6 Catholic singer-songwriters who conquer Latin America with their praise music

Athenas Vénica, Katia del Cid, Verónica Sanfilippo, Celinés Díaz, Nathalí Paredes and Kairy Márquez are conquering Latin America with their praise music. These Catholic singer-songwriters inspire and strengthen the faith of thousands with their melodies full of devotion and hope.

In this article, they share their inspiration, what it means to be a woman and make music for God, and we also present their most recent musical production.

Athens

Athens is an Argentine singer-songwriter recognized for her international impact. She has sung in 20 countries and more than 150 cities, and in 2022 she was nominated for a Latin Grammy for her album Alpha and Omega. With more than 300 million views on YouTube, your channel is one of the most popular among Spanish-speaking Catholic female singers.

He has released several albums, including Christ Queen, Your Grace is Enough for Me, Everything is yours y Alpha and Omega, all with the collaboration of her husband, Tobías Buteler. Additionally, they have recorded Catholic prayers and psalms, consolidating their influence.

The artist’s latest release is Maria your love, a song he learned during the baptism of his goddaughter, Josefa. Composed by his friend Francisco Flores, this musical piece reviews the role of Mary in the history of Salvation.

“Our source of inspiration is ‘service’. We ask God for the songs that the Church needs. Many times the best way to try a song is to share it with others or use it on the music service and see how people receive it,” Athenas expressed in an interview with ACI Prensa for this list.

According to the artist, the most beautiful thing that believing women can contribute is their “testimony as Mothers, wives and women who seek to imitate the Virgin Mary and seek holiness.” “That is then reflected in our ministries,” she said.

Celines Diaz

Celinés She was born in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), surrounded by the love of her family and a solid Catholic education. Since she was a child, her passion for singing and composing led her to dream of becoming a singer. This dream materialized in 2001 when, in Miami, Florida (United States), she signed a record contract with BMG US Latin and released her first album. However, despite this achievement, she felt incomplete and she began a search for her true purpose.

Years later, she was invited to a Catholic retreat where she had an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, which completely transformed her heart and showed her her true purpose in life.

“18 years ago I had a personal encounter with the living Jesus, which changed my life and led me to leave everything to follow Him. For 15 years I received the call to serve God in the ministry of worship and evangelization through the music,” he told ACI Prensa.

Celinés studied Clinical Psychology, which has supported her mission, and today, married and a mother, she is a happy missionary. Celinés has three productions of Catholic music and several singles, intended for both believers and those far from the faith.

The last musical release was the acoustic version of his song Do not give up. According to Celinés, this song seeks to “bring hope to those who are going through difficult times and have been on the verge of giving up. Remind them that in Jesus they will always find an answer. In Him is our comfort, our strength and even the meaning of our life.”

The artist assures that in her songs she likes to “share testimonies based on experiences of faith.” “God always wants to speak to us. You just have to have your ears and heart wide open. And at any moment, he can surprise us,” she assured.

When asked about the role of women in Catholic music, she assured that women have “a lot to contribute.” “Her experiences as a Christian, lay or consecrated, as a wife, mother or daughter, sensitize her heart and open it to many realities that can and need to be touched through music,” she added.

Veronica Sanfilipo

Veronica is an Argentine Catholic singer-songwriter, raised in a Catholic family and actively involved in Argentine Catholic Action since she was little. At age 16, she founded a music ministry to serve her parish community, later expanding to retreats and worship.

“God is very wise when it comes to giving us gifts, when it comes to thinking about every detail of our life, and I feel and am convinced that He gave me the gift of music to keep me close to Him,” she told ACI Press.

In 2017, with the support of Athenas and Jonatan Narvaez, he released his first compositions, marking a pivotal point in his career. Since then, she has released four albums and collaborated with several Catholic artists, extending his mission internationally. Her most recent release is the song Jesus livesreleased for Easter Sunday.

“The central message of the song is the announcement of a Christ who, although he died on the cross, rose again for us to offer us salvation. And that not only was he resurrected, but he is resurrected every day in the heart of each person, who believes it this way, who lives it this way and who feels it this way, that resurrected Christ who is with us every day,” he maintained.

Regarding the role of women in Catholic music, she expressed: “I believe that when it comes to conquering hearts for Christ, women have been given more subtlety, more delicacy, more tools for this conquest. The delicacy of a woman’s sweet voice in some melody, sometimes I think she can touch many more hearts.”

Katia del Cid

Katia the Cid is a Guatemalan Catholic singer-songwriter, born in 1992. Since she was little, she showed an inclination towards music. She studied violin at the National Conservatory of Music and graduated in marketing and advertising at the Rafael Landívar University. She received training in vocal technique, music production and vocal production.

His career in Catholic music was consolidated when he joined the Alfareros ministry in 2013, with whom he missioned full-time for eight years, standing out for his participation in the Latin Grammy for the album 70 times 7. In 2022, she released her first solo material, “For Those Who Wait”, based on her personal story and faith. She currently resides in the United States with her husband Brian Eckmann.

On May 3, Katia premiered Santo, in collaboration with the singer Kairy Márquez. “With ethereal sounds and soul pop rhythms, this song is one of worship and appeals to all the senses. The repetition of the word ‘Holy’ three times is a Hebrew expression that denotes a superlative, and means ‘Most Holy’. Its objective is to help whoever listens to it enter the Heart of Jesus and worship Him with reverence,” she explained to ACI Prensa.

She says that she has received several testimonies, especially from girls, “who have felt identified with her latest production and that for the glory of God it has brought them hope regarding their vocation, in the midst of their waits.”

“Knowing that God has a plan for each one of us and trusting in his processes helps us live today with purpose, to recover peace in those moments when despair and loneliness knock on our door,” he said.

Katia believes that women have “a very particular sensitivity” and that, although “today’s culture sees femininity as a weakness,” in reality it is “a very precious gift that we are called to live with joy and responsibility.”

Nathalí Paredes

Nathalí She began her path in Catholic music when a friend invited her to sing to Jesus in the Eucharist, a moment that marked the beginning of her musical passion. Since then, she has dedicated more than a decade to worshiping God through music.

In 2013, she participated in World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the fervor of the Holy Spirit ignited in her a desire to serve Jesus more broadly. This impulse led her to form Tabor Ministry in 2014. During the 2020 pandemic, Nathalí experienced a profound reunion with Jesus that revitalized her faith and creativity, leading her to compose new songs and launch her career as a solo artist.

Nathalí has ​​continued to expand her work with significant releases such as It’s youhis first single as a soloist, and collaborations with other Catholic artists, such as Ítala Rodríguez in the song I belong to you.

“My latest release has been the video clip for Rejoice Mariaa song inspired by the prayer we do at work, to praise and love our mother Mary,” the artist told ACI Prensa.

According to the singer-songwriter, “music is born from prayer.” “Each song is inspired by my own lived experiences and the word of the Lord. “I am inspired by prayer, the Bible and my personal experiences, such as the song ‘It’s You’, which is about returning to our first love, Jesus.”

Regarding the role of women in Catholic music, she considers “it is important that more women are encouraged to do so.” “Women can identify with other women and help through their songs. “I think that seeing a woman who lives her life with God and seeks to be holy is admirable and can inspire others,” she said.

Kairy Márquez

Kairy is a Catholic singer-songwriter born in the Dominican Republic, raised in New York (United States), and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She has recorded two albums, Volar e Unconditional, and has traveled to several Latin American countries, as well as Italy and Spain to share the Gospel and lead praise so that many may encounter Jesus and worship him. She includes Eucharistic adoration in all of her concerts. She has been married to her husband Edwin since 2003 and they have three children.

The latest single released by Kairy is titled Consolesa song based on Matthew 5:3 “blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

“The source of my inspiration is always the Word of God and moments of prayer in the Holy Sacrament. Also in my daily life as a wife, mother, and housewife. I have written many songs while doing my housework, haha,” he revealed to ACI Prensa.

Kairy shared with ACI Prensa the testimony of two people who listened to his music and positively encouraged them in their process of conversion and inner healing: “One person told me that he listened to our singing a lot. Eucharist during his process of conversion to Catholicism and approach to the Blessed Sacrament. This simple song along with other elements (of course) helped him open his heart to the living and real presence of Jesus the Eucharist.”

“Another brief testimony is that of a girl who suffered from depression who one day heard our singing. Wake up and at that moment she began to pray to God to heal her. She told me that this was the beginning of her inner healing process. Glory to God always! ”She concluded.