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Biography of Chayanne

Elmer Figueroa Arce, better known as Chayanne, was born in Puerto Rico on the 29th* of June in 1968 and is the third of five siblings. He recently married the Venezuelan Marilisa Maronese, with whom he had a baby who is almost 3 years of age who was named Lorenzo Valentino. Like any other adolescent, Chayanne was delighted to ride motocycles, play tennis, and enjoy a good book; furthermore he is a tireless fighter and self-disciplined, thanks to which he has become an example for all his generation. Chayanne is indebted for his stage name to his mother and a North American TV series. He debuted as a singer at ten years of age, becoming a part of the group "Los Chicos" (the boys), one of the most acclaimed groups originating in the decade of the 80s, causing a true frenzy among the adolescents. Professionally, he has recorded 14 albums/CDs, 5 of these with Los Chicos and 9 others as a solo performer. In 1987 he recorded for the first time with Sony Music International (CBS Records) an album/CD entitled "Chayanne," among whose songs the major hits were "Tu Pirata Soy Yo" (I am Your Pirate), "Este Ritmo se Baila Asii" (This Rhythm is Danced Like This), and "Fuiste un Trozo de Hielo en la Escarcha" (You Were a Chunk of Ice in the Frost). In 1989 he recorded his second album/CD (for Sony) also entitled "Chayanne," among whose songs the major hits were "Fiesta en America" (Party in America), "Violeta" (Violet), "Te Deseo" (I Wish), and "Para Tenerte Otra Vez" (In Order to Have You Again). This album was also recorded in Portugese and resulted in several hits in the Brazilian market. This recording was found worthy of a nomination for the Grammy awards in 1989 under the category "Best Latin Pop Performance." In this same year he signed an exclusive contract worldwide with the Pepsi-Cola company, and recorded the first commercial that came out in Spanish without subtitles primarily in the United States, Latin America, and Europe during the beginning of the Grammy Awards (1989). Then he recorded another commercial for Pepsi, this time in English. Other recordings of his include: "Sangre Latina" (Latin Blood), "Tiempo de Vals" (Waltz Time), "Provocame" (You Turn Me On), "Influencias" (Influences), "Volver a Nacer" (To Be Born Again), and most recently, "Atado a Tu Amor" (Tied to Your Love), which received a nomination for the Grammy Awards in 1998 in the category "Best Latin Pop Performance." Other brillant facets of Chayanne's career have been as an actor. As an actor for television he recorded the soap opera "Pobre Juventad" (Poor Youth) for Televisa/Mexico; meanwhile, when in Puerto Rico and for WAPA TV (today Televicentro of Puerto Rico), he was the star of "Tormento" (Torment) and "Sombras del Pasado" (Shades of the Past). As an actor in films he participated in the film Linda Sara (Pretty Sara), by Jacobo Morales, with the ex-Miss Universe Dayanara Torres; and recently he was the star of the film Dance With Me with Vanessa L. Williams. * On T.V. y Novelas Idolos, Chayanne talks about the day he was born, and he says, "Ella entró al hospital el día 28, pero me tuvo en la madrugada del 29. A pesar de eso, el médico me registró el 28!" (She entered the hospital the 28, but she gave birth on 29 daybreak. In spite of this the doctor registered me the 28!)