Olga Tañón

After establishing herself among the top merengue superstars from the 1990s, Olga Tañón broadened her style to add not merely tropical music but additionally Latin pop, even though a few of her crossover efforts didn’t earn the praise of critics, she re-established herself strongly in 2005 using a back-to-basics album, Una Nueva Mujer, that awarded her with substantial acclaim. Throughout everything, even through the most attempting situations of her profession, the Puerto Rican vocalist nonetheless preserved a devoted pursuing. Tañón was most passionately adored through the middle-’90s, when she was the undisputed Queen of Merengue (a name debatably handed along to Milly Quezada) and was referred to as La Mujer de Fuego. Her accept of Latin pop — 1st with a local Mexican recording of Marco Antonio Solís tracks, Nuevos Senderos (1996), and with an recording helmed by pop crossover maker Kike Santander, Te Acordarás de Mí (1998) — caused some rifts among her group of fans; however, in addition, it expanded her marketplace reach considerably, breaking her from the exotic music bin and in to the better Latin continuum. As Tañón was breaking in to the Latin pop mainstream, she was also suffering from some upheaval in her personal lifestyle, which, combined with the blended reception of her albums Yo por Ti (2001) and Sobrevivir (2002), still left her career more and more on rocky surface. A influx of retrospective produces, including Exitos en Video (2002), A Puro Fuego (2003), and Como Olvidar: Lo Mejor de Olga Tañón (2005), bought period while she ready her grand return, Una Nueva Mujer (2005). This solely tropical record proved effective on all matters, and Tañón discovered herself back the limelight, a calendar year later shifting from Warner Music Latina, the label she known as house throughout her profession, to Univision, a mass-media conglomerate located in Mexico Town. The youngest of four kids, Tañón was created Apr 13, 1967, to middle-class parents José, who proved helpful for the moving firm, and Carmen Tañón in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Her performing career began within the 1980s with Todas las Nenas de Ringo y Jossie, before she became a member of the merengue group Chantelle, with whom she have scored a big strike, “Aunque Tu No Quieras,” in 1989. Chantelle had been a rarity among merengue serves of that time period, that have been generally male, as well as the three girls enjoyed a whole lot of achievement during their work, which found a finish with ¡Qué Bien! in 1993, per year after Tañón produced her single debut, Sola. Released by WEA Latina, exactly the same label which was house to Chantelle, Sola wasn’t a significant achievement, yet it do sufficiently for Tañón to break from Chantelle and continue her single result. Her follow-up record, Mujer de Fuego (1993), demonstrated markedly more lucrative, breaking in to the Best Latin Albums graph and spawning several strikes: “Contigo o sin Ti,” “Muchacho Malo,” “No Me Puedes Pedir,” “Vendras Llorando,” and “Presencie Tu Amor,” the second option which was a high Ten hit at the top Latin Tracks graph. Tañón’s next recording, Siente un Amor… (1994), was a lot more effective. Similar however you like to her 1st two albums, Siente un Amor… once more employed the attempts of first-rate merengue arrangers Manuel Tejada, Juan Valdés, and Jamie Querol. And like previous albums, it leaned greatly on several choice songwriters, in cases like this Raldy Vázquez, Gustavo Márquez, and Rodolfo Barreras. The effect was a refinement of what experienced proven so effective on Mujer de Fuego, and even Siente un Amor… upped the amount of achievement. It broke in to the Best Five of the very best Latin Albums graph (peaking at number 2 around the even more specialized Tropical/Salsa graph) and produced a string of strike singles that lasted to get a year-and-a-half: “Ha sido Mentiroso,” “Receta del Amor,” “Aún Pienso en Ti,” “Entre la Noche y un Día,” “Ya Me Cansé,” and “Una Noche Más” — that’s, half the record. Amid this absurd achievement, WEA Latina got the liberty of issuing a cash-in compilation, Exitos con Mas (1995), that curved up tracks from Tañón’s three albums up to now and, even more notably, boasted a 12-minute megamix. At this time with time, Tañón was by far the best tropical music superstar of your day, probably contested just by the brand new York salsa musician India, whose Dicen Que Soy (1994) was a likewise astonishing achievement. The Puerto Rican Senate also proceeded to go as far as to approve legislation in 1995 that could enshrine November 9 as Un Día de Olga Tañón. So that it was a significant surprise to find out her go back to industry with an record of Latin pop tracks compiled by Mexican superstar Marco Antonio Solís, Nuevos Senderos (1996). The gambit demonstrated commercially wise, nevertheless, as the recording opened fresh floodgates of achievement; for example, the lead solitary, “¡Basta Ya!,” topped both Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay graphs while also carrying out well around the Tropical/Salsa and Regional Mexican Airplay types. A set of additional strikes, “Me Subes, Me Bajas, Me Subes” and “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” verified the knowledge of repositioning Tañón like a Latin pop designer. And if some of her hardcore exotic fans were annoyed using the crossover move, the next discharge of Llévame Contigo (1997) provided them nothing at all further to complain about, for this granted them their desire become a reality: a full-on go back to the merengue of Tañón’s preliminary albums, featuring come back appearances by every one of the highlighted songwriters (Vázquez, Márquez, and Barreras — who wrote the majority of Siente un Amor… — in addition to Yaidelice Monrrozeau, who’d created several key tunes about Sola and Mujer de Fuego). Obviously, the recording, which essentially was a triumph lap within the wake of all achievement Tañón have been accumulating in the last years, was an enormous achievement: the very first record of hers to attain number one at the top Latin Albums graph. Also in 1997, Tañón made an appearance as Mary Magdalene within a exotic music-themed Puerto Rican creation of Jesus Christ Superstar that included a few of her music. Pursuing such dizzy levels, Tañón’s career had taken some twists and changes from 1998, the entire year she proceeded to go pop once and for all as well as the 12 months her personal existence began overtaking her creative one. If Nuevos Senderos have been a one-off excursion in to the local Mexican market, using its Tex-Mex motifs and its own Solís tunes, Te Acordarás de Mí (1998) was a wholehearted accept of crossover Latin pop. Main among her numerous collaborators within the recording was Kike Santander, who experienced previously worked well alongside Gloria Estefan and Thalía on effective crossover initiatives of their very own, Abriendo Puertas (1995) and Amor a la Mexicana (1997), respectively. As he previously performed for Estefan and Thalía, Santander composed, created, and performed some real hits, in cases like this “Tu Amor,” a astonishing flamenco workout, and “Hielo con Fuego”; nevertheless, as significant as these strikes where, specially the previous one, that was a high Five one, they were a substantial departure in the simple merengue that experienced transported Tañón to her queenliness (similarly “Escondidos,” the album’s additional Best Five solitary, which really is a duet created and performed by Latin pop balladeer Christian Castro). Soon after the discharge of Te Acordarás de Mí in past due October, Tañón wedded Juan Gonzalez, probably the most popular major-league baseball participant from Puerto Rico. The short-lived relationship finished in divorce significantly less than two years later on, however, not before it generated bountiful tabloid fodder. In a nutshell, Gonzalez divorced his wife Elaine López, herself a well-known Puerto Rican athlete, following a paper published an image of him and Tañón kissing throughout a concert in San Juan; Gonzalez fathered a little girl with Tañón, Gabriela González Tañón, who was simply identified as having Sebastian syndrome, an exceptionally uncommon blood-clotting disorder, and Gonzalez fathered yet another child, albeit to a new woman, while wedded to Tañón. The play of her personal lifestyle notwithstanding, Tañón marched on with her profession, releasing initial a Grammy-winning live recording, Olga Viva, Viva Olga (1999), and another Latin pop work, Yo por Ti (2001), which also earned a Grammy for Greatest Merengue Efficiency. Olga Viva, Viva Olga, documented at the home of Blues in Orlando, Florida, her newfound hometown, showcases well her interesting ability like a live performer. Yo por Ti, alternatively, showcases well how her pop crossover ambitions had been leading toward significantly common music. The recording did manage lots one strike, “Como Olvidar,” but general Yo por Ti noises staid in accordance with the liveliness of her perfect past function such as for example Siente un Amor… and Llévame Contigo. Exactly the same can be stated of her pursuing recording, Sobrevivir (2002), which also managed lots one strike, “Asi Ha sido la Vida,” and a TOP Santander contribution, “No Podras,” however overall noises disappointingly universal. Tañón retreated in the studio room for some time afterward, having remarried that same calendar year and toured thoroughly. Subsequently, WEA Latina released a stopgap compilation of her merengues, A Puro Fuego (2003), that included a fantastic new one, “Cuándo Tú No Estas,” and bought her time from the limelight. When Tañón finally do return to the general public world, she did therefore within a big method, releasing a set of albums in 2005. Initial emerged Como Olvidar: Lo Mejor de Olga Tañón (2005), a compilation of her pop crossover function, and three weeks later on arrived Una Nueva Mujer, her 1st all-new recording in two . 5 years. A back-to-basics tropical workout similar to her prime function yet thoroughly modern in style, thanks a lot partly to José Luis Morín, who got a large submit the album’s songwriting and creation, Una Nueva Mujer was led by way of a strong solitary, “Bandolero,” and was blessed with enough critical and industrial achievement. Notably, it had been Tañón’s first recording since Te Acordarás de Mí to break right into the all-inclusive Billboard 200 graph, concurrently peaking at quantity five at the top Latin Albums graph. Within the wake of the comeback, Tañón still left WEA, the label that acquired backed her since her times in Chantelle, after another compilation, 100% Merengue (2006). She transferred to Univision, the best Spanish-language company within the U.S., for Soy Como Tú (2006). The album’s lead one, “Desilusióname,” quickly became a huge hit, as well as the record itself demonstrated mighty effective placing in the very best ten of a minimum of 15 graphs. Produced generally by Bob Benozzo and Ceferino Caban, it sounded distinctly not the same as past Tañón initiatives, incorporating areas of tropical music in addition to Latin pop to get a diverse style that provides something for both viewers. The next couple of years noticed strikes compilations and live information released to the general public by various brands. Upon 1st inspection, 2009’s 4/13 appeared as if another. While promoted as a fresh recording, there was valuable little that truly was. Three songs — “Amor Entre Tres,” a salsa created in cooperation with Jorge Guzmán, “Pasión Morena,” a merengue created in cooperation with José Luis Morín, and “Navidad Boricua,” a duet with Victoria Sanabria — provided the best function she’d completed in years. It whet fan’s appetite for 2011’s Ni Una Lagrima Mas. Composed of all-new studio room material on brand-new label Mia Musa, the established placed at number 2 in the Tropical Albums graph and also in the Top Ten from the year-end genre graph. Tañón toured and proceeded to go right back in to the studio room, growing with Una Mujer in 2013. It included five self-composed songs along with a slew of duets with beginners and legends including Elvis Crespo, Fernandito Villalona, Johnny Ventura, Oscar D’León, and Maffio around the name cut — which strike number 13 around the Tropical Tunes graph. The recording landed at number 2. That 12 months she also took component in Havana’s Concert for Serenity as well as the immigration march on Washington. Within the springtime of 2017, Tañón released the duet one “Así Es un Amor” with Wisin. It had been her 27th TOP in the Tropical Airplay graph and continuing her record streak. The monitor teased the brand new record, Olga Tañón y Punto, released in-may. The full-length provided performances from Natalia Jiménez, Fernando Villalona, and Pirulo, and detailed a diverse selection of manufacturers including Juan Mario Aracil, Manuel Tejada, Ceferino Cabán, and Eliot Feliciano. Mia Musa authorized a particular distribution contract with Sony for the discharge.