Chayanne

Chayanne
Chayanne performing at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, United States
Background information
Birth name	Elmer Figueroa Arce
Born	(1968-06-28) June 28, 1968 (age 48) Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
Origin	San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Genres	Latin pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor
Years active	1978–Present
Labels	Sony Music, RCA Víctor
Associated acts	Los Chicos
Website	Official website

Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28, 1968), better known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer, actor and composer. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 solo albums and sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

Elmer Figueroa Arce's father is Quintino Figueroa, a sales manager, and his mother was Irma Luz Arce, a teacher, who died on April 17, 2014, after a long fight against cancer. He is the third of five siblings. His nickname "Chayanne" was given to him by his mother, in honor of his love for the 1950s television series, Cheyenne.

In the late 1970s, he auditioned for Menudo, but the producers told him that he was too young to be in the group. He joined another group, Los Chicos, they produced several hit recordings, including "Puerto Rico Son Los Chicos" and "Ave Maria".

After Los Chicos separated in 1984, Chayanne began his career as a solo artist. He signed with RCA Víctor and released his album debut, Chayanne es mi Nombre, that year. His second album with RCA Víctor, Sangre Latina was released in 1986.

After three years with RCA Víctor, Chayanne switched labels to Sony Music and broke out with his first self-titled album in 1987. This album featured a blend of ballads and dance tracks, a formula for which Chayanne would be famous. It featured two hit songs, the ballad "Peligro de Amor" written by Michael Sullivan and Paulo Massadas and a song that would cement him as an overall performer, the upbeat dance track "Fiesta en América" written by Honorio Herrero.

On November 1, 1988, Chayanne released the eponymous second self-titled album, Chayanne. This album included several hit singles including Honorio Herrero's "Tu Pirata Soy Yo", José María Cano's "Fuiste un Trozo de Hielo en la Escarcha", and "Este Ritmo Se Baila Así", composed by Pierre-Edouard Decimus, Jacob Desvarieux and Roberto Livi. At the same time, Chayanne became a spokesperson for Pepsi, with the airing of the first Spanish speaking advertising spot broadcast on national television coast to coast during the 1989 Grammy Awards telecast.