As one of the biggest new stars to emerge during the mid-'80s, singer Gloria Estefan predated the coming Latin pop explosion by a decade, scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare. Born Gloria Fajardo in Havana on September 1, 1957, she was... [+] Read More

As one of the biggest new stars to emerge during the mid-'80s, singer Gloria Estefan predated the coming Latin pop explosion by a decade, scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare. Born Gloria Fajardo in Havana on September 1, 1957, she was raised primarily in Miami, FL, after her father, a bodyguard in the employ of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, was forced to flee the island following the 1959 coup helmed by Fidel Castro. In the fall of 1975, Fajardo and her cousin Merci Murciano auditioned for the Miami Latin Boys, a local wedding band headed by keyboardist Emilio Estefan. With their addition, the group was rechristened Miami Sound Machine and four years later, Fajardo and Estefan were wed. As Miami Sound Machine began composing their own original material, their fusion of pop, disco, and salsa earned a devoted local following, and in 1979 the group issued their first Spanish-language LP on CBS International. Despite a growing Hispanic fan base, they did not cross over to non-Latin audiences until "Dr. Beat" topped European dance charts in 1984.

With 1985's Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine recorded their first English-language effort, scoring three Top Ten pop hits in the U.S. alone with the infectious "Conga," "Bad Boy," and "Words Get in the Way." For 1988's triple-platinum Let It Loose, the group was billed as Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, reeling off four Top Ten hits -- "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," "Can't Stay Away From You," the chart-topping "Anything for You," and "1-2-3." 1989's Cuts Both Ways was credited to Estefan alone and generated her second number one hit, "Don't Wanna Lose You"; however, while touring in support of the album, on March 20, 1990, her bus was struck by a tractor-trailer. She suffered a broken vertebrae that required extensive surgery and kept her off the road for over a year. Emilio Estefan and the couple's son were injured in the crash as well, but all three recovered. Estefan resurfaced in 1991 with Into the Light, again topping the charts with "Coming Out of the Dark," a single inspired by her near-fatal accident; two more cuts from the album, "Can't Forget You" and "Live for Loving You," secured her foothold on the adult contemporary charts.

With 1993's Mi Tierra, Estefan returned to her roots, recording her first Spanish-language record in close to a decade and earning a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album; on the follow-up, 1994's covers collection Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, she also recalled her dance-pop origins with a rendition of the Vicki Sue Robinson disco classic "Turn the Beat Around." Another all-Spanish effort, Abriendo Puertas, earned the Grammy as well, while Destiny featured "Reach," named the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics. As Latin pop made new commercial headway thanks to the efforts of acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, Estefan reigned as the most successful crossover artist in Latin music history, with international record sales close to the 50 million mark. In 1999, she also made her feature film debut alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, recording the film's title song as a duet with *N Sync and scoring both a massive pop hit and an Oscar nomination in the process. A new Spanish-language album, Alma Caribeña, followed in the spring of 2000. Several months later, Estefan was awarded a Grammy for Best Music Video for "No Me Dehes De Querer at the first annual Latin Grammy Awards. Her husband, Emilio, won for Producer of the Year. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Miguel Bosé has been a force in Latin music in a career that has spanned 21 albums, roles in more than 35 films, his own television show, and work as a theatre director. With Picasso as his godfather and Ernest Hemingway among his family friends, Bosé grew up in the arts, constantly travelling from his Panama homeland to Milan, New York, London,... [+] Read More

Miguel Bosé has been a force in Latin music in a career that has spanned 21 albums, roles in more than 35 films, his own television show, and work as a theatre director. With Picasso as his godfather and Ernest Hemingway among his family friends, Bosé grew up in the arts, constantly travelling from his Panama homeland to Milan, New York, London, Paris, and Madrid. He made his film debut at the age of 15, and at age 21, he began his singing career which eventually lead to international pop stardom.

Between 1977 and 1982, he recorded several albums for CBS, but it wasn't until 1985 that he had his first hit with "Bandido." A year later, he signed with Warner Bros., which led to more introspective LPs like Salamandra, which was overseen by producer Celso Valli (well known for with work with Eros Ramazzotti). This production was followed by XXX, Los Chicos No Lloran, and Directo '90, a live recording compiling many of the artist's hits.

In 1993, Bosé's music moved into a more political vein with the album Bajo El Signo de Cain, which addressed such issues as Yugoslavia's political turmoil, ecological concerns, and aspects of his stardom, and it ended up being his first platinum album. With an increasingly powerful international profile as a singer and actor, he released Laberinto in 1995 and went on a 125-concert tour of Spain and Latin America to support the album.

During his career as an international pop star, Bosé portrayed a cross dresser in Pedro Almodovar's High Heels, worked with Andy Warhol on two videos, and witnessed the banning of his video "No Encuentro un Momento Pa' Olvidar" for its controversial sexual imagery. Defying the contemporary formula for pop success, his music has been described as a global fusion of many musical influences. At the center of his music is all the passion and expression of a Latin artist, yet Miguel Bosé has constantly incorporated more diverse musical elements than many of the genre's crossover pop stars. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Formed around a cast of lovable teenage Puerto Ricans (each of whom were forced out once they reached the age of 16), Menudo was the first Latin group to gain success around the world. The initial lineup formed in 1977 around brothers Carlos, Oscar and Ricky Melendez plus Nefty and Fernando Sallaberry, but the first replacements were installed... [+] Read More

Formed around a cast of lovable teenage Puerto Ricans (each of whom were forced out once they reached the age of 16), Menudo was the first Latin group to gain success around the world. The initial lineup formed in 1977 around brothers Carlos, Oscar and Ricky Melendez plus Nefty and Fernando Sallaberry, but the first replacements were installed before the end of the 1970s. Menudo made a medium-sized splash in America during the mid-'80s -- though all of the original members had long since passed -- with the 1984 LP Reaching Out, which included English-language versions of their biggest hits.


Though Menudo's brand of disposable synthesizer-pop dated and faded quickly in America, the group continued to rule much of Central and South America, and ousted member Ricky Martin made a successful solo career. By the late '90s, there were over thirty ex-members of Menudo, and the then-current version of the group -- known as MDO and including Alexis Grullon, Abel Talamántez, Didier Hernández, Anthony Galindo and Daniel Weider -- included no native Puerto Ricans and none under the age of 16. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

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Jon Secada (he legally changed his first name from Juan in 1990) immigrated to the U.S. at the age of nine in 1971, settling in Miami where his parents opened a coffee shop. He earned both a B.A. and a M.A. in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami. Becoming involved with Gloria Estefan's career, he co-wrote six songs on her... [+] Read More

Jon Secada (he legally changed his first name from Juan in 1990) immigrated to the U.S. at the age of nine in 1971, settling in Miami where his parents opened a coffee shop. He earned both a B.A. and a M.A. in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami. Becoming involved with Gloria Estefan's career, he co-wrote six songs on her multi-platinum 1991 album Into the Light, among them the number one hit "Coming out of the Dark," and sang backup vocals on her subsequent tour. Then he signed to SBK Records and launched his own career with a self-titled debut record in 1992. With only one album, he became one of the biggest adult contemporary artist of the '90s, selling over six million albums worldwide. His smooth mix of R&B, pop, and Latin music appealed to a number of different audiences. As well as becoming a huge English-language pop star, he became one of the hottest Latin artists recording in the '90s; Otro Día Más Sin Verte (a Spanish-language version of Jon Secada) was Billboard's number one Latin album in 1992 and won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. His second English-language album, Heart, Soul & a Voice (1994), sold over a million copies. Amor (1995), his second Spanish-language album, won him another Grammy. Secada (1997) was a commercial disappointment, and the singer moved to Sony Music's Epic Records where his first duties including writing songs for labelmates Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez. In July of 2000, Epic released his label debut, Better Part of Me. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Julio Iglesias was the most popular Latin singer of the '70s and '80s, selling over 100 million albums around the world. Iglesias was a smooth, romantic crooner and his appeal translated to many different countries in many different languages.

Initially, Iglesias planned to be a lawyer. As he studied, he was a goalkeeper for the Real... [+] Read More

Julio Iglesias was the most popular Latin singer of the '70s and '80s, selling over 100 million albums around the world. Iglesias was a smooth, romantic crooner and his appeal translated to many different countries in many different languages.

Initially, Iglesias planned to be a lawyer. As he studied, he was a goalkeeper for the Real Madrid football team. His career as an athlete was ended after an automobile accident in the mid-'60s. While he was recovering, Iglesias started playing guitar and writing songs. Before he began a musical career, he finished his law studies at Cambridge University. In 1968, he was a contestant at the 1968 Spanish Song Festival at Benidorm, singing his original song "La Vida Sigue Igual." Iglesias won the first prize at the contest, which led to a record contract with Discos Columbia, an independent record label.

During the '70s, he toured Europe and Latin America, gaining a large fan base with hits like 1975's "Manuela." By the end of the decade, he was extremely popular -- so popular, CBS International sought out a contract with him. He signed with the label in 1978. Iglesias began to record not only in Spanish, but in Italian and French as well. At the turn of the decade, Julio Iglesias began to pursue the American and British markets by concentrating on his English recordings. His efforts began to pay off in 1981, when his cover of "Begin the Beguine" became a number one hit. It was quickly followed by the compilation record Julio, which became a big success in England and America. However, his major crossover success was 1984's 1100 Bel Air Place, a collection of duets. Featuring the Top Ten hit duet with Willie Nelson "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," the album sold over three million copies in America and peaked at number five on the pop charts; it also spawned "All of You," a hit duet with Diana Ross. Iglesias' popularity continued to grow throughout the '80s, although he only had one more pop crossover hit, 1988's "My Love," a duet with Stevie Wonder.

By the 1990s, he had stopped courting the English pop market and concentrated on recording mainly in Spanish, as well as a handful of other languages. His popularity did not diminish at all in his third decade of recordings -- he was still capable of selling millions of records and selling out concerts around the world. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Marc Anthony was a salsa superstar throughout the '90s, long before the Latin pop explosion of the 1999. Once Ricky Martin ushered in a new era of crossovers that spring with "Livin' la Vida Loca," there was a rush of crossover acts, almost enough to make it seem like Anthony was left behind. After all, his bid for mainstream success as the... [+] Read More

Marc Anthony was a salsa superstar throughout the '90s, long before the Latin pop explosion of the 1999. Once Ricky Martin ushered in a new era of crossovers that spring with "Livin' la Vida Loca," there was a rush of crossover acts, almost enough to make it seem like Anthony was left behind. After all, his bid for mainstream success as the starring role in Paul Simon's broadway musical The Capeman was undone as it became one of the Great White Way's most notorious failures. Still, Anthony had his own English-language album in the works. Titled Marc Anthony, the record appeared in the fall of 1999, guaranteeing it a shot at a mass audience, which is exactly what it was designed to do. As a matter of fact, it's almost a bit too calculated, opening with two interchangeable ballads that set the tone for a pleasant, subdued set of Latin-tinged adult contemporary pop. Anthony sings beautifully throughout, but he's never given the opportunity to be truly electric, the way he can be with hot salsa numbers. The liveliest the album gets is the catchy mid-tempo single "I Need to Know," which is gently danceable, or the mild salsa of "That's Okay" and the Latin dance-pop of "She's Been Good to Me." The rest is almost all pop ballads, perfectly produced and gamely sung by Anthony. Some of these work very well, others simply fade into the slipstream. That's particularly frustrating because Anthony is such a talented singer that it's evident that he's capable of much more than this. Marc Anthony isn't bad for what it is, and a few of its singles are quite good, but it's not at the level of his earlier records, or Martin's crossover bid of 1999, either. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Jon Secada really had only one blockbuster album, but he nevertheless was one of the finest adult contemporary singers of the '90s, as Greatest Hits proves. Released at the tail-end of his Virgin contract, just before he began recording for Sony Music, Greatest Hits covers his first four albums, including not only all of his hits -- "Just... [+] Read More

Jon Secada really had only one blockbuster album, but he nevertheless was one of the finest adult contemporary singers of the '90s, as Greatest Hits proves. Released at the tail-end of his Virgin contract, just before he began recording for Sony Music, Greatest Hits covers his first four albums, including not only all of his hits -- "Just Another Day," "Do You Believe in Us," "Angel," "I'm Free," "If You Go," "Whipped," "Mental Picture" -- but selected highlights from the records themselves. As such, it's a definitive portrait. Secada always sounded good on record, but his material was occasionally uneven. Here, every song connects, making it not only a fine greatest hits collection, but arguably his best record to date. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

It was just a matter of time before Ricky Martin broke into the pop mainstream. By the end of the '90s, he was no longer the kid that used to be in Menudo or the General Hospital heartthrob -- he was a genuine star, ready to bust out of the Latin pop ghetto. His dynamic performance at the 1999 Grammys stole the show, announcing his presence to... [+] Read More

It was just a matter of time before Ricky Martin broke into the pop mainstream. By the end of the '90s, he was no longer the kid that used to be in Menudo or the General Hospital heartthrob -- he was a genuine star, ready to bust out of the Latin pop ghetto. His dynamic performance at the 1999 Grammys stole the show, announcing his presence to middle America -- and conveniently paving the way for the May release of Ricky Martin, his second eponymous album but first English-language record. Like most records that are crafted to sell an artist to a larger audience -- think Celine Dion's Falling Into You -- Ricky Martin is a big, bold album with something to please everyone, from his longtime Latin fans to housewives with a weakness for dramatic ballads. Reportedly two years in the making, the album never makes a wrong move, balancing infectious dance-pop with immaculately crafted power ballads, mid-tempo pop, straight-ahead rockers, and, of course, the inevitable cameos: Madonna on "Be Careful (Cuidado con Mi Corazón)" and Meja on "Private Emotion." Since each track has been so carefully constructed to stand on its own (most likely as a single), the album plays as a series of moments, some more thrilling than others. Although there is inarguably some filler cluttering the record -- and although the production sounds weirdly dated, with tracks like "I Count the Minutes" and "She's All I Ever Had" sounding for all the world as if they were cut in 1985 -- most of the moments work and the opening quartet ("Livin' la Vida Loca," "Spanish Eyes," "She's All I Ever Had," and the irresistibly stupid "Shake Your Bon-Bon") is positively intoxicating. If the rest of the album doesn't live up to the opening salvo, Martin does carry the day with his fine voice and undeniable charisma -- even when the songs aren't distinctive, he brings them alive. And that's the sign of a true star. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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