Edna María Nazario Figueroa (born April 11, 1955) is a Puerto Rican musician, singer, and composer who has achieved stardom both at home and abroad. She has been in the music business from a young age and has released twenty-three (23) studio albums and five (5) live albums throughout her career.

Biography

Childhood sensation

Nazario was born in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

, to Domingo Nazario and Gudelia Figueroa. She has two older brothers (Tito and Alberto) and a younger brother (Frank, a.k.a. Pancho). Ednita showed inclinations to music even when small. A family anecdote tells that when she was 2 and shopping with her mother, she wandered away, and her mother found her singing on top of boxes to an enthusiastic crowd of laughing, clapping shoppers. When she was six, she attended a baseball game in Ponce with her brothers. While she was playing with her brother's glove, the batter hit the ball toward her. She held the glove up for protection, and the ball landed squarely in it. The crowd went wild, including Alfred D. Herger, one of Puerto Rico's top record producers, who was seated near the family. When he asked her if she wanted to be a baseball player, she replied ''"No, I'm going to be a singer."'' He asked her to sing something for him, and she responded with an impressive rendition of a local

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

hit that left both the producer and the applauding crowd astonished. Two months later, Herger visited the Nazario household with a recording contract. After initial reluctance, the family signed the contract. At 6, Ednita recorded her first song: "Mi Amor Lolipop," a Spanish version of ''"My Boy Lollipop"''. In 1966, at age 11, Nazario made her radio debut.

Teen success

After some presentations, Nazario started alongside singer and photographer ''José Manuel'', and Frankie Sabath, in a band which Tony Morales created, called ''The Kids From Ponce''. The group played at several hotels and television networks, and achieved local success, appearing on various TV shows. However, the group disbanded and they became soloists. Nazario, then 17, was offered her own prime-time TV variety show: ''El Show de Ednita'', broadcast by Telemundo Puerto Rico, and produced by

Paquito Cordero Paquito Cordero (October 16, 1932 – June 30, 2009), was a pioneer of Puerto Rican television. He was also a comedian and a musical and television producer. Early years Cordero (birth name: Francisco Cordero Baez) was born to Francisco Co ...

. During this time she also won the " Miss Puerto Rico Teenage pageant". At age 18 in 1973, Nazario released her first album called '' Al Fin...Ednita''. The album spawned a number 1 Hit: ''Te Quiero y No Me Importa'' (I Love You And I Don't Care), and also brought her award as "New Artist of the Year". With her TV show, Nazario became Puerto Rico's hottest idol. The show was also syndicated to other Latin-American countries. Among the international stars that she hosted were:

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

Bob Eberly Robert Eberly (born Robert Eberle; July 24, 1916 – November 17, 1981) was an American big band vocalist best known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell. His younger brother Ray was also a big-band singer, ...

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

, Morey Amsterdam and Oscar-winning Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer. Ferrer was so charmed by Nazario's presence that he designed a nightclub act for both of them. Ferrer was surprised at the reception of Nazario's show. They were booked at several hotels in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean S ...

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake i ...

, Las Vegas and New York. They appeared at the

Hyatt Hotel Hyatt Hotels Corporation, commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacat ...

in Canada, and she was invited by Monaco's Royal Family to perform at the famous casino of Monte Carlo three times.

Rising star

In the late 1970s Nazario participated in the eight edition of the '' OTI Festival'' as a singer with the song "Cadenas de Fuego" (Fire chains) getting a more than respectable fifth place with 21 points, and in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...

as a songwriter with the song: ''Contigo, Mujer'' (With you, Woman), co-written by her husband at the time, Laureano Brizuela, an

Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...

singer and songwriter. The latter song, performed by Rafael José, won top prize of the festival scoring 36 points. She also gained notoriety for her performance in a

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo s ...

with Brizuela, of the theme song of the successful Puerto Rican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include ''teleserye'' ...

, '' Coralito:Mi Pequeño Amor'' (Coralito:My Little Love), which Brizuela had written. During the late 1970's, Nazario participated in a musical collaboration with boy band Menudo, in which she and the group sang a cover of

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group' ...

's song "

Chiquitita "Chiquitita" (a Spanish term of endearment for a woman meaning "little one") is a song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in January 1979 as the first single from the group's sixth album, '' Voulez-Vous'' (1979). Agnetha Fälts ...

", with Nazario playing the titular "Chiquitita" in a music video she and the band recorded. During this time Nazario signed subsequent record deals, first with local label ''Borinquen'', then ''Ariola'', and finally ''Padosa''. During this time, she matured her style to one that was more pop/rock oriented. She also cemented her place as a touring force in

Latin-America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

In the 1990s

In 1989 Nazario released '' Fuerza De Gravedad'' (Force of Gravity). Perhaps helped by her recent marriage and motherhood, the album showed more focused lyrics and a more mature singer. The album included a duet with

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five hi ...

singer

Russell Hitchcock Russell Charles Hitchcock (born 15 June 1949) is an Australian musician and lead vocalist of the soft rock duo Air Supply. Early life Born in Melbourne, Hitchcock attended South Brunswick State School, and later studied at Princes Hill High ...

. Her following album " Lo Que Son Las Cosas" (What A Way For Things To Be) in 1991 included a Spanish version of a song made famous by Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti. The album also contained other compositions from her Argentinian ex-husband Luis Angel. After her breakup from her husband, Nazario refocused her career and released '' Metamorfosis'' in 1992, following it with presentations in some of the most prestigious halls of the island. In 1993 she sold out a concert at the

Roberto Clemente Coliseum Roberto Clemente Coliseum ( Spanish: ''Coliseo Roberto Clemente'') is a sports and concert arena located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was, for many years, Puerto Rico's largest indoor event facility, and remains one of the largest. General info ...

which was released as an

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

the following year. After another album, she starred an impressive run of 13 shows at the

Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center The Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center (Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré in Spanish) is a multi-use performance centre located in the barrio of Santurce in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It features three main concert and theater halls for play ...

of San Juan, following Yolandita Monge's record of 12 consecutive shows. In 1994 she released one of her most acclaimed albums to date: '' Pasiones'' (Passions). In 1996 she released '' Espíritu Libre'' (Free Spirit), which went triple platinum soon after being released. On the heels of it, she sold out the

Hiram Bithorn Stadium Hiram Bithorn Stadium (Spanish: Estadio Hiram Bithorn) is a baseball park in San Juan, Puerto Rico, built in 1962 and designed by Puerto Rican architect Pedro Miranda. It is operated by the municipal government of the city of San Juan. Its name ho ...

on a show that was broadcast via Internet. In 1998 she was cast for the lead role in Paul Simon's

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical, ''The Capeman'', sharing the stage with

Rubén Blades Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in th ...

and Marc Anthony. She won the Theatre World Award for her performance as "Esmeralda Agrón". She was nominated for a 1998 Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical.

1999–2012

In 1999 Nazario resurged in music, with '' Corazón'' (Sweetheart). The album, produced and directed by Dräco Rosa, went platinum in just a week. The album also got her several awards and two

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

nominations. In 2001, after signing a new record deal with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, she released '' Sin Límite'' (Limitless), which featured fellow singer and songwriter Tommy Torres as producer. In 2002 she fulfilled one of her dreams by transforming the

into a recording studio and inviting 300 friends to share with her two nights of an acoustic concert. The concert was released in two separate albums: '' Acústico I & II'' (Unplugged Vol 1 & 2). The presentation included a duo with

Beto Cuevas Luis Alberto Cuevas Olmedo (born September 12, 1967), better known as Beto Cuevas (), is a Chilean-Canadian singer, song writer, plastic artist, painter, and actor. He is the lead singer for the Chilean band La Ley. In 2008 he launched his solo ...

, lead singer of the Latin-American band La Ley. Next year, with Tommy Torres again producing, Nazario released '' Por Tí'' (Because of You). The album featured collaborations with Ricky Martin and

Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being " Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...

. The supporting concert broke all attendance records in Puerto Rico. She followed with '' Apasionada'' (Passionate), also produced by Torres. This included collaborations with composer Claudia Brandt, Sin Bandera's ''Noel Schajris'', and

. In December 2007 Nazario released her album "

Real Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...

" produced by renowned producer Armando Avila (

La 5ª Estación La Quinta Estación (Spanish for "The Fifth Season/Station", often spelled La 5ª Estación) was a Spanish pop/rock band composed of two musicians from Madrid: Natalia Jiménez (lead singer and harmonica) and Ángel Reyero (guitar). Pablo Domí ...

) and Graeme Pleeth ( Sonique). The album was recorded in London, Nashville, Mexico City and Miami, and debuted at number 1 in Billboard's Top Latin Albums and Top Latin Pop Albums, selling over 18,000 copies the first week. On July 2, 2008, Nazario filmed a music video for "No" along Natalia Jiménez of ''

''. Nazario was one of several artists selected to perform in "KQ Live Concert" on September 27, 2008. Organized by KQ 105 FM, the event included several renowned artists from Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries. Nazario's new album "

Soy The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and ...

" (I Am) was released on October 27, 2009. Nazario has worked with Tommy Torres, Sebastian Krys and

Claudia Brant Claudia Alejandra Menkarski (born July 21, 1966), known as Claudia Brant, is an Argentine composer, producer and singer

. On September 2 Nazario posted a 30-second clip of the first single titled " Sin Querer" (Without wanting to), which received positive reviews. " Sin Querer" (Without wanting to) was released on radio stations and via Nazario's MySpace page on September 24, 2009. It was released on October 6 on iTunes. Three more singles were released from this album. "Confesados" (Confessed) was the second single and was released January 11, 2010. "La Fuerza De Un Te Quiero" (The Strength of an I Love You), the third single, was released April 5, 2010. The last single of the album, "Se Que Voy A Reir" (I Know I Will Laugh) was released July 19, of that same year. On January 16, 2012, Ednita released her lead single "Para El Peor Amante" (For The Worst Lover), for her 22nd album was released. Her 22nd album, titled Desnuda (Naked) was released March 27 of that year. From this album, the songs "Voy" (Going), La Pasion Tiene Memoria" (The Passion Has A Memory), and "Alergica Al Amor" (Alergic To Love) were released as singles following the album's released. Ednita did a set of concerts in Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot where her daughter, Caro Lina, made her first musical appearance. Caro Lina debuted her single "Dangerous" through online digital market months later.

2013–2017: El Corazón Decide, Una Vida and Book Deal

On October 22 of 2013, Ednita released her 23rd album, titled "El Corazón Decide" (The Heart Decides). The album was recorded in Miami and London; and contains songs from international artists like Pedro Capó, Leonel García and Kany Garcia, who composed the first single from the album "La Más Fuerte" (The Stronger One). The album follows the same musical and lyrical formula of her last previous recordings. Nazario released 4 more singles from El Corazon Decide. "A Mi No" (Not Me) was released January 10 of 2014. That same year she released the third and fourth single of the album. She released "Llorar Por Ti" (Cry For You) and "Asi Es La Vida Sin Ti" (That's Life Without You) on April 24 and September 24 respectably. "Empezar a Vivir" (Starting to Live) was the fifth and last single of the album and was released on January 14, 2015. In October 2015, Ednita released her new single "Eras Uno Mas" ( ouWere Just One More) became the lead single for her 24th studio album, titled "Una Vida" (One Life). Later, on January 22, 2016, Nazario released the song "Ya no me duele tanto" (It Doesn't Hurt Me That Much Now) as the second single. The third single of the album titled "Ni una lágrima(Bandolero)" was released on April 7, 2017. The album "Una Vida" was released on April 28, 2017. That year (2017), Ednita released her first autobiography, also titled Una Vida. The autobiographical book was released on the 25 of April. On July 21, 2017, "Adiós" was released as the fourth single of the album "Una Vida".

Honors

*Her album ''Por Ti'' was nominated for "Latin Grammy" award in the category "Best Album – Female Pop Vocal"; it was also nominated for "Tu Música" award in the category Best Album – Pop/Ballad *

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

gives Nazario the " Latin Heritage Award" (2004). *

NARAS The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

Recording Academy Honors (2005) *Nominated in the 2008 "Billboard Latin Music Awards" in the category "Album of the Year -Female Latin Pop"; also nominated (2008) for "Latin Grammy" award in the category "Best Album – Female Latin Pop" *Nominated in a new category, "Top Album of the Year – Latin Female" in the "Billboard Latin Music Awards" (2009) *

Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is an honor presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend performers "who have made contributions of outstanding artisti ...

(2016)

Accolades

Bust of Ednita Nazario in Barrio San Anton in Ponce, PR (DSC00629X)

On October 2, 2008, a road in Ponce was renamed in her honor. Avenida La Ceiba, a state road, was renamed Avenida Ednita Nazario.

Discography

:''See Ednita Nazario Discography'' ;Studio albums *1973: Al Fin... Ednita *1976: Me Está Gustando *1976: Nueva Navidad *1977: Vete Vete... *1978: Mujer Sola *1979: Retrato De Mujer *1982: Ednita *1983: Al Rojo Vivo *1986: Tú Sin Mí *1989: Fuerza De Gravedad *1991: Lo Que Son Las Cosas *1992: Metamorfosis *1994:

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

*1994: Pasiones *1996: Espíritu Libre *1999: Corazón *2001: Sin Límite *2002: Acústico *2002: Acústico Vol. II *2003: Por Tí *2005: Apasionada *2006: Apasionada Live *2007:

*2008: Real... En Vivo *2009:

*2012: Desnuda *2013: El Corazón Decide *2017:

Una Vida Una Vida is an archaeological site located in Chaco Canyon, San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. According to tree rings surrounding the site, its construction began around 800 AD, at the same time as Pueblo Bonito,http://archaeology.about. ...

*2020: La Más Loca (EP) *2021: La Más Bella (EP) ; Compilations *1990: Súper éxitos originales *1991: Súper éxitos *1993: Dos reinas del Caribe: Ángela Carrasco y Ednita Nazario *1995: Éxitos del recuerdo *1995: Éxitos y recuerdos *1997: Por siempre Ednita *1998: Ednita Nazario *1999: Mis mejores momentos *2000: Mas Grande Que Grande: 16 Exitos *2001: Sólo Lo Mejor: 20 Exitos *2001: Perfiles *2002: Edicion Limitada *2003: 30 Exitos Insuperables *2005: Ednita y Sus Exitos *2006: 30 Del Recuerdo *2007: Serie 3x4 *2007: Coleccion Suprema *2008: Los Romanticos *2008: Celebridades (CD + DVD) *2008: 12 Boleros Coleccion de Oro *2008: Navidad, Lo Mejor de Ednita Nazario *2008: Tradiciones Navideñas *2010: La Diva *2011: Encuentro de Divas ; Tour * 2002: Acustico * 2006: Apasionada Live * 2008: Real... En Vivo * 2010–2012: Soy... El Concierto * 2012–2013: Desnuda El Concierto * 2014: La Más Fuerte Tour * 2017–2018: Una Vida Tour * 2021: La Más Loca, La Más Bella Tour ;DVDs * 1994: " Ednita Nazario... Live" * 2004: "Viva La Diva" * 2004: " Acústico" * 2006: " Apasionada Live" * 2008: " Real... En Vivo" * 2010: "Historia de Ednita Nazario: La Diva"

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nazario, Ednita 1955 births Living people 20th-century Puerto Rican women singers Singers from Ponce Puerto Rican pop singers Latin pop singers Sony Music Latin artists Latin music songwriters Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 21st-century Puerto Rican women singers Puerto Rican rock singers Theatre World Award winners Women in Latin music