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Latin Pop

Latin Pop

Enrique Iglesias, Latin Superstar and Maltese Citizen

When you think of successful Latin music stars, one name instantly comes to mind: Enrique Iglesias. The son of a successful musician, Iglesias has rocked the English-speaking music industry in more ways than one.

Born in Madrid in 1975, Enrique's early life was spent in Spain. He and his brother were sent to live with their father, singer Julio Iglesias, in Miami in 1983. That may have been when his passion for music blossomed and grew.

With the release of his first album in 1995, Enrique established himself as somewhat of a phenomenon. The album sold half a million copies in the first week alone. This is a rare feat, not only for an unknown musician but especially for a non-English language album.

His subsequent albums continued to fare much better than anyone, even Enrique, expected. He developed a loyal fan base, many of whom didn't even understand his Spanish lyrics. Several of his songs have appeared in television shows and in movies.

In 1999, Enrique crossed over in the English-language music market with his fourth album, Enrique. There were several notable Latin artists on the English-language charts at that time, and Enrique's emergence as a crossover artist gained him countless new fans. Since his first English-language release, Enrique has made albums in both Spanish and English.

Since his rise to fame, this down-to-earth superstar has seemed to live a golden life. His albums have all been well-received, making him one of the very few Latin-American crossover artists to enjoy long-standing success. He has performed another difficult crossover by acting in several small roles, including one alongside Antonio Banderas in the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Enrique Iglesias has become the biggest-selling Spanish-language pop star in the world. He has achieved a record breaking 16 number one songs on the Billboard Latin chart. His albums have sold over 65 million copies. His fame extends all over the world, even in countries where the primary language is neither Spanish nor English.

Recently, Enrique performed in Malta for the Isle of MTV Malta Special. He won over the locals by proclaiming his love for the island nation while enjoying the multitude of tourist activities there. Malta was apparently just as enamored of the star. Following his performance, he was awarded honorary Maltese citizenship by Valletta's mayor, Dr. Paul Borg Olivier. He is only the second foreigner to receive this honor.

Enrique leads what might, in the music industry, be considered a quiet life. He has a long-term girlfriend, Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova, and he suffers from very little negative publicity. When he was accused by Howard Stern of lip synching, he immediately performed live on Stern's radio show to clear his name. He maintains a good-natured and positive public image despite having been in the limelight for well over a decade.

It's hard to imagine this superstar feeling that he needs to improve his music, but he has been quoted as saying that he is constantly striving to make better songs. He is clearly a focused and driven artist who will continue to capture hearts all around the world as his star continues to rise.

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