Diante do Trono

Ministério de Louvor Diante do Trono (from Portuguese: "Before the Throne Praise Ministry), is a Brazilian group of Praise & Worship led by the singer Ana Paula Valadão. The songs of Diante do Trono are pretty similar to the songs of the Australian group Hillsong.
According to the Diante do Trono's leader, the group was born from the desire of the heart of God. When she received the revelation of it, Ana Paula Valadão was in a missionary trip in the United States. When she came back to Brazil, with her friend Sérgio Gomes (today's Executive Director of Diante do Trono), they quickly showed the idea to the president of Igreja Batista da Lagoinha and father of Ana Paula Valadão, Márcio Valadão. He agreed and it was decided that the money of the album was going to be to their missionary mission in India. On February, 1998, Ana Paula Valadão with Nívea Soares, André Valadão and others recorded the first album live, in their church, named Diante do Trono (in English, "Before the Throne"). It was from that first album, that the name of the group became Diante do Trono. The first album made a huge success, and in the next year, the Diante do Trono reuned again and recorded their second album titled "Exaltado" (In English, "Exalted"). In 2000, the group had already a success, so they decided to record their third album, out of their church, but in a park, in their city Belo Horizonte. The third album was titled "Águas Purificadoras" (Purifying waters). In the next year, 2001, Diante do Trono recorded the fourth album titled "Preciso de Ti" (I need you) at Mineirão Stadium, which is considered their most popular album. The theme-song of that album won the Troféu Talento (a Brazilian award similary to the Dove Award) of Music of the Year. After the recording of "Preciso de Ti", Ana Paula Valadão decided that the desire of God was the Brazilian nation, so their fifth album was recorded in the Brazilian's capital, Brasília. They got more than a million of people in that concert. After the fifth, titled "Nos Braços do Pai" (In the Father's Arms), came "Quero me apaixonar" (I want to fall in love), that was maybe the greatest concert of Diante do Trono and the greatest in Brazilian gospel music. The concert brought at about two million people from all over. After the recording of their sixth album, the group almost ended, because of the desire of the leader to become a mother. However, a lot of Brazilian gospel singers supported Ana Paula and encourajed her to keep on singing. The seventh CD, was recorded in Salvador and it was titled "Esperança" (from Portuguese, "Hope"). In that concert, Ana Paula opened her heart showing everyone about her desire of motherhood. An year later, like a miracle, Ana Paula Valadão discovered that she was preagnant and in January 2nd, 2006 she became the mother of Isaque Valadão. After Esperança, two more albums were recorded: "Ainda Existe Uma Cruz" (There Is Still a Cross)(in 2005) and "Por Amor de Ti, oh Brasil" (Because I love thee, oh Brazil)(in 2006). The group records all of their CDs live in concert, and each such concert has attracted an audience of about two million people (2003).