 |
|
|
His Greatest Hits |
|
By Jack Nichols
Enrique Iglesias is the best-selling Latin recording artist in the world. I'd heard, natch, of Julio, his equally famous dad, but until my 25-year-old mentor brought the younger Iglesias to my attention, I'd no idea this 24-year old crooner, in only three years, had sold more than ten million copies of his first two albums, Enrique Iglesias and Vivir.
If one thrills to Latino romanticism, Enrique Iglesias becomes a necessity. A recent album, Cosas del Amor, includes six songs written by Enrique himself. Seldom has any performer garnered so much attention in so little time. Winner of the Grammy Award for the Best Latin Pop Performer, Enrique Iglesias surpasses even Ricky Martin as the most impressive Hispanic phenomenon of the last 25 years. It appears he's set to become, like his father, the most famous international singing star of the next decade.
In the United States alone Enrique earned two platinum records, as certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), for sales of over two million copies of his first two records. Nine of his songs have ranked number one on the radio stations of over 19 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia, solid proof that the scope of his career is worldwide. The singles, Si Tu Te Vas, Por Amarte, Experiencia Religiosa, Trapecista and No Llores Por Mi from the first album, Enrique Iglesias , and Enamorado Por Primera Vez, Solo En Ti, Miente y Revolucion, have reached number one status on Billboard Magazine's U.S. list and in 18 other countries. Enrique records in four languages, including Italian, Portuguese and, of course, Spanish. On his newest CD, Bailamos--Greatest Hits, he's recorded Only You in English, his second language, but already he's written a string of new songs in English.
In 1997 Enrique did his first World Tour, titled Vivir. He performed 78 concerts in 13 countries, attended by more than 720,000 people. During his first world tour, Enrique performed at stadiums with capacities in each for over 50,000 spectators. In the United States he sang in 19 different arenas.
Two cargo planes were needed for the Latin American segment of his tour, chartered to transport heavy stage, lighting and sound equipment. When the Vivir World Tour crossed Europe, it became necessary, however, to charter a Jumbo cargo jet. This tour, well-received by the critics, was considered the most spectacular by a Latin performer, making Iglesias not only the best-selling Latin recording artist but also as the one having had the most successful of tours. Enrique Iglesias is known as a perpetual jokester, one who is sportsmanlike, enthusiastic, an old-fashioned romantic, an optimist, a devotee of the cinema, a loyal television viewer and an inveterate consumer of any and all music. He's said to hate photographs, phoniness, limousines, and people with ulterior motives. He also dislikes getting up early in the morning. Since age seven, Enrique has lived in Miami, attending school and absorbing the best of three cultures --Hispanic, European and American --each with its own musical influences.
Enrique Iglesias' list of awards and trophies includes 116 platinum records, 227 gold, 26 international awards, including the 1996 Grammy to the Best Latin Performer, 1997 Billboard Magazine 'Album of the Year', World Music Award to the best-selling Latin recording artist in the world, seven Premio Lo Nuestro awards, two ACE Performer of the Year awards, two ASCAP to the Best Composer in 1996 and 1997, and nominations for Best Latin Performer in the Grammy Awards and the American Music Awards in 1997.
Enrique Iglesias' music in Spanish is also popular in Asia, where he has earned gold or platinum records in Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore. His face gracing the covers of over 250 magazines, Enrique has recorded over 200 television programs in 23 countries. Bailamos--Greatest Hits hosts some of the best of the youthful singer's latest work. Passion, sensuality, and poignant longings flow through these songs capturing the finest of strains in Latino cultures. |
© 1997-99 BEI