Episode 26 of Journeys In Melody features a powerful and joy-filled conversation with Colombian-born worship leader and gospel artist María Del Mar Calderón García, also known as MAR. In this episode, we trace her journey from growing up in Colombia to building a new life and ministry in New Jersey, and how God used that transition to deepen both her faith and her calling through music.

We talk about her early encounters with gospel music, the moment when songs moved from being “art” to becoming ministry, and how her relationship with God has evolved through different seasons of change and challenge. MAR also opens up about navigating the music scene as a Latina gospel artist in the U.S., the cultural tensions she’s faced, and how she has learned to turn obstacles into strength while bridging Latin rhythms with North American gospel sounds in her work.

Together, we explore the heart behind her most personal songs, how she balances creative excellence with spiritual authenticity, and what she hopes listeners feel, think, and pray after hearing her music. She shares vulnerable stories of wanting to give up, the ways God met her in those low moments, and the message she believes she is called to carry to this generation about identity, hope, and surrender.

We also dig into representation and voice: how Latin gospel is expanding the space traditionally shaped by African-American gospel, why visibility for Latina women in Christian music matters, and the unique ways language, rhythm, and spirituality from her heritage show up in her songwriting and worship leading. Finally, MAR reflects on the struggles that changed her as both artist and believer, testimonies of lives touched through her ministry, and the practical habits that keep her grounded, guarded, and rooted in Jesus in a demanding industry.