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I don’t know about you, but I find “behind the music” type interviews extremely helpful. They not only give me a greater insight to the song, but the artist as a person.

The local musician and recording artist will be on CatholicTV this week.

That’s what happened for me with recording artist and East Valley musician, Jaime Cortez. I had heard of his name for years — including an early Your Catholic Neighbor profile, but it wasn’t until a November concert at Christ the King Parish in Mesa that I really knew Cortez and his music.

In fact, I found his music so inspiring that I plan to suggest one of his many bilingual songs for the next baptism I attend. He blends together the English and Spanish languages beautifully.

Now, the rest of the nation can meet Jaime Cortez too. He’s being featured all week on “The Commons,” a Spiritandsong.com production aired on CatholicTV. He’ll perform “Con Amor Jovial,” (With Cheerful Love) in Spanish on the coffeehouse-styled music show.

Remaining showtimes are at 2 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday and at 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday (all times are Eastern Standard Time). If you don’t have cable, you can also watch “The Commons” live online at CatholicTV.com.

Want to learn more about Jaime’s bio and other CatholicTV Spanish programming? 
Born in New York and raised in El Salvador, Jaime Cortez is fluent in both English and Spanish. Jaime has made presentations at the Los Angeles Hispanic Liturgy Conference, the Southwest Catechetical Leadership Conference and National Pastoral Musicians Conferences, as well as local events for the Diocese of Phoenix.

Jaime also gives concerts with both English and Spanish repertoire, alone or with volunteer groups. His main instrument is guitar, although he is proficient in piano and other stringed instruments such as charango, vihuela and bass guitar. Jaime earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Arizona State University.
FYI, CatholicTV regularly airs other Spanish programming (again, listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• “Buena Nueva,” Wednesdays at midnight and Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
• Spanish Novena, Tuesdays at 5 a.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m.
• Spanish Mass, Sundays at 4 p.m.