KEVIN JARIDO & NU VIRTU
Kevin Jarido and Nu Virtu's debut CD I'm Free (Emtro Gospel), scheduled for release on May 20, 2008, is more than just an introduction to the amazing gifts of this talented young man. It is a testimony of the trials and triumphs that have liberated Kevin and inspired him to share his journey. "I'm Free was birthed from my liberation from the thoughts and opinions of others, depression, and rejection," he says. "It is a message that inspires others not to be ashamed to be themselves."

I'm Free is a deeply moving compilation of contemporary worship music with songs like "Sunday Morning" which is the first single and is already making an impact at radio stations across the country. The soulful-stirring ballad "King of Kings" features former Kirk Franklin & the Family cohort, Chris Simpson. These and other songs from the project will be heard live at Kevin Jairdo and Nu Virtu's national release concert on June 7, 2008 at the University of the Arts (Gresham Hall) in downtown Philadelphia.

Kevin has seven siblings. Kevin's single parent mom raised him in Newark, New Jersey. As a student at the Newark Christian Academy, one of Kevin's teachers discovered he had a gift when he was asked to sing for a school play. From that point on, Kevin meticulously honed his skills by training in classical music throughout high school. "I wasn't raised in the church and had no exposure to gospel music growing up," he says. "In fact, I didn't start singing gospel music until college."

As a student at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, Kevin struggled with severe depression. "I was looked at as an extremely social guy," he recalls. "I enjoyed partying and drinking with the rest of my peers but nothing was helping to pull me out of my state of depression." When a college friend introduced him to some members of a Seton Hall gospel choir, he decided to join. Unlike classical music, Kevin discovered the depth and soul that God breathes through gospel music. "I can remember listening to Vanessa Bell Armstrong's 'Peace Be Still' and truly feeling God's power moving through its message," he explains. The love and commitment to gospel music that Kevin developed through his involvement with the choir left him vulnerable for God to deliver him out of depression and led him to "dedicate his life to Christ." Kevin now says that he's anointed and equipped with an ability to channel Gods presence through song. He has remained faithful in using his training and God-given talent to share his message of deliverance with others.

After college Kevin became the worship leader at Bethany Baptist Church in Linden Wold, NJ. He began visiting homeless shelters and prisons and taking the message of salvation through song. His ministry grew as other singers joined in his outreach efforts. "Virtue Ministries was birthed from this raw need to minister to those outside of the church walls," he explains. "We witnessed a genuine breaking in the spirits of ex-cons, convicts, the poor, and destitute as they experienced the presence of God."

Two years later, Virtue Ministries has evolved into Nu Virtu Ministries, which Kevin says is charged with the mission to carry the message of salvation to the world. Kevin now lives Clementon, NJ where he teaches 8th grade math at Veteran's Memorial Middle School. Nu Virtu Ministries is currently preparing for their summer concert tour and have begun working on their sophomore CD project, tentatively entitled Rain.