AnnaMaria Cardinalli
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AnnaMaria Cardinalli ( AnnaMaria Cardinalli-Padilla; born 1979) is an American military investigator,
classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...
ist, and operatic
contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...
.


Education

Cardinalli graduated from high school at the age of 14 and college at the age of 18. Her M.A. was awarded at age 20, and, at the age of 24, she became the youngest person to complete a
doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
at the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
. She received a B.A. in
Performing Arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
from
St. Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California is a private Catholic college in Moraga, California, United States. Established in 1863, it is administered by the De La Salle Brothers. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs with a total stud ...
, her M.A. in the Great Books Program from St. John's College in Santa Fe, and completed her Ph.D. in
Theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
, where she majored in
Liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...
Studies with a minor in
Latino Studies Latino studies is an academic discipline which studies the experience of people of Latin American ancestry in the United States. Closely related to other ethnic studies disciplines such as African-American studies, Asian American studies, and N ...
. Her doctoral research focused upon the music and worship practices of the '' Penitentes'', a secretive
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
religious society with roots in medieval Spain. Also at 14, Cardinalli published the nonfiction book ''Why Wait? Graduate!'' (Northwest Publishing, 1995), intended to assist other students seeking early graduation from high school.


Musical career

Cardinalli, performing as ''"AnnaMaria"'', is a classical and flamenco guitarist, as well as an operatic contralto, noted by reviewers for both technical complexity and a feminine sensuality in her interpretive style. Her performances include a solo recital at the Kennedy Center, appearances for the Prince of Spain and
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
, and multiple performances of the ''Concierto de Aranjuez'' with various orchestras. Operatic roles of note have included the First Norn in Wagner's ''Gotterdammerung'' at New York's Lincoln Center and ''La Zia Principessa'' in Puccini's ''Suor Angelica'', which Cardinalli has performed frequently in the United States and Europe. Cardinalli's discography includes guitar and vocal work, as well as one operatic contribution to a hip-hop album featuring
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
. A characteristic of Cardinalli's career is the extent to which she donates proceeds and performs benefit engagements to assist Catholic, humanitarian, and veterans' causes. In 2015, examples included a filmed concert benefiting the preservation of San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the U.S., which airs frequently on the global cable network
EWTN The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic programming. It is the largest Catholic television network in America, and is purported to be "the world's larges ...
(with a reach of 250 million homes in 140 countries), and a New York performance of Elgar's ''Sea Pictures'', a rarely performed song cycle for contralto with Orchestra Amadeus to benefit the anti-human-trafficking efforts of
Covenant House Covenant House is a large, 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization in the Americas, whose goal is to provide safe housing and holistic care to youth ages 16–21 experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking. Covenant House was ...
with homeless youth. By 2017, she announced that all proceeds from her future musical endeavors will be donated to the charitable ends of a Catholic organization which seeks to open a home for children at risk for exploitation and works currently in outreach to the homeless. Cardinalli highly credits Janice Pantazelos as her vocal instructor and Craig Alden Dell as her guitaristic inspiration. Working as ''AnnaMaria'', Cardinalli has released 12 CD's.


Investigative career

Independent of her more public musical career, Cardinalli's previous employers include the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
and the
Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equip ...
, as well as the
U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
, working in
Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
while serving on a
Human Terrain Team The Human Terrain System (HTS) was a United States Army, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) support program employing personnel from the social science disciplines – such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, political science, histori ...
. She is the owner of D'Angelo Global Solutions, a consulting firm functioning as a Private Military Company (PMC) and security operation. Cardinalli is a licensed
private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...
. During her time with the Human Terrain Team, Cardinalli was tasked to research the sexual practices of the
Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
. Her investigation and subsequent report brought to light the prevalent sexual abuse of young boys, and as Sara Carter described it in the ''
Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiar ...
'', the "vast gulf between U.S. and Afghan attitudes about
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
and
pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
". Cardinalli asserts that the practice of abuse plays a role in the early development of terrorists and describes how child sex slaves are often trapped and hidden as young “recruits” to various police, military, and insurgent organizations in Afghanistan. Cardinalli's report led to the announcement that "
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
officials have been aware of the recruitment problem for some time, and the former military commander, Gen.
Stanley A. McChrystal Stanley Allen McChrystal (born 14 August 1954) is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008 during which his organization was credited with the death of Abu Mu ...
, issued an order in 2010 warning troops to be on the lookout for under-age recruits." By 2011, international pressure, significantly fueled by the attention to Cardinalli’s report, led Afghanistan to enter into a historic agreement with the United Nations to “to stop the recruitment of children into its police forces and ban the common practice of boys being used as sex slaves by military commanders.” While the sexuality issue was leaked, and is therefore the most publicized aspect of her investigative career, it is not indicative of its extent. Cardinalli has been associated with the inception of the
U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
Female Engagement Team, the first official involvement of women in an operational capacity "outside the wire", and served as a member of, and mentor to, the first team.


Controversy

Cardinalli's work on sexuality came to national media attention in late 2010. Her report was covered by Joel Brinkley in the
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
, the
Washington Examiner The ''Washington Examiner'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative news magazine based in Washington, D.C., consisting of a website and a weekly printed magazine. It is owned by Philip Anschutz through MediaDC, a subsidiar ...
,
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
,
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
and other media outlets. Cardinalli's better-known musical background caused some responders to question her selection as a researcher for this topic. Cardinalli's academic biography, however, provides insight by mentioning her study of the religious and socio-cultural dynamics underlying conflict between Islamic and western cultures, and her previous use of the ethnographic research techniques required for Human Terrain work. In 2012, a reversal occurred in the U.S. administration’s stance on the issue, when a “U.S. military handbook for troops deployed to the Middle East ordered soldiers not to make derogatory comments about the Taliban or criticize pedophilia.” However, some high-ranking military officials continued to support Cardinalli’s original condemnation of the pedophilia issue as both a moral and critical security concern. U.S. Marine General John R. Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, did not endorse the handbook and rejected a proposed forward drafted by Army officials in his name. “He does not approve of its contents,” according to a military spokesman quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Beyond the report, Cardinalli has articulated her insistence on the non-acceptance of pedophilia as a “cultural norm,” pointing out its role in the psychological development of extremist fighters and its damaging impact on affected cultures, both in media interviews subsequent to the report's leak, and in the book ''Crossing the Wire: One Woman’s Journey into the Hidden Dangers of the Afghan War.'' () Cardinalli remains an advocate against human trafficking and the exploitation of children, and donates a portion of book proceeds to the
Polaris Project Polaris is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to combat and prevent sex and labor trafficking in North America. The organization's 10-year strategy is built around the understanding that human trafficking does not happen in vacuum but rather i ...
. While listing her credentials as a professor of National Security and Intelligence studies, Cardinalli does acknowledge having worked "as a contractor on numerous intelligence, training, defense, and counterintelligence/security projects." It is also known that Cardinalli was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, though injury appears to have discontinued that service.


Academic appointments and awards

Cardinalli has served on the faculty of the Graduate Program of Intelligence and National Security Studies at American Military University. Cardinalli’s military and civilian awards include the Joint Service Civilian Commendation Medal and the
Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism The Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism or Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal is a medal awarded by the United States Department of Defense. It was authorized on August 9, 2007, but may be awarded for expeditiona ...
. She is a 2009 Laureate of the Mother Teresa Award for her artistic efforts, and the 2023 recipient of Notre Dame's Rev. Arthur S. Harvey Award for the promotion of a Catholic vision of social justice through excellence in the performing arts.


Personal life

In the 2018 EWTN program Enduring Legacy, which is hosted and features performances by Cardinalli, she refers to herself as a member of an Association of the Faithful seeking to become a
Society of Apostolic Life A society of apostolic life is a group of men or women within the Catholic Church who have come together for a specific purpose and live fraternally. It is regarded as a form of consecrated (or "religious") life. This type of organization ...
in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. (This lengthy progression of titles is typical of the Catholic canonical process for the establishment of new religious orders.) She announced taking vows in the Association, called Familia Victricis, in 2017. According to the Principles of Foundation of the emerging society, the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience will bind her to donate all earnings from future work to the ends of the order, which, among other goals, seeks to establish an orphanage for the rescue and recovery of children exploited through current conflicts and crises as well as American children at risk for exploitation.


Bibliography

In addition to the publications below, Cardinalli authors media content for Ascension Press archive
here
and Catholic365 archive
here
*AnnaMaria Cardinalli, ''Music and Meaning in the Mass''. Sophia Institute Press, 2020. *AnnaMaria Cardinalli, ''Crossing the Wire: One Woman's Journey into the Hidden Dangers of the Afghan War''. Casemate Publishers, 2013. * Cardinalli-Padilla, AnnaMaria. ''El Llanto: A Liturgiological Journey Into the Identity and Theology of the Northern New Mexican Penitentes and Their Spiritual Siblings.'' Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Notre Dame, 2004. * Annamaria Christina Padilla. ''Why Wait? Graduate''. Northwest Publishing, 1995.


Discography

* Global Guitar: A Prayer for Peace * Enduring Legacy (DVD) * Saving San Miguel Mission (DVD) * Legado y Leyenda (DVD) * Flamenco Steel * El Duo Duende * Sweet Night * Sleep with the Angels * Padre’s Footsteps * Quinceañera * Santa Fe Silver * Spain Never Sleeps * El Rosario * Navidad * AnnaMariaFernandez, Christina. “Padilla: Why Wait?.” Hispanic Magazine September 1995: 9


See also

*
Bacha bazi ''Bacha bāzī'' (, Pashto and Dari: بچه بازی, Literal translation, lit. 'boy play') refers to a pederasty, pederastic practice in Afghanistan in which men exploit and Slavery, enslave adolescent boys for entertainment and/or Sexual ...
(sexual slavery and child prostitution in Afghanistan) *
Military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...
(a discussion of the discipline)


References


External links


"The Song and the Sword," a magazine feature article.

Link to publishers' website regarding ''Crossing the Wire''

Link to publisher's website regarding ''Music and Meaning in the Mass''

Cardinalli's (music career) website

Full text of Cardinalli's controversial report

Notre Dame award citation and acceptance speech, regarding especially Cardinalli's organization's intended home for exploited children and concurrent charitable projects.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinalli, Annamaria 1979 births American classical guitarists American operatic contraltos Hispanic and Latino American women in the arts Living people Musicians from Santa Fe, New Mexico Saint Mary's College of California alumni Female United States Navy personnel University of Notre Dame alumni Women classical guitarists Guitarists from New Mexico 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American singers