Stefani Montiel

Stefani Montiel is a Tejano singer based in San Antonio, Texas, with a deep catalog of album releases, including several on Sony Music during the mid- to late '90s. Born Stefani Barela Sullivan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she made her full-length album debut at age nine with Angel Baby, a pop effort that was reissued in 2008. Years later, she was offered a major-label recording contract with Sony Music. Known then as simply Stefani, she released five albums in association with the label: Te Voy Enamorar (1994), Todo Mi Amor (1995), Porque Soy Mujer (1997), Baila Conmigo (1998), and Dulce Sensacion (1999), the latter of which was her first released as Stefani Montiel. After the turn of the century, Montiel signed with the independent label World Records. Her first release on the label was Takin' on the World (2004). Several years later, she released The Music of Joe Barela (2008), an album of material written by her uncle, Joe Barela. Her third full-length release on World Records, Divina (2009), was her most successful album in years, spawning a couple singles ("Labios Venenosos," "Sigo Enamorada") and earning her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Tejano Album. ~ Jason Birchmeier