From
fame to faith
Pop
music super star Tajci uses music to engage and
inspire
By
Susie Lloyd
Tajci
had what every teen wanted—looks, money, and fame. She
was south central Europe’s version of Madonna. Her records went diamond and
platinum. Everywhere she went, she was mobbed by screaming fans—until she
disappeared.
In
1991, at the age of 21, inspired by a spiritual renewal, she rejected fame and
chose instead a life of anonymity in the United States. She found faith, family,
and a chance to serve God through her music. Tajci (pronounced TY-chee) is now
the wife of 13 years to Matthew Cameron and the mother of three children. She
and her husband have produced more than 900 concerts at churches throughout the
United States.
How
do you juggle everything? I have an amazing husband
without whom I could not do this. This is not just my job. This is our teamwork.
For a while I felt guilty that I wasn't a regular mom, but I gave that feeling
up. I have to prioritize and sometimes drop what is not important. Family and
marriage come first.
Does
it help that you and Matthew take the kids on the road with you?
It’s
very
important to
travel as a family. We found a
great parish
school which understood our
specific
situation and worked with us. This
is the first
year we are trying “road schooling.”
We can’t
really call it home schooling.
We have a
lovely young lady who is going
to tutor
them. It’s important for me to have
my children
be a part of the concert. Not
just for the
audience; it’s for them so they
learn that
this is not just a job. It’s a ministry.
Do
you still perform in Croatia? What do they think of you now? Absolutely! I
was
surprised by
two things. There is a huge
group of
people that love what I do now
because they
have also gone through a spiritual
awakening.
There are others who just
want more of
the songs I used to do. Both
groups have
children and both connect my
former music
with experiences they would
like to pass
on to their children. In the last
few years,
we have made frequent trips to
Croatia to
bridge the gap. I don’t want to
be known
only for those two years of my life. I have created a body
of work that I want to share with them.
Do
you ever look at the evolution of Madonna — and think, “There go
I...”? I
believe God reaches out to all of us and
cares for
all of us. Everyone has a journey.
Madonna
during Evita—from what I
read in her
diaries—was searching and
so desiring.
God only knows in the end—I
don’t think
he gives up on any of us. If you
look in
Wikipedia, how many celebrities
have
committed suicide or died of drugs?
The number
is horrendous. I experienced
that tipping
point where the pressure is tremendous.
The pressure
is not just created
by the
industry but also by the fans that
connect to
your music and your personality.
They look up to you. They
want you to fill their needs, but you are not a teacher or philosopher. You are
an artist and a celebrity who doesn’t have all the answers. If we buy into that pressure and
don’t have our own source of strength, we inevitably self-destruct. Families
should pray for celebrities.
That
was your crisis, wasn’t it? I was so lonely at the top
of my career. Everyone assumes you have everything and you don’t need anything.
They are interested in what you wear. Nobody knows who you really
are.
What
turned you around? My high-school best friend,
Ivana, saw how lonely I was and invited me to a teenage gathering in the
basement of a Dominican church. It was not formal. We would just hang and talk
to each other about books and music. It was a relaxed and open gathering of
teenagers. There was a priest and some seminarians, but nobody was pointing the
finger at you and giving you a lecture. They treated me as if they did not know
me. That was so respectful. That is why I was able to open myself up. They gave
me permission to be who I was.
What
was it like to find faith after living under Communism? We were all
baptized
and we knew
it, but in school under
Communism,
you did not assert that there
was a God. I
was frightened. I wanted to
believe. At
times, I would walk around the
church. If I
walked in, I’d stand somewhere
in the back
for hours and try to understand
the stories
in the stained glass windows,
the smells,
and the music. I felt rejected
by those who
misjudged me or wanted
me to be a
certain way. I was scared to be rejected again if I asked the question I
so
desperately
wanted to ask: “Are you there? Are you real? If you are, do you hear
my
voice?
Do
you have any words for young people who are hoping to find the emotional
wholeness you found? I do music
with
passion. I
express God through music. But
it still
doesn’t define who I am. When you
reach
success in anything, it still doesn’t
define you.
The only thing that defines you
is God. We
have to stay alert and conscious
of how our
actions affect other souls.
After a concert once, a man
came up to me and asked me if I had some words of comfort to offer his friend
who was crying from being homesick. I approached the young person and put my
arms around her and whispered into her ear: “Just cry. Honor your heart. It’s
telling you how much you love your home.” Instead of trying to find a “quick
fix,” we need to make ourselves available to listen and be there for each
other.
Is
it okay to ask you for your favorite beauty tip? You’re past 40 and you look
great. Inquiring moms want to know! Well,
getting
enough sleep and exercise—those
are on my
wish list, but I do take care of my
skin. I
don’t buy cheap cosmetic products.
I cut back
on something else.
This
question comes from a fan. Any plans to write your autobiography?
I’ve
been
thinking about that for a while. The
challenge is
to find the time! Also, our hope
is that when
we do our 1,000th concert in
2013, we
will have a book about our journey
through all
these concerts.
It’s
been an incredible journey from pop icon to icon of faith. What are you trying
to convey through your music now?
Bl. John Paul II, in his letter to artists, says that we have a duty to express the beauty of God through our talent, not only to Catholics, but to people of different faiths. That is what we are trying to do: engage, inspire, and believe.
Bl. John Paul II, in his letter to artists, says that we have a duty to express the beauty of God through our talent, not only to Catholics, but to people of different faiths. That is what we are trying to do: engage, inspire, and believe.
To find out more about Tajci
and view her concert schedule, visit her website:
http://idobelieve.com/
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