Guitarist does good

Musician turns to famous friends for help with project

SW/ALL/VIEW--Promotional posters for Marino Desilva's compilation CD 'Angels Across America'. The CD will help to raise funds for the troops serving in Iraq. Thursday, April 28,2005--View photo by shelly donahue SW/ALL/VIEW--Musician Marino Desilva has recently released a compilation CD entitiled 'Angels Across America' to help raise funds for the troops serving in Iraq. Thursday, April 28,2005--View photo by shelly donahue

Marino De Silva is a man who believes in angels. And as many American troops are risking their lives overseas, a little divine inspiration and support couldn't hurt.

De Silva, a Southern Highlands resident and a guitar sensation, has always been a humanitarian. He has won numerous awards from charitable organizations including a Platinum Award from Team Vico, an organization that helps autistic children, and the Humanitarian of the Year award in 2001 at the Los Angeles Music Awards.

De Silva founded his nonprofit organization, the Angels on Earth Foundation, after he was repeatedly being asked to donate time and musical contacts to various charities.

"I'm not an angel myself but I definitely believe in them," De Silva said. "It's a big thing for people in their lives to know that they're there.

"I've been in the business 25 years now. I started off as a guitar player and I produce as well. There were a lot of different people that came to me and wanted music that had a healing tone to it, for therapy and different things. Eventually I gave in, turned that into a 501c3 company, so that if any music went to hospitals or hospices, it was free of charge."

Because of his long history in the music business, De Silva's list of contacts includes many musical icons and he is currently working on a project with the Rolling Stones.

But he doesn't have to drop names in order to feel the magnitude of his contributions.

"My CD is used by the Muhammed Ali Parkinson's Center, and also by many hospitals," he said. "But I'm still very active in the music business, working with Santana or the Rolling Stones.

"The management in the music business don't know, because they don't understand the concept of free stuff. But because I'm in both worlds, I see myself as a go-between so I can organize things."

Proceeds from his latest CD, entitled "Angels Across America," benefit Homes for our Troops, a national organization that provided houses for troops who return from deployment; Freedom Calls, which allows soldiers to communicate with loved ones overseas; and Soldiers' Angels, a group dedicated to adopting soldiers.

No matter what a person's stance on military involvement overseas, De Silva said the only statement he's trying to make is that we should support those who are doing their jobs.

"This is obviously no political statement, whether people agree or disagree, our men and women are over there and they're sacrificing everything for freedom," he said. "I don't see an end to this. As long as I'm playing guitar, I'll continue to do this.

Music is a very spiritual thing. As long as I'm doing that and performing I think I'll always give back. America's been fantastic to me as a musician and producer. I don't ever imagine saying no."

Some of the songs featured on the "Angels Across America" CD include "Star Spangled Banner" played by Alex Ligertwood of Santana, "America the Beautiful" by Zakk Wylde, who plays guitar with Ozzy Osbourne and the Black Label Society, and "Amazing Grace" by Steve Vai, who has been a member of bands such as Van Halen and Whitesnake.

De Silva's CD is only available on his Web site at angelsacrossamerica.org.