History offers some surprises when we look at the achievements of women in the church. Did you know …
- In 1614, Pocahontas converted to Christianity when she married colonist John Rolfe. She was credited not only with keeping peace between the colonists and Powhatan’s tribe but in keeping the colonists alive during harsh winters when food was scarce.
- Social reformer Dorothea Dix pioneered more humane treatments and facilities for asylum patients through her association with women’s religious organizations.
- Since 1865, The Salvation Army has ordained men and women, in contrast to other missionary groups of the era where women’s roles were restricted.
- Anne Allebach was the first woman ordained in the First Mennonite Church in 1911.
- In 1921, “Sister Aimee” Semple MacPherson becomes the first woman to broadcast a service over the “wireless telephone” (radio).
- Kathryn Kuhlman opens her first church in a Montgomery Ward warehouse in Colorado in 1933. The famous faith-healer went on to hold Miracle Services at Carnegie Hall for more than 25 years and was a frequent late-night talk show guest.
- The second largest denomination of the Mormon Church authorized the ordination of women in 1984.
- Joyce Meyer is arguably the leading televangelist in the United States, with a weekly cable program that reaches 2.5 billion people around the world.
One way to begin might be to think about where most of us first met this Latina percussionist. Was it as the drop-dead gorgeous drummer in Prince’s band? Or in 1984, when she achieved true pop stardom with her first album “Glamorous Life”? Maybe as Musical Director for Magic Johnson’s talk show? Or Lil Angel Bunny Foundation’s 2005 “Woman of the Year”? No? Well, then … maybe you’ve encountered her onstage with everyone from her famous father, Santana drummer and jazz great Pete Escovedo to Celine Dion, Quincy Jones, Ringo Starr, Mavis Staples, Carl Perkins and, yes, even Luciano Pavarotti.
Modern Drummer Festival 2005
We hooked up with Ms. Escovedo one summer afternoon, to talk about her ministry, how faith “opened doors and closed the ones that needed to be closed” and what it takes to forge new frontiers.
What role has faith played in your life and career?
It literally turned my life around.
In 1991, my lung collapsed and my back went out – all within about a month’s time. When it happened, I thought I was going to die. I was traumatized enough by the hospital experience — then my legs gave out for about two weeks. The doctors said I was going to need an operation and didn’t know how long it would be before I could walk. That’s when I called upon God. I had to know that God was going to take care of everything.
Most of my career, I felt like I was in control of my life. Realizing that I wasn’t in control and calling on faith to bring me through turned everything around.
How is your life different now, then? You’ve obviously physically recovered.
I am a totally different person in terms of understanding who is in control. I learned patience. I learned that I have a purpose. Before that, I thought I was invincible.
You were wildly successful, even as a very young woman. Well, that’s right. Experiencing success on that level was a great and wonderful journey for me – but because of that, you end up in your own little world. It takes some time to realize that, “hey, my life is really different than most other people’s”. I was so successful that even financially, I wasn’t dealing with reality. You close yourself off.
But at that time (being ill), I gave my heart to the Lord. And it just changed my life. I wondered how I was able to live without him. I pray before I make decisions. I pray for other people. I feel better about myself knowing that I’m trying to be a blessing for someone.
How do you think of yourself now – performer or …?
Growing up, I always thought of myself as a percussion player.
That’s the Escovedo family business, with two uncles who achieved their own level of fame …
That’s true. In my early 20’s, I learned that I loved entertaining – that’s what my family does – onstage, offstage, at the house. Growing up, we always danced and sang for our family and their friends. Later on, I started to think of myself as more of an entertainer than a musician.
In the last ten years, you did Magic Johnson’s TV Show, you recorded and toured with just about anyone who is anyone, you Drum for Jesus and you appeared on the BET Awards just last month. How do you find the time to lend your talents to the needs of abused children in the Lil Angel Bunny Foundation? You were their Woman of the Year this year, right?
We have to pay the bills and work, but you have to make time for the Lord. When you do that, you put things into perspective. When you organize your life that way, everything is in order. I enjoy having time to spend with these kids. It’s how I was raised. When I was a teenager, my parents and brothers and I would visit foster care facilities and perform. We’d try to get them involved in something positive.
Your dad Pete Escovedo and your uncle Coke Escovedo both played with Santana –and your brother is a musician. Is it fair to say your were encouraged musically?
They encouraged us to do whatever we wanted to do. They let us know that they were always behind us.
No limitations because you were a girl?
My mom was very athletic, the athletic part is on that side and of course, my dad was the musician. My mother was always going against the grain as far as being a woman (and an ethnic woman) was concerned. My mother and her sisters started their own girls’ after school baseball league. Playing a “man’s” instrument came naturally to me. I saw my father doing it and I started at about the age of three. It seemed normal. It wasn’t a big deal.
Absolutely. And it’s still crazy. We all have our calling and our talents. There are many great drummers and musicians that I know who have surpassed me musically and technically. They can play circles around me and I know I could never do what they do. But I’m not trying to do what they do. I’m just trying to be who God wants me to be and just do the best that I can do with the abilities he’s given me.
If you want to be a sound engineer in the studio, be a sound engineer in the studio – take some classes and study, do the best you can do and be prepared. When you walk into a situation with a great attitude, knowing what you need to know, confident about yourself and your abilities, you can’t help but get a great response.
That’s what I did. I went in there playing gigs and sessions with some of the top jazz musicians when I was sixteen years old. They looked at me like I was crazy. I had no idea of the magnitude of their greatness, I was so naïve.
No, that didn’t really happen. The opportunities for women have really changed a lot. Even in “Glamorous Life”, there was a female engineer that I used and she was really, really good. We used a female tech who was just starting out. Now, there are a lot of women who are tech-ing, a lot of women who are producing, there are women who are on boards, for instance, like the GRAMMYS®.
I’ve seen a major change. I’m auditioning an all-girls horn section this weekend. I’m putting an all-girl band together for the BET Awards. Maybe it’s the first time its ever been done for an awards show. We’re all really going to play because we’re all really professional musicians.
You go, girl. Of all the people you’re played with, who stands out?
I have a blast with everyone I perform with. I just did a Modern Drummer Festival with Raoul Rico, Carl Berazzo and Alex Acuna – it was the first time we’d ever played onstage together. It was fantastic. In a couple of weeks, I’m playing ten shows with my family and whole band. I can’t pick one. I’m blessed to play with all these great musicians.
What about your Ministry?
We have a group called the Worship Alliance Group with a lot of the top musicians in the world — Alex Acuna, Chester Thompson, Vinnie Caiyute, Abraham Laborio, Paul Jackson, Jr. — and people from different churches like Saddleback. We went to Australia, Singapore and Korea. We’re going to Brazil at the end of the month. We pray for people and worship the Lord especially with everything that’s going on in the world today. That’s always a blessing.
I’m keeping busy – going on tour, working with Prince – God is opening a lot of doors and closing the ones that needed to be shut.
And the Foundation?
The next Foundation event is in September. We’re changing the (Lil Angel Bunny Foundation) name to Elevate Hope. I think that’s a goal we can all relate to.
Everyone wants to see a brighter future. It just takes work.
Agreed.
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