Student Worship Group Celebrates Culture Through Praise And Worship In Spanish

A family connection. A chance to worship. Acquiring new languages. Celebrating cultures and praising God, all in one. 

Those are some of the things that student worship group “Libertad” does and has. They come together to learn about each other’s cultures and ways of life, make music and praise God, all in Spanish. 

According to group member Jade Buker, “Libertad” is a one-credit course required for specific majors, created by School of Music professor Dr. Leon Neto. 

Beyond fulfilling degree requirements, the group has the opportunity to perform on a variety of occasions. The group has performed at Convo Selects for both the School of Law and the School of Business this semester. 

“We kind of do a little bit of everything,” Buker said.

The group is driven by a familial connection, Buker said.

“We really try each semester to make sure we have a connection with one another, and that it’s just more of a family connection,” she said. 

“Libertad” members find the group an opportunity to explore different passions and interests relating to the music field. 

Josh Hollinger, lead guitarist and vocalist, joined the group his freshman year due to his interest in learning Spanish and other languages. 

“It just seemed like a cool opportunity to use that gift and use that passion and combine it with worship, which is my major,” Hollinger said.

The group’s bass guitar player, Santiago  Segurra, said he appreciates the worshipful spirit exhibited by each member of the ensemble.

“No one’s there to kind of play to just play or just to be the best, but everyone there really does have a spirit of worship,” he said. “Even though we don’t have any performances coming up, we just kind of get together and just worship together, and it’s awesome.” 

Segurra noted that worshipping with “Libertad” is a different experience than that of Convocation.  

“We’re not the Collective or anything like that. We have our own style and our own vibe, and we all just like to have fun,” he said.

Although “Libertad” is technically a course, anyone can get involved in the group regardless of their major. Students interested in joining can reach out to Dr. Neto to audition.

woolwine is a feature reporter.