You can’t escape Enrique!

Ankita Shukla

All I need is a rhythm divine Lost in the music, your heart will be mine All I need is to look in your eyes Viva la musica, say you`ll be mine If words were the food for heart, then it could be said for sure that one only needs a rhythmic rendition oozing with emotions by the biggest Latino sensation of all times ‘Enrique Iglesias’. What happens when you are born amidst the legacy of a Latin godlike persona of Julio Iglesias, the most popular Latin singer for more than two decades? You are sure to be endowed with an innate talent of singing into millions of hearts. Just the way Julio’s appeal transcended to different countries despite of different languages, Enrique has managed to touch the chords of millions of hearts all across because as they say ‘music has no boundaries’. When he sings, he touches deep inside and the touch is so insensible that one is numbed to farthest point. The saviour of a golden legacy Enrique’s father Julio Iglesias was the poster boy for the Latin Don Juan crooning. Born on May 08, 1975, Enrique inherited the rich legacy of his multi talented dad. He led a life of a typical teen while growing up in Miami but with a few inhibitions which came naturally to him as he grew up awed by the achievements of his great father. While there, Enrique was exposed to three different cultures and musical influences: Hispanic, European, and American; the influence of which is pretty evident in all his works. He took up writing and recording songs simultaneously without the knowledge of his parents. In fact, he hid his identity and posed as Enrique Martanez initially only to make sure that his talent was not overshadowed by his dads’ accomplishments. After landing a record contract with regional Mexican label, Enrique decided to use his real name. Describing those early days, Iglesias has said, “Do you know those moments in life when you stumble a little, and you accidentally discover something that changes you? Those were the moments that changed me." His academic career boasts of a degree in Business but his heart lied elsewhere and Enrique told his parents of his aspirations but it wasn’t all that easy as he wanted to achieve things on his own. This drive led him to Toronto, where no one knew him and he could easily concentrate just on his music. His first album Enrique Iglesias happened in 1995, it sold more than a million copies in three months and to date has sold more than six million worldwide. And a star was born. A symbol of poignancy Some critics wrote him off saying that he overplays emotions in his songs and has developed a distinct style, which is repetitive in every track of his. But that didn’t bar him from moving forward in his career. Enrique in one of his interviews said “It is not bad to get overwhelmed by emotions during performances, my songs are my work and I believe in putting all my heart into my work, people say it shows. The truth is, I just want to write songs that I like. It`s as simple as that." At the dawn of the new millennium, Enrique Iglesias was the best-selling Latin recording artist in the world. The Latino heartthrob has sold over 40 million albums in little over a decade, becoming one of the most successful artists in the history of popular music. His fans have loved him and rendered support to their icon. His compositions have touched all odds, barring the limits of language. What matters here is that his music has listeners who bombard his blog with naïve requests pouring in form all corners of the world from his hard earned followers. Strings of success Recorded in Spanish, his debut album was an instant success and since then there has been no looking back for this pop sensation. His second effort, 1997`s ‘Vivir’ broke into the US Top 40 and stayed in there for a long-ling time. Within three years, Enrique became the biggest-selling Spanish-language singer in the world. He has enjoyed 16 #1 Billboard Latin hits, more than any other artist in history. Enrique then expanded his audience beyond the Latin market with ‘Enrique’, his first English album that released in 1999. It included the mega-hits ‘Bailamos’, ‘Rhythm Divine’, ‘Be With You’ that conquered America. "Enrique" achieved gold or platinum status in 32 countries. The singer with this became the best selling international artist of all time in India. His next album ‘Escape’ went on to become the #1 album and single in UK. Iglesias’s other albums including - ‘Quizas’, ‘Seven’ and ‘Insomnia’ have all done blockbuster business around the world. Enrique proposes Anna disposes Former tennis sensation Anna Kournikova is the woman in Enrique’s life. Anna’s ‘Chico Latino’ Enrique has been repeatedly trying to convince her to marry him but with no luck so far. Iglesias in a recent interview to a US daily said typically in his unpretentious demeanor, “I always try, but she pays me no attention”. There have been rumours of the couple being married and that of a supposed break-up too in the past but both have vehemently denied the rumours. The ‘oh so in love’ couple share a love-nest in Los Angeles. Going by what Enrique said in one of his songs “Love isn’t something you can shake, when it breaks all it takes is some trying”, we don’t see Enrique giving up do we? And guess some people don`t need to be legally tied to each other to make it work. Magnetic effect on women Unless you live on Pluto, you know that Enrique Iglesias is one of the most desired men on the planet. Why? First of all, the Latin lineage. The women love it and it is so in right now. Second of all, the music. Far from an aggressive brand of bump and grind R&B or Latin sound, Enrique is a sensitive soul. The man is a near-household name and he has sold a preposterous amount of albums in no time at all. Sensuous but in as understated a way as possible. Women love his boy-next-door charm and the fact that he wants to be their ‘Hero’. 95/08 95/08 is Enrique’s latest album, though yet to hit the stores in India is the first Spanish #1 hits compilation in Enrique`s career. It will include songs which have made history in his thirteen years as a recording artist. After maturing on the staple diet of Enrique’s love ballads I can see many besides me waiting for this one now!