Olga Teresa Tañón Ortiz
[In this ]Spanish name
Spanish names are the traditional way of identifying, and the official way of registering, a person in Spain. They comprise a given name (simple or composite) and two surnames (the first surname of each parent). Traditionally, the first surname ...
, the first or paternal surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
is ''Tañón'' and the second or maternal family name is ''Ortiz''. (born April 13, 1967) is a
Puerto Rican singer-songwriter. Over the course of her career, she has earned two
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s, three
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
, and 29
Premio Lo Nuestro
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...
Awards.
Early life
Tañón is the youngest of four children born to José Tañón and Carmen Gloria Ortiz in the
Santurce district of
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
. She was raised in
Levittown
Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their ...
, located in the municipality of
Toa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, including Toa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and ...
, where she received her primary and secondary education.
Career
Early career
At the early age of 16 years old, Olga Tañón participated in a television talent show called "Buscando Estrellas" singing one of her own compositions. Her singing career began in the 1980s with "Las Nenas de Ringo y Jossie", before joining the merengue group
Chantelle, with which she achieved great success. When Tañón was a member of Chantelle, they scored their biggest hit, "Aunque Tú no Quieras".
1990s
In 1992, Tañón signed a contract with the WEA Latina record label to record a solo album. Her first recorded album was titled "''Sola''" (Alone). Among the songs in the album were, "''Me Cambio por Ella''" (He replaced me with her), and "''Quiero estar contigo''" (I Want To Be With You). In 1993, she recorded her second album for WEA Latina, "''Mujer de Fuego''" (Woman of Fire). Tañón also debuted as a composer with the song, "''Presencié tu Amor''" (I Witnessed Your Love). That year, Tañón received three
Lo Nuestro Awards
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro ( Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began i ...
nominations in the Tropical/Salsa field: Album of the Year (''Sola''), Female Artist and New Artist.
[
]
In 1994, Tañón earned her first double
platinum record
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
and in 1995, she earned 3 more platinum records with her album, "''Siente el Amor''" (Feel the Love). This album also included another of her compositions, "''Unicornio''" (Unicorn), which was written to the rhythm of
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:
...
and also included the unforgettable Merengue song, "Es Mentiroso" (He's a Liar). Tañón had gained fame and recognition throughout Latin America.
Tañón recorded a
Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...
CD with
Mexican singer
Marco Antonio Solís
Marco Antonio Solís Sosa (born 29 December 1959) is a Mexican musician, singer, composer, and record producer.
Born and raised in Ario de Rosales, Michoacán, Solís began his musical career at the age of six, performing part of Los Hermanito ...
, "''Nuevos Senderos''". She was now being heard internationally, and with that recording she became the first Puerto Rican musician to be certified by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
to sell over half a million records. The lead single, the ballad "''Basta Ya!''" topped the U.S. Billboard
Top Latin Tracks
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, rad ...
for several weeks and became Tañón's first No. 1. For the album Tañón earned 3
Lo Nuestro Awards nominations for Pop Album of the Year, Pop Song of the Year and Pop Singer of the Year.
In 1997 Tañón debuted as an actress in the Puerto Rican version of the popular production of "
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
", produced by
Rafo Muñiz
Rafael Muñiz García de la Noceda, better known as Rafo Muñiz (born 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor, comedian, director, and producer of television shows and concerts.
The son of pioneering comic actor and producer Tommy Muñiz, Rafo's acting ...
. She played the part of
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
. This version had a tropical feel to it and included some of Tañón's songs. In 1998, Tañón married
Juan González a Puerto Rican major-league
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
star. They had a daughter, Gabriella Marie, but divorced in 1999.
2000s
In 2000 Tañón, now known as the "Woman of Fire" or "Mujer de Fuego" by her fans, recorded her first concert, titled, "''Olga Viva...Viva Olga''" in the
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. This production was named by the National Foundation of Popular Culture as one of the year's top 20 productions. The record went platinum and Tañón earned her first
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. In August 2000, Tañón sold out 12 shows in the
Antonio Paoli Hall at the
Luis A. Ferre Center of the Fine Arts in San Juan. Later that month she debuted in the
Bass Performance Hall in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
. Her performances received rave reviews in the ''Fort Worth Star Telegram'' and the ''Dallas Morning News''. At the end of 2000, Tañón presented her musical spectacular at
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
's Anayansi Theater and toured the southeastern United States with Mexican singer
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández Abarca (; born 24 April 1971) is a Mexican singer.
Nicknamed as El Potrillo by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million records worldwide, making him one of the most successful Hispanic music artists. He is the ...
.
In 2001, Tañón recorded a CD titled, "''Yo por Ti''" (Me for You), which won both American and Latin Grammys. The first single, ''Como Olvidar'', topped the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Tracks. The CD became a best-seller in Puerto Rico, Latin America, and among the Hispanic population in the United States. "''Yo por Ti''" is Tañón's only album that is not available on any streaming services.
In 2002, Tañón toured many countries, including
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
and the United States. That year she became the first merengue artist to successfully score a chart-topper in the Middle East when her partnership with Egyptian music singer
Hakim yielded the highly successful
Arabian
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...
hit, ''Ah Ya Albi''. In 2003, Tañón toured Europe and made a total of ten recordings for WEA Latina. In 2003 she released ''Sobrevivir'' and won her fourth Grammy. She also married Billy Denizard, with whom she had two sons, Indiana Noa and Ian Nahir.
As part of an international tour called "Evolution Tour 2008", Tañón traveled to Italy where she made a presentation at the ''Festival Latinoamericano'' on July 5, 2008. In 2005, Tañón released her hit album, "Una Nueva Mujer", which won Best Contemporary Tropical Album at the 2006
Latin Grammys
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
.
In support of Latin American immigrants in the U.S., in 2006 Tañón recorded, "
Nuestro Himno
"" (Spanish for "Our Anthem") is a Spanish-language version of the United States national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". The debut of the translation came amid a growing controversy over immigration in the United States (see 2006 U.S. imm ...
" in collaboration with
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
,
Carlos Ponce
Carlos Armando Ponce Freyre Jr. (born September 4, 1972) is a Puerto Rican actor, musician, model, and television personality. Ponce began his acting career by participating in Spanish language soap operas for Televisa and Telemundo. Ponce contin ...
, and
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
. On May 2, 2010, Tañón first performed in
Iquitos
Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world th ...
a concert where she presented her classic songs. The concert was part of her tour, which started in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
On February 22, 2007 Tañón won 3 awards at the 19th edition of
Premio Lo Nuestro
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...
. During the
2006 show, she won in the categories: "Album of the Year", "Female Artist" and "Song of the Year". She holds the record as the artist who has won the most "Premio Lo Nuestro Awards", with a total of 29.
In June 2009, Tañón released a new hit single called "Amor Entre Tres" which is the theme song for the new soap opera in Venezuela called "La Vida Entera." That month, WEA Latina released "25 Exitos de Fuego Vol. 1 & Vol. 2." Each CD has a set of greatest hits through her entire career of merengue and Latin pop. In September 2009 participated, next to Juanes and other internationally acclaimed artists, in "Concierto por la Paz" at Plaza de la Revolucion in La Habana, Cuba.
In 2011 the first of three Tañon albums was released on the Mia Musa Label: "Ni Una Lagrima más’". In 2013 "Una Mujer" was released, and in 2017 "Olga Tañon y Punto".
Social activism
After her participation in the Concert for Peace in Havana, in 2013, Tañón, a resident and voter of the state of Florida, increased her social activism profile by announcing on
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
TV network that she would participate in the April March 10 in Washington, DC supporting immigration reform and a path to citizenship and the right to vote, as well as announcing her support for the admission of her native Puerto Rico as the 51st state of the nation.
Discography
;Studio Albums
*1992: Sola (album), Sola
*1993: Mujer de Fuego
Mujer (Spanish for "woman"), ''La Mujer'' ("the woman") or ''Una Mujer'' ("a woman") may refer to:
Film and TV
* ''Mujer'' (film), 1946 Mexican film
*''Una Mujer'', a 1975 Argentine film starring Cipe Lincovsky
* ''Una mujer'' (1965 TV series), b ...
*1994: Siente el Amor
*1996: Nuevos Senderos
*1997: Llévame Contigo
*1998: Te Acordarás de Mí
*2001: Yo por Ti
''Yo'' is a slang interjection, commonly associated with North American English. It was popularized by the Italian-American community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the 1940s.
Although often used as a greeting and often deployed at the ...
*2002: Sobrevivir
*2005: Una Nueva Mujer
Una and UNA may refer to:
Places
* 160 Una, the asteroid "Una", an asteroid named after the Faerie Queene character
* Una River (disambiguation), numerous rivers
* Una, Himachal Pradesh, a town in India
** Una, Himachal Pradesh Assembly constitu ...
*2006: Soy Como Tú
*2007: Exitos en 2 Tiempos
*2011: Ni Una Lagrima Más
*2013: Una Mujer
*2017: Olga Tañón... Y Punto!
Note
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
*History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...
References
External links
Olga Tañón
Olga Tañón - AllMusic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanon, Olga
1967 births
Living people
Singers from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Merengue musicians
Latin pop singers
Puerto Rican composers
20th-century Puerto Rican women singers
Latin Grammy Award winners
Grammy Award winners
Puerto Rican pop singers
Warner Music Latina artists
Latin music songwriters
Feminist musicians
21st-century Puerto Rican women singers
Women in Latin music