Jump to content

Emmanuel (singer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emmanuel
Background information
Birth nameJesús Emmanuel Arturo Acha Martinez
Born (1955-04-16) April 16, 1955 (age 70)
OriginMexico City, Mexico
GenresLatin pop
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, musician, producer
Instrument(s)Vocals (tenor), guitar, piano
Years active1976–present
LabelsRCA Victor
Ariola Records
Columbia Records
Sony Music
Sony BMG
Polygram Records
Universal Music
Websitewww.emmanuel.com.mx

Emmanuel (born Jesús Emmanuel Arturo Acha Martinez, April 16, 1955, in Mexico City) is a Mexican singer who debuted in the 1970s.

Life

[edit]

He is the son of Argentinian-born bullfighter Raúl Acha, "Rovira", who frequently appeared in the Plaza de Acho in Lima, Peru. Emmanuel grew up in Chosica, a town about an hour from Lima, and attended the Colegio Santa Rosa, the town's most prestigious boarding school, which was run by Augustinian priests. His mother was Spanish singer Conchita Martínez.[1]

Emmanuel's songs are usually ballads, which became popular during the 1980s. His fourth and most successful album to date, Íntimamente (Intimately), was written by the Spaniard ballad composer Manuel Alejandro in collaboration with Ana Magdalena. Released in 1980, it included seven hit songs:

  • "Todo Se Derrumbó Dentro De Mí" ("Everything Crumbled Inside Me")
  • "Quiero Dormir Cansado" ("I Want to Sleep Tired")
  • "El Día Que Puedas" ("The Day You Can")
  • "Con Olor A Hierba" ("With the Smell of Grass")
  • "Tengo Mucho Que Aprender De Ti" ("I Have A Lot to Learn from You")
  • "Insoportablemente Bella" ("Unbearably Beautiful") (cover of Hernaldo Zúñiga's and Rudy Márquez's 1980 hit)
  • "Este Terco Corazón" ("This Stubborn Heart")

The remaining songs on the album are "Esa Triste Guitarra" ("That Sad Guitar"), "Caprichosa María" ("Capricious Maria"), and "Eso Era La Vida" ("That Was Life"), the last of which was not composed by Alejandro and Magdalena.

His subsequent albums also achieved success with love songs. His Ibero-American number one single "La Chica de Humo" ("The Smoke Girl"), a New jack swing song, became one of the biggest hits of 1989 and a number one single on the U.S Hot Latin Tracks chart that year.[2] The song was included on the 1989 album Quisiera. Its music video was frequently played on Mexican, Uruguayan, and Argentinian music channels, and the song became an eighties classic in Ibero-America.[3] In 2011, Emmanuel received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.[4] Ten years later, he was presented with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[5] He was also presented with the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award in 1997 for his philanthropic work.[6]

Emmanuel continues to tour throughout Latin America with bands that have included musicians from the United States, most notably guitarist Dick Smith of (Earth Wind & Fire, Kenny Loggins, and Air Supply).

Emmanuel's son, Alexander Acha, is also a professional singer.

Discography

[edit]

Television

[edit]

Soundtrack

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Biography". Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
  2. ^ "The 25 Best New Jack Swing Songs". Complex. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "Emmanuel Artist Biography by Sandra Brennan – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved December 17, 2013.
  4. ^ "Gloria Estefan, Emmanuel To Receive Special Honors at 2011 Billboard Latin Music Awards". Billboard. April 13, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  5. ^ "The Latin Recording Academy® to Honor Martinho da Vila, Emmanuel, Sheila E. & Pete Escovedo, Fito Páez, Milly Quezada, Joaquín Sabina and Gilberto Santa Rosa With the Lifetime Achievement Award". Business Wire. June 24, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Lannert, John (May 3, 1997). "Emmanuel Personifies 'Spirit of Hope'". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 18. p. 26. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
[edit]