Our weekly global show ”Where in the World?” continued this week with host Carla Adebekun. Her guests were Claudia Isaki (Paris, France), and Canyon Worship represented by Madison, Kylie and Baraka (Arizona, USA) who came on board for another lively discussion on the weekly roundtable show.

Claudia is a French singer-songwriter from the outskirts of Paris. She is signed to Dorhema Music with which she has recorded 2 EPs in the last 2 years. Canyon Worship is an annual initiative birthed out of Grand Canyon University’s (GCU) Worship Arts program. Madison, Kylie and Baraka are singer-songwriter musicians on the program who were keen to share about the thriving worship community.

In typical WITW fashion, Carla asked our French and American guests about their favourite things about where they lived.

Kylie from GCU Worship spoke of the value of having strong Christian community in and around their campus. “There are a variety of churches and countless opportunities to get plugged in.” This sentiment was echoed by her Canyon Worship co-artists who also added how impactful the environment has been to make lasting relationships. “If you don’t know the Lord, you come to find him. I love being in an area which typically exudes Christ,” Kylie ended with. What we would give for an energetic and charismatic community for the Lord in our university/college years!

In her response, Claudia gladly spoke of the eclectic Parisian scenery. She described French capital as a buzzing metropolis with “lots of places to go, lots of people, museums, venues, open mics and a unique slang compared to the rest of the country.” Her first foray out of her home country was her performance at the Gospel Hydration “Refresh” show in London earlier this year. This experience was very eye-opening for her. It gave her a foretaste of what God can do through her music. She described being overwhelmed, in a good way, by the audience singing her song before she had even started to sing.

Further topics discussed in the episode included songwriting habits (collaboration vs individual) and the priority of honing a relationship with Christ before the music.

GCU Worship released Canyon Worship 2022 last month which you would certainly be blessed by having a listen to. The album showcases the talents of students (including Madison, Kylie and Baraka) on their worship arts program. Claudia Isaki has released 2 EPs – “My Home” and “Golden Hour” which you can have a listen to on any available streaming platform. She also announced her upcoming album which anticipates an early 2023 release.

Catch the full episode here and a big thank you again to our guests. Follow us at @astepfwd for the next “Where In The World?”