Luis Fonsi - Career

Career

Instead of choosing to keep a pattern of trying to find stardom in the United States with a boy band, Fonsi chose to better prepare himself for a future, stable career inside show business. He went to Florida State University to study vocal techniques. Meanwhile, he began to record demo tapes in Miami. While he was at FSU, he was overheard singing by a university music department president, who offered him a contract with a large recording company.

In 1998, Fonsi recorded his debut album, Comenzaré (I Will Begin). The record peaked at t number 27 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and contained the singles "Si Tu Quisieras," "Perdóname," "Dime Como," and "Me Iré". Comenzaré became an instant hit in Puerto Rico and across Latin America, with Fonsi conquering such markets as Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, and Venezuela. His 2000 follow-up, Eterno, was equally successful. Around this time, Fonsi also recorded a duet with Christina Aguilera for her 2000 Spanish-Language album, Mi Reflejo. By then, Fonsi's fame had reached Europe, as he became a celebrity in Spain as well. Also in the year 2000 Fonsi participated in Jubilee 2000, where he sang to Pope John Paul II. That same year Ednita Nazario won a Latin Grammy for a song composed by Fonsi. He also collaborated in honor of the victims of 9-11 at the White House, along with other artists.

During 2001, a re-mix of Comenzaré and Eterno was launched, while Fonsi worked on his next album, 2002's Amor Secreto. At about the same time, some media outlets began to comment about an alleged, adulterous romance between him and a very famous married Puerto Rican singer, who had just happened to separate from her husband and bought a home close to Fonsi's Orlando property. The scandal did not last too long, however, and Fonsi soon released an album in English, Fight the Feeling, also released in 2002.

Fight the Feeling "came and went very quickly", and the crossover attempt was labeled as "a clear miscalculation". the United States. It is expected, however, that Fonsi will sometime in the future make a second attempt at a crossover: because he has lived most of his life in Orlando, he is fluent in English as well as in Spanish. In 2004 Luis recorded a duet with Emma Bunton (Spice Girls) for her second studio solo album, Free Me. The song "Amazing" is a ballad taken from a mature, sophisticated and classy 60s style lounge/pop music album which includes orchestrated and bossanova numbers.

His fifth CD, Abrazar la Vida, sold very well, which opened new markets in Europe. "Quien te Dijo Eso?" reached high positions on music charts. His sixth CD, Paso a Paso, launched him into international markets. "Nada es Para Siempre" reached #1 on the music chart, and was a nominee for the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2006, he contributed on a tribute cd to Victor Yturbe "El Piruli" singing the classic bolero Historia de un amor. Fonsi was one of several artists selected to perform in "KQ Live Concert" on September 27, 2008, organized by KQ 105 FM, the event included several renowned artists from Puerto Rico and other Latin American locations.

Luis Fonsi cracked the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in September 2008 with his song "No Me Doy Por Vencido", debuting at number 98 and peaking at number 92. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks, his biggest hit to date. On October 10, 2008, Fonsi presented a private concert to 700 winners of a promotional contest presented by Pepsi. On December 11, 2009, Fonsi performed in Oslo, Norway at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert honoring winner Barack Obama.

Luis Fonsi latest album "Tierra Firme" became available on June 28, 2011, and includes international hits "gritar" plus "respira" and "claridad". Luis celebrated his album release with an autograph signing at Hardrock Cafe in Los Angeles on June 30.

He is currently on tour promoting "Tierra Firme" throughout Latin America.