Contact: Erin McClellan, OCP, 503-460-5363, erinm@ocp.org

PORTLAND, Ore., March 8, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- OCP's contemporary music division, spiritandsong.com has announced the release of the Santiago Fernández and Jesse Manibusan's bilingual, contemporary album, Unidos -- just in time for the largest Religious Education conference in the nation, the Los Angeles RE Congress.

Sharing a desire to bring people together through music and worship, Santiago and Jesse created the 7-track album full of bilingual songs to inspire faith both outside and within the Catholic Liturgy.

"Santiago and I have a passion for building bridges" said composer Jesse Manibusan. "We're hopeful that the music we've written together will help folks respond to the call for oneness in Christ in both music and liturgy, but even more importantly, in our day-to-day living."

Amid musical stylings varying from Spanish rhumba and bolero to traditional ballads and Latin rock, an early favorite track has emerged: "Voice Infusing Life/Voz Que Infunde Vida." Commissioned as the official theme song of the RE Congress -- March 22-25 in Anaheim CA -- the track features powerful vocals and soul-stirring lyrics that serve as proof that a simple song can truly transform a life for Christ.

Manibusan said, "The role of music in liturgy is primarily to inspire the hearts, voices and lives of the faithful for prayer, thanksgiving and service -- inside and especially outside the walls of the Church. It doesn't matter what culture, ethnicity or age group, if music draws our hearts to Christ and makes us ready for service, then we're on track."

Whether used for personal enjoyment or as musical accompaniment for ministry groups, Unidos features an eclectic fusion of sound and culture -- a playlist for today's intercultural Christian Ministry.

The digital playlist of Unidos is available on iTunes and the full album can be purchased at spiritandsong.com or during LA Congress at the OCP/spiritandsong.com booth.

Both Santiago and Jesse will be available for interviews and comments during Congress. Please contact, Erin McClellan at 503.460.5363, erinm@ocp.org for any inquiries.

About spiritandsong.com
spiritandsong.com, a division of OCP, offers the latest releases by both big-name artists and emerging new talents. OCP, a not-for-profit publisher of music and worship resources based in Portland, Oregon, has been in operation for more than 80 years. Worship materials produced by OCP are used in thousands of churches in the United States and are distributed worldwide. More information is available at 1-800-548-8749 and ocp.org. Facebook.com/OCPmusic