Monica Molina

The daughter of famed flamenco singer Antonio Molina, Mónica Molina is also the sister of internationally known actress Ángela Molina, a sensual screen presence in films by Buñuel and Almodóvar, among many others. For her part, Mónica Molina grew up in Madrid and began her career in show business as an actress, making her screen debut at age 18 with her sister in 1986's La Mitad del Cielo (released in the U.S. as Half of Heaven in 1988). Further roles followed in the '90s (1992's Demasiado Corazon, 1993's La Ardilla Roja [The Red Squirrel], 1995's Belmonte) before Molina turned to the theater, making her stage debut in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. She went on to appear in a television series with her sister before embarking on a musical career. After her father's death in 1996, she and her brother Noel began work on an album paying tribute to Antonio Molina, with Noel writing the music. Finally released in 1999, to a public previously unaware of her musical ambitions, Tu Desperida (Your Goodbye) became a sizable hit in Spain, selling over 50,000 copies. Two years later, she returned with a follow-up, Vuela, which featured a combination of boleros, ballads, and Portuguese fados. Vuela was an even bigger success, breaking Molina to a more international audience and earning her a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the 2002 Latin Grammy Awards. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide