Julye Keeble|Leader-News
Steve Gonzalez (left) of Next Level Media of Corpus Christi films Johnny Arreola, singer for Grammy Award-winning music group Los Palominos, as he pays tribute at the grave of his late brother, Jesse Arreola. The video, for the Christian song “Puedo Imaginarme” was recorded in September and released this month.
Johnny Arreola, singer for Grammy Award-winning music group Los Palominos, has released a new Christian faith music video entitled, “Puedo Imaginarme,” which was filmed in part in Uvalde.
The song, which is the Spanish language version of the song, “I Can Only Imagine” is intended to be a message of hope during trying times, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a source of solace for anyone who has lost a loved one, Arreola says.
In the video, Arreola, part of the Grammy award-winning Tejano group Los Palominos, pays tribute to his late brother, the band’s former drummer, at his grave in Hillcrest Cemetery.
Los Palominos includes Johnny Arreola on vocals, keyboards and accordion; James Arreola, lead vocals, bajo sexto and guitar; Jorge Arreola on bass; Julio Arreola, drums; and Jimmy Arreola, sound mixing. The late Jesse Arreola was the band’s previous drummer.
The video was filmed in September and released earlier this month.
The 1946 Chevy truck seen in the beginning of the video belongs to Arreola’s father and is a beloved possession.
Though his work with the Palominos means much to him, when Arreola needed an outlet for his Christian faith, he decided to record a solo album. His first Christian album, called, “Gracias” was released in August of 2017.
Arreola and his wife, Amber, said they were saved by the Lord about a dozen years ago and share a strong family faith.
The church who helped them become saved also appears in the video, which ends with a tribute to lost loved ones and a Bible verse.
Due to the pandemic, things are paused for Los Palominos, which Arreola says created the perfect time for him to focus on sharing his faith and not taking away from the brothers’ band.
Arreola said the first song has a testimony behind it, which happened right after he recorded his first solo album.
“It’s all for God,” he said, adding he is just a vessel.
“When I had my first CD recorded, it was back in 2017, right after I had recorded it, a friend of the family lived in Dimmitt, up by Amarillo. She was dying, she had stage four cancer,” Arreola said. “A friend of my mom’s, a friend of the family, she was already on her death bed. We went up there just to pray for her, ask for a miracle, and offer some comfort for the family. We got there and within about 40 minutes she passed away.”
He said the woman loved gospel songs, and had been listening to his album, as well as family members singing to her.
He and his wife each took one of the woman’s hands, and began praying and expressing their love for her and the family.
Unaware that the woman’s husband had become overwhelmed and requested no more songs, Arreola asked if he might sing, and he and the woman’s sister, a pastor, began singing.
“When she heard my voice she lifted up her hands and she began worshiping with us,” Arreola said. As the woman’s sister encouraged her to “go with God,” they performed about three songs.
His wife felt moved to begin the Lord’s Prayer, and Arreola and his wife said they felt the presence of the Lord at that time, grabbing the woman’s hand to lead her home as she died.
“Can you imagine, Jesus and God were there. He used our hands,” Amber Arreola said, and the couple kept remarking to each other they could only imagine the power of God’s love and their friend’s faith.
Julye Keeble|Leader-News
Johnny Arreola and his wife, Amber, review video footage taken at Hillcrest Cemetery for use in Arreola’s Christian faith music video.
On the way home, they marveled at the experience, and Arreola was struck by the though of looking for a Spanish translation of the song.
Arreola said he found one, then called his label and asked to record the Spanish language version and add it to his first Christian album.
After listening to “Puedo Imaginarme,” and a couple other songs, he was asked by the label to record another CD.
Work began in 2018 and finished around March of 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and so there has been some delay regarding the release date.
The song, and others, will be released on Arreola’s upcoming second Christian album, “Nomás Un Camino Hay” on the Freddie Records label. The album is expected to have 14 tracks.
The couple also run Solana Ministries, which can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram.
The video, filmed by Next Level Media of Corpus Christi, can be seen on YouTube at youtu.be/KUrbgHt-QSs.
Los Palominos released an album in October of last year, entitled “Con La Fuerza De Un Huracán.” That album is available for purchase at www.freddiestore.com and on all major digital platforms.
jkeeble@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335
