Music in Spanish

Chayanne

Chayanne is a Puerto-Rican singer/actor who rose to fame as a young boy with boy band, “Los Chicos” (The Boys). He had previously auditioned for another band called Menudo but was turned away for being too young. Interestingly, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” star, Ricky Martin was a member of Menudo as a youngster. He was by far the most popular member of the band. Chayanne’s real name is Elmer Figueroa, but his mother nicknamed him Chayanne after a popular 50s television programme. When “Los Chicos” broke up in 1984, Chayanne decided to pursue a solo career. He quickly got signed by a record company called RCA and released an album called “Chayannees mi nombre” (Chayenne is my name). The following year, Chayanne switched to Sony Music and released a self-titled album which proved exceedingly popular. Throughout Chayanne’s career, he sold a grand total of 15 million albums.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan is a singer-songwriter born in Cuba. She has sold in excess of 30 million records in the US alone and more than 100 million worldwide. She has won 7 Grammy Awards and is undoubtedly the most successful Latin crossover artist of all time. Gloria Estefan married the lead singer from Miami Sound Machine, Emilio Estefan. She publicly admitted to the fact that he was her first and last love. Together, the couple has two grown-up children, Nayib and Emily. The private island where the Estefan family live is only accessible via the Macarthur Causeway at low tide. In 2010, Nayib married a girl called Laura in the back garden of his parents luxury abode in Miami Beach, Florida. In the summer of 2012, the 1^stEstefan grandchild was born, a little girl called Sasha Estefan Coppola.

Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin is a Puerto-Rican pop star. He rose to fame at the tender age of twelve as a member off all-boy pop group, Menudo. He has been a solo artist since 1991 when he released his debut album, self-titled, Ricky Martin. In 1999, after releasing numerous Spanish language albums, he released his first album in English which featured the hit single “Livin’ La Vida Loca”. For many years, fans speculated about Martin’s sexuality; and in 2010, he made the announcement that confirmed everyone’s suspicions. Martin has two sons from a surrogate mother called Matteo and Valentino. Martin is the co-owner of a restaurant and he earnt a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. Martin was granted Spanish citizenship in 2011 due to his native Spanish grandmother and his sizeable contribution to the world music industry. Ricky Martin established the Ricky Martin Foundation to advocate the well-being of children worldwide. Ricky Martin was inspired to take matters into his own hands when he witnessed the rescue of 3 little girls from the streets of India. The foundation’s principal goal is to abolish child trafficking.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is an American singer, dancer and actress. She comes from humble beginnings and her parents advised her against becoming a movie star, warning their daughter that “no Latinos do that”. Lopez’s relatively poor parents raised their three daughters in a residential area of The Bronx in New York City. Lopez recalls her parents saving up for a two-storey house which was considered a big deal for quite a poor family. In 2001, JLO became the 1^st person to have a #1 album and film simultaneously when she released her 2^nd studio album “JLO” and her film The Wedding Planner in the same week. Lopez is famous for appearing at the 2000 Grammy Awards dressed in a plunging green chiffon dress by Versace. This dress is considered to be one of the most famous of all time alongside “that dress” worn by Elizabeth Hurly at the 1994 premiere of “Four Weddings and a Funeral”. Lopez is one of the most influential Latin performers of all time as well as one of the most highly paid. Lopez got married to long-term friend Marc Anthony in 2004 and 4 years later, she gave birth to twins.

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish Singer and the youngest son of Julio Iglesias, also a Spanish singer, who has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. Iglesias began a successful crossover career into the English language music market, largely thanks to Ricky Martin and Gloria Estefan who had already popularized Latin music in the UK. Enrique is one of the best selling Spanish artists of all time, having sold in excess of 100 million albums since the start of his career in the nineties. Iglesias has been ranked in 2^ndplace for “Latin Artist of the Year”, only beaten by “The Sun of Mexico”, Luis Miguel. Arguably the most popular Iglesias hit of all time, “Hero”, was released in 2001 on his second studio album, “Escape”. Capitalizing on the success of album #2, Iglesias did a world tour, encompassing a sold-out night in Madison Square Garden, New York and another show in San Juan, Puerto Rico.