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Chayanne (born June 28, 1968) is a Latin Pop singer who was born as Elmer
Figueroa de Arce in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.
Figueroa began using the artistic name of "Chayanne" when he was a little
kid. He auditioned for Menudo, but was told that at the time that he was too
little for that group. He didn't give up and he heard that Titi Soto was
trying to create a new group that would compete with Menudo, and so he went
and tried out. He was chosen for the group and his meteoric rise to the top
began.
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That group, Los Chicos, made several #1 hits, including Puerto Rico Son Los
Chicos, and Terremoto. And while it never was as popular as Menudo was, it
did give Menudo good competition, becoming famous all over Latin America,
participating in a movie (Coneccion Caribe), and producing millions of Los
Chicos-related memorabilia like t-shirts, rulers, magazines etc.
After Los Chicos went bankrupt in 1984 and separated, Chayanne, having
become famous all over Latin America, retired for a little while, moving to
Mexico and staying in the background for a few years, so his fans wouldn't
get tired of seeing him. In 1987, he came back like a storm, his first solo
album producing the Spanish pop classic Fiesta En America. Chayanne was
back. He became an instant teen idol all over Latin America again. He toured
every country that speaks Spanish, and in 1989 he produced his second solo
album, which produced another smash hit in Tu Pirata Soy Yo.
The 1990s brought some changes for Chayanne. He tried his hand at acting,
married Marilisa Maronese, with whom he formed a family, and moved to Miami.
His acting jobs include being himself in Volver A Empezar, playing a Cuban
dancer along with Vanessa Williams in Hollywood's Dance With Me, and a few
soap operas in Argentina, including Provocame. He has also kept on touring
and producing CDs, and along with Ricky Martin, is considered to be Puerto
Rico's biggest teen idol ever.
A highway that connects San Lorenzo with Gurabo, "PR-203", is named after
Chayanne. |
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