by Louise M. Moore(July 30, 2009) Grammy-nominated, multi-award winning singer, songwriter and worship leader Martha Munizzi is independent and loving it! She recently won her first Dove Award for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year for Change the World which she recorded on her on own label, Martha Munizzi Music. And, she enjoys the fruit of arduous labor by she and husband Dan Munizzi, who not only serves as her personal manager and executive producer, but also president of their independent label.
Munizzi says she recognized the fruit of their labor was beginning to manifest "when I would go to different churches and people were singing my songs" like Say the Name, Glorious, Shout and Because of Who You Are. But when Prophetess Juanita Bynum during a 2004 Praise the Lord program on Trinity Broadcasting Network put Munizzi's single God is Here on a 20-plus continuous loop, a new cross-cultural gospel star was born. Munizzi characterized it as a "God moment." "It was organic. It was natural."
During the broadcast, Bynum continued to enthusiastically endorse Munizzi's CD, The Best is Yet to Come. "It's a God moment when someone is really blessed by your ministry and they want to tell the world about it," says Munizzi of Bynum's generous praise.
Since then, Munizzi has recorded two more CD projects. No Limits Live was released on the Sony label but Munizzi's latest project Change the World was once again on her independent label and produced by Grammy award winning producers Aaron Lindsey and Israel Houghton. Though major labels have their perks, Munizzi enjoys the autonomy of recording on Martha Munizzi Music. "You have the ability to make your own choices and create your own records with no one looking over your shoulder," explains Munizzi. "I know a lot of artists who want to go independent but we were independent because no one knew who I was but once we started selling CDs (major labels) started calling."
By any measure, Munizzi is one of the most successful artists in the Gospel industry and certainly one of the top independent artists. In addition to her recent Dove Award, she has won two Stellar Awards--one for Best New Artist of the Year (2006) and the other for Special Event CD of the Year (2006) for When He Came, an Oasis Award for International Female Artist of the Year (2006) and a Christian Music Award for Female Artist of the Year (2007). Her music consistently debuts at the top of Billboard charts and she continues to be in demand for concerts, tours and conferences.
But with such success, she is quick to point out that her ministry and career has been guided by the adept leadership of her husband. "Dan is the captain of our team. God has given him the wisdom to lead us," says Munizzi. "Dan has studied this industry and he asks the right questions."
As for the Martha Munizzi Ministries staff, she cautions that "you need to find those people that see the ministry in your music not the money." After all, this is one of the many elements that has contributed to her success. But most important, she states simply that her music ministry is blessed because "God flows through it."
For more information on Martha Munizzi visit www.MarthaMunizzi.com or www.MySpace.com/marthamunizzi.
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