ValLimar Jansen

Blessed with an extraordinary voice, ValLimar Jansen is a highly regarded singer, cantor and recording artist. She is also a college professor, a leader of worship and prayer and a workshop presenter at conferences across the United States.

Known especially for her work with gospel, contemporary Christian and gospel-jazz styles, she sings a wide range of music, including spirituals and traditional, organ-based choral music. In 2005 she released her first solo collection, You Gotta Move. Other recent projects include her stirring, gospel-style rendition of Jaime Cortez's classic "Rain Down" on the Live It! two-CD compilation; and lead and background vocals on Clothed in Love, Tom Kendzia's collection of spirituals and gospel-style music for the liturgy.

ValLimar has a long history of singing sacred music, starting from the age of five. She received most of her training in music and performance from Howard University, in Washington, D.C. She holds professional degrees in the arts from California State University, San Bernardino, and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She has sung and toured professionally throughout the United States, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium and Japan. She played the role of Beneatha with the Broadway touring cast in the European premier of Raisin. She went on to co-author a one-woman musical about the life of Ethel Waters that received a special commendation from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

She has been the cantor for several jazz liturgies and closing liturgies at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. She has served as a cantor, principal vocalist, lector and workshop presenter at the San Jose Jazz Festival, the Sacramento Jazz Festival, NPM conferences, the National Encuentro Conference, the National Jubilee Justice Conference, the Los Angeles Liturgy Conference, the East Coast Conference, and many other major events.

She has collaborated with some of the best-known composers of contemporary worship music, including Joe Camacho, Derek Campbell, Richard Cherie, Jaime Cortez, Gary Daigle, Bobby Fisher, David Haas, Marty Haugen, Bob Hurd, Tom Kendzia, Kenneth Louis, Jesse Manibusan, Donna Peña, Danielle Rose, Lori True, Christopher Walker, Steve Warner and Pamela Warrick-Smith.

ValLimar composes all her music with the help of her husband, Frank. They live in California and have three children.