b. Juan Secada, 4 October 1961, Cuba. This romantic balladeer enjoyed several transatlantic hit singles in the early 90s, aided in no small part by the production work of Emilio Estefan, Clay Oswald and Jorge Casas. They had previously shaped the career of Gloria Estefan And Miami Sound Machine, with whom Secada had previously co-written songs and toured as a backing vocalist. The similarities do not end there; as well as the distinctive Latin rhythm, Secada is likewise of Latin American descent, and he has become a fixture on the Latin charts throughout the decade. A string of crossover hits in 1992/93, each formulaic but successful expositions of romantic pop, included "Just Another Day" (US number 5/UK number 5), "Do You Believe In Us" and "Angel". Secada also enjoyed widespread acclaim for the Spanish language album Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte, which won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop album. Amor was a smooth Latin/jazz inspired outing which demonstrated his strong roots in the genre (he holds a master's degree in jazz from the University Of Miami). His duet with Shanice "If I Never Knew You' was featured in 1995"s hugely successful Walt Disney movie, Pocahontas. The Spanish version, "Si No Te Conociera", appeared on Amor. The English language follow-up, Secada, was another superbly recorded collection of contemporary adult pop. During the late 90s, Secada continued to maintain his profile as a songwriter for other artists, including Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez, while working on Better Part Of Me, his debut for the 550 Music label. Same Dream received excellent reviews; some compared it with his best work.
DISCOGRAPHY: Jon Secada (SBK 1992)****, Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte (Capitol 1992)****, Si Te Vas (EMI Latin 1994)***, Heart, Soul & A Voice (SBK 1994)***, Amor (SBK 1995)***, Secada (EMI 1997)***, Better Part Of Me (550 Music 2000)**, The Gift (Epic 2001)**, Amanecer (Crescent Moon 2002)***, Same Dream (Big3 2005)****.
COMPILATIONS: The Greatest Hits (EMI 1999)***, Grandes Exitos (EMI 1999)***

Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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