o Enrique Iglesias This article is about the singer. For the Uruguayan economist, see Enrique V. Iglesias. For the self titled albums, see Enrique (album) and Enrique Iglesias (album). This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Iglesias and the second or maternal family name is Preysler. Enrique Iglesias Iglesias performing in August 2011 Background information Birth name Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler Born May 8, 1975 (age 38)[1] Madrid, Spain[2] Origin Madrid, Spain Instruments Vocals, guitar Labels Fonovisa (1994–1998) Interscope (1999–2010) Universal Music Latino (1999– present) Universal Republic (2010– present) Website enriqueiglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (English /ɛnˈriːkeɪ ɪ ˈɡlɛsiəs/; Spanish pronunciation: [enˈrike iˈɣlesjas], born May 8, 1975), simply known as Enrique Iglesias, is a Spanish-American singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer. Iglesias started his career in the mid-1990s on an American Spanish Language record label Fonovisa which helped turn him into one of the biggest stars in Latin America and the Hispanic Market in the United States becoming the biggest seller of Spanish- language albums of that decade. By the turn of the millennium he made a successful crossover into the mainstream market and signed a multi-album deal with Universal Music Group for an unprecedented US $48,000,000 with Universal Music Latino to release his Spanish albums and Interscope to release English albums. In 2010, he parted with Interscope and signed with another Universal Music Group label, Universal Republic. Iglesias has sold over 100 million units worldwide, making him one of the best selling Spanish language artists of all time.[3] He has had five Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, including two number-ones, and holds the record for producing 23 number-one Spanish-language singles on the Billboards Hot Latin Tracks. He has also had 13 number-one songs on Billboards Dance charts, more than any other single male artist.[4] Altogether, Iglesias has amassed more than 70 number-one rankings on the various Billboard charts.[5] Billboard has called him The King of Latin Pop and The King of Dance. Early life Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain, and is the third and youngest child of singer Julio Iglesias and socialite and magazine journalist Isabel Preysler. Isabel Preyslers aunt is Neile Adams, first wife of Steve McQueen, making Iglesias second cousins with Steven R. McQueen. [6] He was raised with two older siblings: Chabeli Iglesias and Julio Iglesias, Jr.. His mother is Filipino [7] and his father is of Spanish ancestry from Galicia and Andalusia. His father also claims to have Jewish ancestry on his mothers side.[8][9] His parents were divorced in 1979. In 1986, Iglesias grandfather, Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga, was kidnapped by the armed Basque terrorist group ETA. For their safety, Enrique and his brother, Julio Iglesias, Jr., were sent to live with their father in Miami. [10] He also lived in Belgrade, Serbia, for one year with his mother.[11] As his fathers career kept him on the road, the young Iglesias was raised by the family nanny. He attended the prestigious Gulliver Preparatory School, where he made his singing debut in a production of Hello, Dolly!.[12] Although his mother is ethnically Filipino, Enrique does not speak Tagalog. [13] Iglesias is fluent in Spanish and English, the latter influencing and making a regular appearance in his songs. Iglesias later went on to study business at the University of Miami.[14] Iglesias did not want his father to know about his plans for a musical career and did not want his famous surname to help advance his career. He borrowed money from his family nanny and he recorded a demo cassette tape which consisted of a Spanish song and two English songs. Approaching his fathers former publicist, Fernán Martínez, the two promoted the songs under the stage name Enrique Martínez with the backstory of being an unknown singer from Guatemala. Iglesias was signed the Mexican label Fonovisa. After dropping out of college, he traveled to Toronto to record his first album.[15] Music career 1995–1996: Enrique Iglesias On July 12, 1995, Iglesias released Enrique Iglesias, a collection of light rock ballads, including hits such as Si Tú Te Vas, Experiencia Religiosa, and others. The record sold half a million copies in its first week, a rare accomplishment then for an album recorded in a language other than English, going Gold in Portugal within the first week of release, and sold over a million copies in the next three months.[12] His song Por Amarte was included in Televisas telenovela Marisol, but with a twist: instead of Por amarte daría mi vida (To love you, Id give my life), the words were Por amarte Marisol, moriría (To love you, Marisol, Id die). The CD also yielded Italian and Portuguese editions of the album, with most of the songs translated into those languages. Five singles released from this album, such as Por Amarte, No Llores Por Mí, and Trapecista topped the Billboards Latin charts. The album went on to win Iglesias a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance. 1997–1999: Vivir and Cosas Del Amor Iglesias with Ronald McDonald in 1999, his Cosas del Amor tour was sponsored by McDonalds. In 1997, Iglesias stardom continued to rise with the release of Vivir (To Live), which put him up with other English language music superstars in sales for that year. The album also included a cover version of the Yazoo song Only You, translated into Spanish as Solo en Tí. Three singles released from Vivir ( Enamorado Por Primera Vez, Sólo en Ti and Miente) topped the Latin singles chart as well as those in several Spanish- speaking countries. Along with his father and Luis Miguel, Iglesias was nominated for an American Music Award in the first-ever awarded category of Favorite Latin Artist. It was said beforehand that the elder Iglesias would walk out if he did not win the award. Iglesias lost out to his father, but did perform the song Lluvia Cae at the event. Insisting on playing stadiums for his first concert tour, that summer, Iglesias, backed by sidemen for Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel, played to sold-out audiences in sixteen countries. Beginning in Odessa, Texas the tour went on to three consecutive nights in Mexicos Plaza de Toros, two consecutive nights at Monterreys Auditorio Coca Cola and two at the Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina to over 130,000 people as well as 19 arenas in the U.S.[16] In 1998, Iglesias released his third album, Cosas del Amor (Things of Love). Taking a more mature musical direction, the album, aided by the popular singles Esperanza and Nunca Te Olvidaré, both of which topped the Latin singles chart, helped cement his status in the Latin music scene. Iglesias did a short tour of smaller venues to accompany the release of the album, with one show being televised from Acapulco, Mexico. This was followed by a larger world tour of over eighty shows in even bigger venues. The Cosas del Amor Tour was the first ever concert tour sponsored by McDonalds. He won an American Music Award in the category of Favorite Latin Artist against Ricky Martin and Chayanne. The song Nunca te Olvidaré was also used as the theme music for a Spanish soap opera of the same name and he sang the song himself on the last episode of the series.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 16:34:56 +0000
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