Marana | ar

Maranatha! Music was founded in 1971 by Chuck Smith Sr. of Calvary Chapel to promote the “Jesus Music” his young hippie followers were writing and singing up and down the California coast. In the early years, Maranatha! Music signed artists because of their passionate profession of faith through music. These songs became the seminal calling card of the worship music genre of that time and belonged to the Maranatha! song catalog. Back then, these songs were on the fringe of what the established church felt was appropriate for church music but they were being sung by millions of young people...

Maranatha! Music began as a non-profit outreach of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The Jesus People of the late 1960s and early 1970s began to write new hymns and worship songs with a folk-rock style. Maranatha! Music was founded at this time in order to publish and promote this new type of Christian music. Founder Chuck Smith sold the label to his nephew Chuck Fromm. The label is currently distributed by Warner Music Entertainment's Word Music. .