Alejandro Fernández (born April 24, 1971) is a popular Latin Grammy-winning Mexican singer nicknamed as "El Potrillo" ("The Little Colt") by the media and his fans. He is one of the most popular singers in Mexico and Latin America today.
Alejandro originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk and country music, such as mariachi and ranchera. However, his more recent work has focused on mainstream pop music. He is the son of Vicente Fernández, the most popular Mexican singer of folk and country music of this time.
Career
His first public appearance was in 1976, when his father presented him on one of his shows, he was meant to perform the song "Alejandra". In the middle of the song he forgot the lyrics, started crying and suffered a panic attack, but then, his father got on stage and helped him singing along the song, making it a very touching moment between Alejandro and his father.
Alejandro officially became an artist on March 1991, when he released his first album, Alejandro Fernandez, with Sony Music, that released hits such as "Necesito olvidarla", "Brumas" and "Equivocadamente". With this material, Alejandro began a successful tour in Mexico and some cities of the United States. In 1993, he performed with his father Vicente, in a concert at the Palacio de los Deportes, continuing a season at the famous Teatro Blanquita of Mexico City. In 1993, he released Piel De Niña, the production was directed by Pedro Ramires and quickly became a success. The songs "Piel de niña", "A la vera del camino", and "Cascos ligeros" are some of the most popular hits of the album. In 1994, he released the album Grandes Exitos A La Manera De Alejandro Fernandez, giving a great performance of pieces of legendary composers such as Armando Manzanero, Luis Demetrio and José Antonio Méndez. In 1995 he released the album Que Seas Muy Feliz, the song "Como quien pierde una estrella", became his first international hit, the song was very promoted on radio and television shows.
In 1996, the production Muy Dentro de Mi Corazón quickly became a success; songs like "Moño negro", "Nube viajera" and "Abrazame" became huge hits in Mexico and several countries of Latin America. That same year he recorded "Puedes llegar", theme song for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, with singers like Gloria Estefan. In 1997, he recorded the album Me Estoy Enamorando, produced by Emilio Estefan, Jr.. The music of the album is a fusion of bolero, romantic ballad, orchestral arrangements and a touch of Mexican mariachi that became very popular in the Latin music. "Si tu supieras" became the most outstanding hit of that production, and became the theme of the hit soap opera of the time, "Maria Isabel", it also conquered the U.S. market being seven weeks at the top of Billboard Hot Latin Tracks, he became the first Latin singer to hold first place with three hits followed,"Si tu supieras", "En el jardin" (with Gloria Estefan) and "No se olvidar.". Sold 2.2 million copies around the world. However, with the album Mi Verdad of 1998, Alejandro Fernandez returned to ranchera music genre. "Si he sabido amor" became a enormous hit and was played as the central theme of the hit soap opera "Infierno en el paraÃso". In December 1998, he recorded Christmas in Vienna VI, with the tenor Plácido Domingo and Patricia Kaas, his performance was praised by the critics but, however, it did not achieve much popularity among the audience.
In 2000, released the album titled Entre tus brazos, the eighth in his career, and the second time with Emilio Estefan, Jr. as the producer. "Quiéreme" was the first single, a moved pop song that showed his musical versatility. For the first in his career a song was from his own inspiration: "Entre tus brazos". The album contains mostly romantic balladas with moved Latin flavor. That same year, he recorded with Julio Iglesias, the song "Dos corazones, dos historias" that was contained on Julio's album Noche de Cuatro Lunas; Julio praised Alejandro's voice and performance. In 2001, he recorded Origenes, the single "Sin tantina pena" (a moved mariachi bolero) became a huge international hit. In 2002, he launched his production Un Canto De México, which contains twenty-two of the most important ranchera songs of all time, it was recorded live, from one of the most important scenarios of Mexico, the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Besides the quality of the material, the presentation of Fernandez in a place dedicated to art of another level, like opera and theater, the event upset the cultural community, like when Juan Gabriel performed previously in the same place. In 2003, Alejandro began a successful Latin American tour with his father Vicente, and recorded the show called "En Vivo: Juntos Por Ultima Vez", which was witnessed by thousands of fans, culminating in Mexico City at the Foro Sol, with over five hours of music in front of nearly 60,000 spectators. That same year he recorded his next album Niña amada mÃa, that released the song with the same name which became a great hit and the theme of the most popular soap opera of that name. That same year, Alejandro toured Latin America and United States, consolidating himself as an icon of Latin pop music. Later he participated in the Christmas special En mi paÃs broadcasted by Telemundo, and recorded in Puerto Rico. Fernandez did a duet with Ednita Nazario on the song "Triste navidad".
In 2004 he played the lead role in Zapata: El sueño del héroe, a movie about the Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata by filmmaker Alfonso Arau. Alejandro was chosen for the role because of his popularity and his horse riding background (something fundamental for the role), he also took nahuatl lessons for the movie. The film was a box office deception. After that, he decided not to act. That same year, A Corazón Abierto reunites Alejandro with Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Kike Santander, who penned his greatest hits from Me Estoy Enamorando. But it also finds him singing the songs of a bold new generation of songwriters, including Gian Marco, Leonel GarcÃa (one half of pop duo Sin Bandera), Reyli Barba (former member of pop band Elefante) and Mexican group Tres De Copas.
A Corazón Abierto is about love, but it’s hardly a staid album. Quite the opposite. Under the guidance of producers Kike Santander and Aureo Baqueiro, the sound of this record is taken beyond the traditional and is an album rich in instrumentation—rippling guitars, flowing strings and mariachi lines—that treads on folk, rock and ranchera elements with organic ease and conviction. The superb emotional and musical interpretations are the clincher. At times exuberant, A Corazón Abierto can also be an album of subtle understatement, unafraid to bare the singer in every sense of the word.
"Romanticism is something that will never die", declared Alejandro Fernández, explaining his choice of songs on A Corazón Abierto, his breakthrough recording about lost love, love that is never forgotten and the capacity to always love again. "I’m super, ultra passionate. We’re releasing an album that’s an x-ray of myself. That’s why it’s titled "A Corazón Abierto" ("In Open Heart"). It was something very honest. Not naked, but something deeper than that". The album released three huge hits: "Que voy a hacer con mi amor?", "Me dediqué a perderte" and " Canta corazón".
In 2005, Alejandro launches México - Madrid: En Directo Y Sin Escalas (Mexico - Madrid: Nonstop). Featuring 13 tracks including one new song, the album is Alejandro Fernández live and in concert. Produced by Aureo Baquiero and filmed in front of a live audience at Spain’s Palacio de Congresos IFEMA, the production features Fernández performing some of his biggest hits accompanied by a 28-piece orchestra and some of Spain’s most important voices on three of the songs: Amaia from La Oreja de Van Gogh joins him on "Me dediqué a perderte"; Malú duets with him on "Contigo aprendÃ", and with flamenco star Diego El Cigala perform a moved version of "Como quien pierde una estrella", accompanied on cajon by famed Flamenco guitarist Niño Josele. That same year, Alejandro was chosen to sing along with the tenors Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo in a special concerto celebrating the opening of the "Forum Internacional de las Culturas" in Monterrey. At first his father Vicente was invited, but turned down. Alejandro showed his skilled vocals, and operatic tenor range, performing pieces of opera such as "Granada", his performance was praised by the audience. He also recorded a duet song with the tenor Mario Frangoulis called "Hay más" from the album Follow Your Heart. On December 2, 2005, Los Angeles, gave him a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard. Between 2005 and 2006, Alejandro went on tour with two of the most popular Latin American stars: Marc Anthony and Chayanne, passing through several of the most important cities of the U.S.
In 2007, launches Viento A Favor features tunes written by Leonel GarcÃa and Noel Schajris (better known as emotive Latin-pop duo Sin Bandera) and Mexican singer Reyli Barba. They're all taken to wuthering heights by Fernandez's stellar vocal range, which goes from hushed whispers to booming intensity. First single "Te Voy A Perder" is an epic romance, and "Amor Gitano", a duet with performer Beyoncé Knowles. Closing tune "Cuando Estamos Juntos" is another surprise, an acoustic-flavored ode to simple joy. "No se me hace fácil" was the second single of the album, and "Eres" the third.
In 2008, Alejandro started a very successful tour on Spanish land covering cities such as Madrid, Valencia and La Coruña, and released the album De Noche: Clásicos A Mi Manera, that features romantic ballads and boleros such as "El reloj" and "Regálame esta noche", songs that he recorded previously in his career.
In 2009, his voice is the theme of the most popular Mexican soap opera so far this year: "Mañana es para siempre", one of the most successful Mexican soap operas. Nowadays, Alejandro Fernández is on tour and preparing a new album.
Personal life
He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and studied to become an architect, but turned to singing in 1991, encouraged by his father. He is the youngest son of his family. Has two older brothers, Vicente, Jr. and Gerardo, and a sister, Alejandra.
In the late 1990s, his older brother Vicente, Jr. was kidnapped by a powerful band of organized crime. The kidnappers cut him several fingers, and sent them to his father as a warning. After Vicente Fernandez paid a huge sum of money, Vicente, Jr. was released. The exact amount was never announced.
Alejandro is co-owner of the shopping center in Guadalajara, called "Unicenter", where there are different types of businesses, creating jobs for over 170 people. He participated with his family in the construction of "Lienzo Charro y Centro de Espectáculo Don Vicente Fernández Gómez", the largest canvas of all Latin America, with capacity for 11,000 people, it is basically, dedicated to shows and eventually massive charreria competitions. He is an expert in horse riding and charreria.
He appears constantly in Mexican gossip magazines, where he is romantically linked with several women and other gossips. The media and people have constantly questioned his sexual orientation, ensuring that he is bisexual. He has publicly denied it.
He has five children, (Alejandro, Jr. and the twins, América and Camila) with his ex-wife, the Mexican América Guinart, and two (Emiliano and Valentina) with an ex-girlfriend, the Colombian model Ximena DÃaz.
Notable hits
- "Necesito olvidarla" ("I need to forget her")
- "Brumas" ("Mists")
- "Equivocadamente" ("Wrongly")
- "A la vera del camino" ("To the roadside")
- "Piel de niña" ("Skin of girl")
- "Cascos ligeros" ("Light horseshoes")
- "Como quien pierde una estrella" ("As the one that loses a star")
- "Moño negro" ("Black bun")
- "Nube viajera" ("Wanderer cloud")
- "Abrazame" ("Hold me")
- "Si tu supieras" ("If you knew")
- "Me estoy enamorando" ("I'm falling in love")
- "En el jadÃn" ("In the garden")
- "No se olvidar" ("I don't know how to forget")
- "Si he sabido amor" ("If i knew, love")
- "Quiereme" ("Love me")
- "Quisiera" ("I would wish")
- "Entre tus brazos" ("Between your arms")
- "Sin tantita pena" ("Without a little shame")
- "Niña amada mÃa" ("Girl, loved of mine")
- "Canta corazón" ("Sing heart")
- "Me dedique a perderte" ("I dedicated myself to lose you")
- "Que voy a hacer con mi amor?" ("What am i going to do with my love?")
- "Amor Gitano" ("Gypsy love")
- "Te voy a perder" ("I'm going to lose you")
- "Cuando estemos juntos" ("When we be together")
- "No se me hace fácil" ("It is not easy for me")
- "Eres" ("You are")
- "Mañana es para siempre" ("Tomorrow is forever")
Discography
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