Mónica Rodríguez.

In 2010, a Venezuelan singer took the Latin Grammy for Best Christian Album in Spanish, beating out Álex Campos, Danilo Montero, and Jesús Adrián Romero. Her name is Mónica Rodríguez, she's from Maracaibo, and that album, «Tienes que creer», is still sung in Hispanic churches.

She started in her church's choir and launched her solo career in 2007. Her first album, «Tú me cuidarás» (2009), put her on the radio across Venezuela and took her on tour through the United States, Central America, and Spain. A year later came «Tienes que creer»: with that record she won the 2010 Latin Grammy and became the first Venezuelan woman to win one.

In 2013 she released «Encontré su amor», which earned her another Latin Grammy nomination and her first at the Premios Arpa. The following year brought «Mi Dios grande», her last studio album, and then a singles phase: «Fuiste tú» (2021), nominated at the 2022 Premios Arpa for Best Female Vocal Album or Track, and «Tu voz» (2022) with urban artist Travy Joe.

Her music is worship dressed in pop: direct lyrics, choruses the congregation learns on the first pass, and a voice that needs no adornment. She shared the stage on Marcos Witt's «25 Conmemorativo» tour and now lives in Miami, where her official channel features performances at Alpha y Omega church, like «Me basta» live (2024).

If she wasn't on your list, «Me basta» and «Tienes que creer» are a good entry point: that's where you hear where that Grammy came from and why she keeps showing up on Christian awards lists more than a decade later. Which Hispanic worship artist would you like to see in the next profile?