I used to hate religious music. In my early 20s, the Bahá’ís of Portugal politely asked if I’d consider composing some songs for them. At the time, I had just graduated from classical music school in Porto and was studying film scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I was drowning in elitism, convinced that writing religious music would be the ultimate career-killer. Let’s be honest, I thought modern religious music was cheesier than a Velveeta drowned green chile cheese fries from an Albuquerque greasy spoon. I couldn’t be bothered—or caught dead—composing anything so trite, even for my own religion.
My wife at the time told me something I’ll never forget: “Well, if you think religious music is so cheesy, then write something that’s not cheesy.” Touché. (She was French. She also loved Brie). I couldn’t argue with that. But, true to my procrastinating nature, it took me eight years to get over myself and compose just one song for the Bahá’ís of Portugal.
To be clear, the kind of music that popped into my head when asked to write “religious music” was pretty much like what you’d hear in this video below.
I’m not mocking these people or their music. I’m just admitting that I was a judgmental prick. Still am, actually. It’s a work in progress. But being asked to write this music made me more uncomfortable than dancing a square dance in front of my Latino friends on a floor of legos.
I grew up on a steady diet of Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Ozzy Osbourne. Picture me: a long-haired metalhead with a purple V-shaped electric guitar. I was cool. Religious music was not. Simple as that.
I loved my friends in Portugal, but reconciling my metalhead identity with Portuguese religious music? That was like trying to mix oil and water—or Metallica and Taylor Swift.
I guess I never ended up really reconciling my heavy metal ways with my religious views. I think what happened in the long run was that I became more holistic in my musical approach. I wasn’t just a metalhead who also loved his personal faith; I was a metalhead with a classical concert pianist for a mom, a Nat King Cole loving tax accountant for a dad, and a love for Fado, Flamenco, West Ghana drumming, Andean pan flute, Southern Indian frame drumming, Northern Irish jigs and on and on.
So, I did the simplest thing I could think of. I picked up my guitar and plucked. A few minutes later a song was born. In hindsight, I don’t know if I even liked the song. I think I just felt so bad for having waited so long to write a song for my friends back in Europe.
The song I ended up composing was called “Cura,” meaning “Healing.” It was a healing prayer by Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Something about the flow, maybe putting it in 6/8 time, just clicked.
The crazy part? Of all the music I’ve composed, my “religious” stuff traveled the furthest. It reached the Bahá’ís of Portugal, the Azores, Madeira, Brazil, Kenya, Japan, the States, and Oh! Canada. My “career” seemed to do better when I focused on the religious tunes rather than the secular jams. Go figure.
So, have a listen. You might like it. You might not. It might be cheesier than a Kraft convention in Wisconsin. But here’s what I’ve learned—some people really love cheese.
- Lyrics -
Teu nome é minha cura
Ó meu Deus
E a lembrança de Ti
Meu remédio
Ó meu Deus
E a lembrança de Ti
Meu remédio
Aproximar-me de Ti
É minha esperança
E meu amor por Ti
Meu companheiro
Translation: Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion.
- Lesson -
Downtune all strings one whole step.
The song is in concert c minor but because all your strings are downtuned a whole step you’ll be playing in d minor.
In classical guitar any stems that point up are played on the i, m, a fingers.
i = index, m = middle, a = ring
Any stems that point down are only played with the thumb (p).
p = thumb
The sections with vocals are played just as the previous instrumental sections, or you can play block chords while you sing.
Download the guitar lead sheet below for your reference.