage fright.
“Until
high school, I was a nervous wreck. I could barely stand in front of an
audience and sing,” Shanita said. “My dad (Ernest Aana) kept
encouraging me by telling me: ‘Shanita, God gave you your voice, so
share it.’ But even hearing that didn’t completely rid me of my
fear. So he suggested that I make believe God was the only one in the
audience listening and to just sing for Him. Little did my dad know how
important his words would become in my life.”
The
statement of faith Shanita received from her father as a teenager
eventually became not only a basis for her songs, but also a way for her
to reach out to other teenagers, just as her father once reached out to
her. Shanita’s desire to bring youth and young adults to Christ led to
her role as Life Teen youth coordinator at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in
1995.
“God
opened the door for me at my parish, under the leadership of Fr. Bob
Phelps. Serving as Life Teen coordinator, I delved deep into the Mass
and Holy Eucharist, which is the heart of both the Church and the Life
Teen ministry,” Shanita explained. “I wanted to reach out to the
young people and help bring them back to Church. At first, the upbeat
music and youth homilies encourage them to come to Mass, but the
Eucharist is what brings them back each week.”
Although
she only served as coordinator until 1998, Shanita is still very
involved in the Life Teen program, helping lead music for Mass with the
youth choir and attending Life Teen events with her husband John and
their 14-year-old son Kyle. The singer credits her work with the youth
as the inspiration for her Catholic music career.
“Serving
with the youth is a pure joy. I attended the national Life Teen
conference in 1998 in Mesa, Ariz., and the conference inspired my faith
so much that I wanted to write songs for the youth. When I came back to
the island, I wrote three of the songs that are currently on my album. I
was at the height of my conviction and love for my Church and my God,”
Shanita said.
One
of the songs originally written for her Life Teen group, “Give Me
Jesus,” has become a message of Jesus’ love to the youth of the
world. After the Columbine tragedy, Shanita re-dedicated “Give Me
Jesus” to all the American youth, and finally to the children and
young adults of the world, after the terrorist attacks last September.
“What
do we tell these kids when they come here for an answer?
What
do we tell these kids when their hearts beat just like thunder?
What
do we tell these kids who’ve been victims of a terror?
What
do we tell these kids who are afraid and left to wonder?
What
do we give them when the world turns its back?…
We’re
going to give them Jesus! Oh, no matter what the problems be, let’s
unite all families.
That’s
what we give to them. Jesus be my best friend.”
“I
started writing “Give Me Jesus” in August 1998 for the youth of my
parish but for some reason I couldn’t finish the song,” Shanita
said. “Then, after the Columbine tragedy in April 1999, I realized how
much the youth of today need Jesus in their lives. I finished the song
two days later. The question what do we tell these kids when terrible
things happen is really at the heart of the song. The answer was staring
me right in the face: Jesus! God placed this song in my heart during
prayer before it was ever put on paper.”
The
youth of Shanita’s parish not only helped inspire her music, they also
helped her produce it. On “My Soul Sings,” Shanita asked three
students from Our Lady of Perpetual of Help School, including her son
Brock, 11, to sing backup for her in “Seeking God.” Shanita
dedicated the song to the children of the parish school and also to
their pastor, Fr. Bob Phelps. “He jumped for joy when he first heard
this song. Thank you, Fr. Bob,” she said.
“Children
learn what they live.
Go
and teach them how to give
Children
learn what they hear.
O
Mother, draw them near…
All
this time spent in prayer, listen now to what we share.”
The
songs born in Shanita’s soul are reflected by her family’s love for
her. Their unwavering support was a constant reminder to her of God’s
presence along her journey to becoming a Catholic singer. Shanita
received a strong faith from her parents, and knew from the start that
she and her husband were a “match made in heaven” and their children
were “blessings from God.”
And,
for the woman whose music has been recognized by Catholic and secular
media, and has reached people across the state and now the country,
nothing matters more to Shanita than her God. The acknowledgement by the
Hawaii Catholic Herald, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and various
radio stations and bookstores throughout the islands have only clarified
the spiritual mission behind her music: “to You my soul sings.”
“Not
my will anymore.
You
gave my life new meaning, helped me see things clearly.
You
came to me in silence now this song’s complete.
You
showed me where I had faltered, brought me knees to the altar, gave me
daily bread.
My
one and only desire is to live Your will for my life…to You my soul
sings.”
To order Shanita’s
CDs or for bookings, please contact
JSA Enterprises
91-1144 Haiamu
Place
Ewa Beach, Hi.
96706
(808) 391-4371; lyricjsa@yahoo.com.
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