Diante do Trono

Diante do Trono are a Contemporary Christian music band from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The group consists of over 50 members led by worship leader Ana Paula Valadão. The band formed at Lagoinha Baptist Church in 1997 when the leadership of the congregation wanted to raise money for charity in India. Within a year, they gathered all the structure and recorded their debut album, Diante do Trono. By the early 2000s, they had become a prominent gospel national act in Brazil. Although they were a top selling gospel artist, they became well known for the large number of people drawn to their annual live recordings, such as the two million brought to the recording of their 2003 live album in São Paulo, Quero me apaixonar which was recorded at a concert, which was attended by more than two million people. Their 2001 album Preciso de Ti is the best-selling album in the whole gospel music history in Brazil with over one million copies sold. Reacting to some critics in the mid-2000s, Diante do Trono incorporated a younger sound into their albums and performances, while maintaining their musical identity. Diante do Trono have released over 25 albums and are among the most critically and commercially successful gospel groups in Brazil. They have won 20 Talent Trophys (a Brazilian award similar to the Dove Awards), more than any other band, and they have sold more than 8 million records. In 2008, Diante do Trono was honored at Programa Raul Gil, a famous Brazilian TV program, for their acclamation in the gospel and secular music. The band also works in a philanthropic cause, the Project Ashastan, a recovery house in India for victims of child prostitution.