Diante do Trono

Diante do Trono (IPA: [dʒiˈɐ̃tʃi du ˈtɾonu]; lit.: Before the Throne) is a Brazilian contemporary Christian music band formed in 1997 as a ministry of Lagoinha Church in Belo Horizonte. It is led by singer, songwriter and pastor Ana Paula Valadão. The group became popular in Brazil since the release of their first album in 1998: Diante do Trono. However, it was from the Águas Purificadoras and Preciso de Ti albums that it acquired international recognition, becoming the largest worship ministry in Latin America and one of the world's largest ministries of praise, worship and mission. It is also considered one of the most successful bands in Brazilian music. In a single presentation, held on 10 July 2003, during the recording of the album, Quero Me Apaixonar, Diante do Trono gathered about 2 million people at Campo de Marte Airport, in São Paulo, being the largest public of a Christian event already registered in the world, and the second largest public of Brazil, losing only to the festival Rock In Rio. The band has also been a winner of Talent and Promises Awards, and was nominated for the Latin Grammy in 2012 with the album Sol da Justiça. The group has sold over 15 million albums, one of the record holders for music sales in Brazil. For its first decade and a half, the band had brass and string sections. It has had several instrumental changes throughout its career, especially the period of the years 2011 and 2012, when the only members that remained from the initial group were lead vocalist Ana Paula Valadão and rhythm guitarist Elias Fernandes. The band's sound became noticeably more pop rock with the removal of its brass and string sections, and is characterized by congregational singing, with influences of pop rock, progressive rock and folk. Diante do Trono, in partnership with the Lagoinha Church, has promoted over the years several social, humanitarian and missionary actions, having part of its profits from the sales of CDs and DVDs destined for initiatives such as India Project, which combats human trafficking, collecting and helping Indian girls in prostitution, as well as other occasional actions promoted during some of its live album recordings in Brazil and the Middle East. The group also has part of its discography entirely aimed at children, the Crianças Diante do Trono. The group also created the Ministerial Training Center Diante do Trono (CTMDT), a preparatory center for musicians and singers in the area of missions, as well as the Arts Factory, which is a partnership with Lagoinha Church, to train professionals in various areas such as singing, theater and dance.