| Luis Fonsi | |
|---|---|
 Fonsi in December 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero |
| Born | April 15, 1978 |
| Origin | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres |
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| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Universal Latin |
| Website | www.luisfonsi.com |
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, more commonly known by his stage name Luis Fonsi, (born April 15, 1978) is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor.
Early life[]
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 15, 1978 to parents Alfonso Rodriguez and Delia "Tata" Lopez-Cepero.
In 1995, Fonsi enrolled at Florida State University to study music. He also joined the school's choir and sang with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Luis Fonsi is the oldest child of Alfonso Rodriguez and Delia Lopez-Cepero. He has two younger siblings: Jean Rodriguez, who also is a singer, and Tatiana Rodriguez. As a child, Luis Fonsi showed signs that music was going to direct his life. As a child he imitated the stars of the popular group: Menudo (band), and while still young, he joined the San Juan Children's Choir.
In 1989, when Fonsi was 10 years old, he moved with his family from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida. Although his English at the time was very poor, Fonsi did not argue moving. According to Fonsi, his father told him that "he was going to live in the same city as Mickey Mouse." This would be very exciting for a ten year old boy.
After living in the United States for one month, Fonsi spoke English without a hint of an accent. He entered Dr. Phillips High School, and participated in a group called "Big Guys." They sang at school parties and local festivals. One of the members of the group, Joey Fatone, later joined NSYNC.
Because music was such an important part of his life, Fonsi gained a scholarship and attended Florida State University for his musical studies, which gave him opportunities towards his future in recording. He also joined the university's choir, which let him travel and perform throughout the United States and London. He did well in schooling while specializing in the field of music.
Career[]
After graduating from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fonsi decided to better prepare himself for a future, stable career inside show business. He was offered a full scholarship to attend Florida State University School of Music. While he was finishing his degree in Vocal Performance, he began to record demo tapes in Miami. Soon after that he was offered a recording contract by Universal Music Latino.
In 1998, Fonsi recorded his debut album, Comenzaré (I Will Begin). The record peaked at number 11 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 even more successful. Around this time, Fonsi also recorded a duet with Christina Aguilera for her 2000 Spanish-language album, Mi Reflejo. On May 1, 2000, Fonsi performed at the Great Jubilee Concert for a Debt-Free World, an outdoor concert in Rome, attended by Pope John Paul II. That same year, Ednita Nazario won a Latin Grammy for a song composed by Fonsi. He also performed, with other artists, at the White House in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks.
In 2002, Fonsi was the opening act for Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour in the US and Mexico.
His fifth CD, Abrazar la Vida, sold very well, which opened new markets in Europe. "Quien te Dijo Eso?" reached #1 on the Billboard Latin charts. His sixth CD, Paso a Paso debuted at #1 and launched him into international markets. "Nada es Para Siempre" also reached #1 on the music charts, and was a nominee for the Latin Grammy Awards. In 2006, he contributed to El Piruli, a tribute album honoring Victor Yturbe, singing a classic bolero, "Historia de un amor."
His seventh CD, Palabras del Silencio debuted and stayed in the #1 position for many weeks. 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. "No Me Doy Por Vencido" became Billboard's "Latin Pop Song Of The Decade," and spent 21 weeks in the #1 spot of the "Hot Latin Songs Chart"
In November 2009, Luis Fonsi was awarded a Latin Grammy for "Song of the Year" for his composition "Aqui Estoy Yo".
On December 11, 2009, Fonsi performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, honoring recipient President Barack Obama.
In 2011, Fonsi released the album Tierra Firme, and went on tour to promote it throughout Latin America.
In July 9, 2011, Billboard named Fonsi "Leader of Latin Music's New Generation".
In 2014, Fonsi released his album 8, a reference to his eighth career album. He then did a tour named "Somos Uno" in 2014-2015. He also mentioned that acting would be on his career path and that he wouldn't mind acting with Mexican actors and actresses.
In January 2017 he started promoting his new single "Despacito", featuring Daddy Yankee.