Rabito.

Rabito was selling records and playing boleros on the radio when, in 1981, he made a decision that changed his career: leave the romantic repertoire behind and sing to Christ. His name is Juan Carlos Fernández, and more than four decades later his songs still play in Hispanic churches.

He was born in Buenos Aires and got into music as a drummer in rock bands, including Los Hampones. His first composition, “Estrechándome,” became a hit and came out as a single in 1972 on London Records, the same label behind his first albums: “Amarte, Amarte una Vez Más” (1973), “Rabito” (1974) and “Melodías” (1976), with songs people still sing along to like “Amor no me abandones” and “Yo el idioto.”

The turning point came when a friend told him his father had been healed of cancer after a prayer of faith in Christ. Soon after, he and his family decided to follow Jesus. That stage produced “Pueblo de Dios” (1983), “Creciendo Día a Día” (1985), “Bajo la Luz de Dios” (1990) and “Sinceridad,” the four records Fonovisa released in 1999 that put his music on Christian radio and in churches across Latin America and the United States.

In 2001 he released “Viva la Vida,” the album that earned him his 2002 Latin Grammy nomination for Best Christian Album in Spanish. In 2004 Fonovisa brought his classics together on “Mensajero del Amor,” and in 2011 came “Música Nueva en el Barrio,” where he blended ballad, mariachi, vallenato and rap without letting go of the message.

Today his official channel tops 320,000 subscribers and his videos add up to millions of views: “Sinceridad” passes 11 million and “Un Mundo Diferente” 2 million. In 2021 he released the single “Oigan,” and in 2024 he returned to one of his songs with “Me Gusta / 37 Años Después.” His story is a reminder of something simple and great: God can take a life, a voice and a fame, and point them in another direction. Which of his songs has been with you?