Martha Roseli Heredia Rivas is a Dominican singer and songwriter from Santiago de los Caballeros. She won the fourth season of Latin American Idol in 2009 and remains the only Dominican to have taken that competition, and she has worked since across Latin pop, R&B, bachata and urban music.

Una Vía

She was born in 1991 and found at about thirteen that she could write as well as sing. With her brother Luis Felipe she put together a group called Una Vía, working in hip hop and reggaetón, and she was writing her own material before any of it reached a stage. A period of work in the United States followed, and she went on writing there.

Latin American Idol

The competition she entered in 2009 was regional rather than national, drawing contestants from across Latin America and staging its later rounds in Argentina. She won it, which no Dominican had done in the three previous seasons, and came home to a reception the country reserves for people who win things abroad. The Premio Nacional de la Juventud followed, and she appeared at the Casandra Awards and on the Latin Billboard carpet.

The songs

Dame Luz is the record most people know, and Para Toda la Vida, La Rikita and No Me Resigno belong to the same run. Me Voy, El Mal Sabor, Baila pa’ Mí and Novio Nuevo followed. She recorded Tienes Dueño with Manny Cruz in 2019, and appeared as a guest on Nuevo Novio by Don Miguelo.

The return

She returned to recording in 2022 with a run of collaborations inside the Dominican urban scene, among them work with Químico Ultra Mega, and released the album Legado the same year, thirteen tracks including Bye Bye, Quiero Bailar and Yo Sé Que Tú. She also put out a freestyle session, which closed a circle back to the hip hop she had started in with her brother.