Wonder Woman of the Week: Carrie Rodriguez

Tejano singer/songwriter Carrie Rodriguez was never a stranger to music. As a kindergartener in Texas, Rodriguez discovered the beautiful sound of violin during a nap-time excursion in the hallways of her school. By seventeen, this Wonder Woman of the Week was impressing audiences enough to earn a spot in a music conservatory which led to a tour with her musician father in Europe. In college at Berklee College of Music, Rodriguez "found her groove" and after graduating in 2000, the musician's career began.

In 2001, musician Chip Taylor asked Rodriguez to join him end fellow Hispanic artists (including Carlos Santana, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, Gloria Estefan, and Jose Feliciano) on a European tour. Over the next eight years, Rodriguez toured with Taylor and co-produced a record with him- launching her career to Hispanic-American audiences. Rodriguez then produced two solo albums and recorded live concerts before going on a new tour with Lucinda Williams in 2009.

Following her 2009 tour with Lucinda Williams, Rodriguez produced a cover album (with some original works) covering several Americana artists such as Hank Williams and John Hiatt. In the next two years, Rodriguez appeared on several stages including The Prairie Home Companion and World Cafe before returning to Europe for a new tour. In 2013, Rodriguez returned to her hometown of Austin, Texas to find out the city had named a holiday in her honor to be held annually on January 17th. Rodriguez later performed for the Presidential Inauguration for Barack Obama, produced a new album, and continued to earn the praise of the international music community.