Gina Rodriguez, star and Golden Globe winner for her breakthrough television performance in Jane the Virgin, is on top of the world these days, as she also stars in the box office hit movie Deepwater Horizon, about the tragic BP oil spill off the Louisiana coastline. When we met, the joyful actress had something interesting to say about music and how she loves this art form capable of crashing barriers between people from different nations.

“I have found that when talking about the Latino experience in America, there is one thing that has been able to cross over without any hitch and without any questioning it, and that is music!” she said. “Music is so visceral and you are drawn to music. Whether you understand the language or not, there’s not an immediate discrimination. Music has been able to cross over in such a beautiful way because it brings people together without a discrimination that makes them fearful.”

And what about as a personal form of expression?, we asked her. “I think music has been a way for me to express myself since I was very young. I started off as a dancer and it brings a sense of joy. I think the music in Jane is spectacular and helps you understand a character’s feelings and emotion and where they are at in their life.”