About Me
Paul and Helen Mateki are two of the most respected Independent artists in the world today! Before Paul fell in love with and married Helen, he worked relentlessly for 10 years, honing his songwriting skills, vocal abilities, becoming a master on the guitar, and a prolific studio producer of all the songs he’s sessioned to include on CDs.
Paul released 5 dynamic CD’s in those early 10 years... the latest one “Something to Sing About†in 2003 with his wonderfully talented wife Helen.
He has recieved untold Independent awards in the European music industry, including ECMA "Independent Album of the Year" 1998 ("Across the Miles," which spent a record-breaking 85 weeks in the ECMA Top 40 Album Chart) along with numerous 1 hits on the European Charts. He is also a valued member of the "Colorado International Country Music Hall of Fame" in the U.S.A.
Paul has shared the stage with and opened for many well known artists, including Lyle Lovett, Gene Watson, Tommy Cash, Norma Jean, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Ernie Ashworth, just to name a few. He has also recorded 3 duets with his good friend Ernie Ashworth, of Grand Ole Opry fame, as well as an appearance with Ernie on the "Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree".
Paul has toured Europe 10 times, in 2006 with Helen, and Australia twice, with ever-increasing chart success, gaining cherished and solid fan support wherever he goes. With the recent inclusion of his talented wife, Helen, in the act, the popularity of their "duo" endeavors and seamless harmonies has caught the ears of DJs and fans throughout the world, keeping them continually high on daily playlists and chart activity.
Known worldwide now as "THE MATEKI’s", and recipients of the European CMA “Duo of the Year†Awards 2005 and are once again nominated for the 2007 award. Paul and Helen are currently working on fresh, new material for their next CD, scheduled to be released in the near future. Paul & Helen are proud members of the “Roots Music Association.â€Helen was born in Aschaffenburg, Germany. Being taught in a Catholic school, she learned singing and found her love in harmonizing. At age fourteen, Helen and her family emigrated to Fort Worth, Texas where she finished her schooling. Knowing that she nor her sister and five brothers spoke English during that summer, they quickly had to learn that language before beginning their first school year in America.
Helen’s musical background in high school was playing cello and learning how to read music, and her dream at one time was to become a cellist. A few years later English became Helen’s very serious study. Learning that her hunger was to be a writer, she began writing poems and short stories. With several poems published, she didn’t do much with her writing. She only had time to work and raise a child after the loss of her first husband. After her son was old enough, she again continued with her writing, but only as a hobby. Now with eighty (80) poems written and several published, she put them in a book called "Thoughts". In 1996, Paul Mateki came into her life, she loved his singing style, loved his song writing, and five years later they married. Now she writes some songs with him, harmonizes wonderfully and in time their voices grew together as one. After singing together for more than a year, the CD "Texasville" started taking shape and was recorded in 2001. Paul invited Helen to sing harmonies on two songs: "Mighty Fine Dog," and "Time Is Short". In November 2002, Paul and Helen had their first 1 hit together in Europe on the "European Media Services Most Popular Chart" with the Renie Peterson song "We’ve Got a Love". 2003 brought out the first collaboration of Paul and Helen with their new CD, "Something To Sing About". Helen’s fine angelic harmonies complement Paul’s singing so much, that in July 2003, their first 1 from the CD "When The River Runs Dry" was on top of the European CMA Charts. Helen’s first attempt at singing lead vocal on "Please Don’t Let Me Let You Go", written by their good friend and songwriter, Renie Peterson, put this song also at 1 on the ECMA Top 100.
Helen can be seen accompanying Paul around Texas singing harmonies, playing percussion and an occasional lead vocal.