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Jennifer Marcella Peña (born September 17, 1983) is a
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
and
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
nominated Mexican American
Tejano Tejanos ( , ) are descendants of Texas Creoles and Mestizos who settled in Texas before its admission as an American state. The term is also sometimes applied to Texans of Mexican descent. Etymology The word ''Tejano'', with a ''J'' instead ...
/
Latin pop Latin pop () is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. It originates with List of countries where Spanish is an official language, Spanish-speaking ...
singer known as "The Princess of Tejano". Peña reached a milestone in her career of over 10 million records sold internationally. Peña was born in
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
, and is the third and youngest daughter of Jaime and Mary Peña. Her sisters' names are Janet and Jackie. Peña is of Mexican descent native to the state of Texas.


Career


Los Jetz

Peña first achieved notoriety after performing at the
Astrodome The NRG Astrodome, formerly and also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, was the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, United States. It seated around 50,000 fans, with a record atte ...
in
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, during a Selena Quintanilla tribute concert in 1995. The event was Peña's first public performance, on a large scale, during which she performed the song " Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", one of Selena's No. 1 hits from the year prior (1994). At the time, Peña's music career was managed by Q-Productions and Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the late Selena's father and former manager. Peña's debut studio album, ''Dulzura'', was released in May 1996 as part of Jennifer y Los Jetz and was produced by Abraham Quintanilla. The record introduced her to the music scene, officially, at the age of 12; the title track, and "Ven a mí" (or 'Come to me', a
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
-language cover of
The Drifters The Drifters are an American pop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and ...
song "Dance with Me"), garnered her a loyal fanbase. The album sold quite well in the Latin music market, was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
and won several Tejano Music Awards. At the time,
Tejano music Tejano music (), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican influences. Its evolution began in northern Mexico (a variation of regional Mexican music known as ). It reached a larger audience in the late 20th century ...
was in its heyday, and Peña was another young, staple act on the scene. Her introduction was both praised and criticized, mainly in part due to the artistic (and physical) similarities between Selena and herself, despite Selena's own father managing her career. Reviews and comparisons came and went, and still, Peña managed to continue winning over fans. In 1997, she released her second album, ''Jennifer Y Los Jetz'', with the singles "Tu Castigo" ('your punishment') and "Yo Te Vi" ('I saw you') being promoted and experiencing much of the same success as ''Dulzura'' had achieved. The album ended up earning another gold certification. Los Jetz was composed of musicians who are still in the music business, to this day, including Lucky Joe Eguia (who is now a
Freddie Records Freddie Records is an American independent record label founded in Corpus Christi, Texas on November 1, 1969, by musician Freddie Martinez. Originally functioning as a recording studio and distributor for Martinez, the label expanded its roster t ...
solo recording artist), Joey Jimenez ('JMZ', who has become one of Tejano's most praised drummers), and Lalo Reyna (husband and band director for Elida Reyna). In 1998, Peña released ''Mariposa'' with "Tengo Miedo" ('I’m scared') as the lead single, another hit on the Latin market; in México, where she toured extensively, the album became Peña's third to be certified gold. By 2000, Peña was the most prominent female Tejano singer, and had been long-dubbed "La Princesa de la Música Tejana" (the princess of Tejano music). Her most commercially- and critically-acclaimed album, while under Q's management, was 2000's ''Abrázame y Bésame'' ("hug me and kiss me"), for which Peña was billed as a solo act but still performing with Los Jetz. The album, as her previous, was produced by A.B. Quintanilla. Showcasing a more mature sound for the singer, the title track—a duet with former Kumbia Kings frontman DJ Kane—was the most successful single. Other songs, like "Si Tú Te Vas" ('if you go'), "Contigo Otra Vez" ('with you again') and "No Te Voy a Perdonar" ('I’m not going to lose you'), resonated strongly in the US and in Mexico, garnering her a 2001 Grammy nomination and multiple Tejano Music Awards. Peña continued to promote and tour extensively after the release of every album under Q's management, and under
EMI Latin Capitol Latin (formerly EMI Latin) is a brand of Universal Music Latin Entertainment, a division of Universal Music Group. Previously, it was a subsidiary of EMI. History In 1989, José Behar, the former head of CBS Discos, signed Selena t ...
.


Univision Music Group and Latin pop venture

After a few years of management under Q Productions, Peña signed with new label Univision Music Group, whose president had launched Selena's career while at EMI Latin, which he headed until 2000. In 2002, Peña released ''Libre'', produced by Rudy Pérez and
Kike Santander Flavio Enrique "Kike" Santander Lora is a Colombian-American composer, record producer, arranger and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the principal Latino composers of the day, having worked with artists such as David Bisbal, Cristi ...
. Rudy Pérez wrote the album's biggest hits: "Vamos al Mundial", which was chosen as the anthem for the
2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
on Univision; and "El Dolor de Tu Presencia", which catapulted Peña's popularity, spending eight consecutive weeks at #1 on Billboard's
Hot 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, ...
. "Entre el Delirio y la Locura" soon followed. ''Libre'' sold over 300,000 units. In 2003, ''Libre'' was nominated for a Grammy. In 2004, Peña released her second album with UMG, ''Seducción'', which was produced by Rudy Pérez, Gustavo and Kike Santander, and
Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father of s ...
. Rudy Pérez was the genius behind another #1 hit, " Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel". The album kept up the momentum of her previous release, again selling over 300,000 units. In 2004, Peña performed to a crowd of over 61,000 fans at the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003, with the ex ...
, a venue known for hosting major acts such as the
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
,
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
, and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
. She also recorded a live album which was released later that same year. Following her commercial success, Peña performed for former United States President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
and then current President President George W. Bush in 2006. She is actively involved with awareness campaigns of hepatitis, AIDS, and teen depression. Peña has ventured into film, appearing in
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's '' All You've Got'' (2006) with
Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...
. She also appeared in Amexicano (2007). On , ''Dicen que el tiempo'' was released, debuting at #16 on
Billboard Top Latin Albums Top Latin Albums (formerly Latin 50) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album chart ...
, with "Como Entender" being promoted as the first single, followed by "
Tuya A tuya is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano formed when lava erupts through a thick glacier or ice sheet. They are rare worldwide, being confined to regions which were covered by glaciers and had active volcanism during the same period. As lava ...
" in late April 2007. Since the release, both the album and single have garnered only a lukewarm reception, despite cracking the Top 25 positions on Billboard and selling out the initial shipment of 80,000 units. Peña is on hiatus after having promoted the album all across the US and Puerto Rico with TV slots on MTV Tr3s as the artist of the month and extensive radio promotion. The second single, "Tuya", reached its peak position at #5 on Billboard charts as of September 2007. "Dicen Que El Tiempo" did not fare well in sales in comparison to previous efforts but did win Peña critical acclaim and was well received by fans. The album, although a departure from both her Pop Ballads and Tejano Sound, was produced by Jennifer and Sebastian Kyrs, with additional songwriting and production by Obie Bermúdez. On December 6, 2007, "Dicen Que El Tiempo" was nominated for a Grammy.


Personal life

In April 2007, Peña announced her engagement to Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Obie Bermúdez, and that they were expecting their first child. They shared their good news again during an appearance on April 26, 2007, edition of "Mi TRL" on MTV Tr3s. The couple was married in a private ceremony in her home state of Texas on June 3, 2007. The couple welcomed their first child, a son, in November 2007. She later had a daughter, and third child in 2019. Jennifer and her husband formally separated in 2023 and the divorce was final in 2024. Which has led her return to music after a long hiatus. Peña, before the divorce and separation, had joined Church Unlimited's Praise & Worship team where she was welcomed and loved. Separation with the church ended abruptly years after her dedication to the church, with Jennifer having plans of returning to Tejano Music while continuing to have the love and passion of God in her heart. In 2024, Peña started a tour alongside Grupo Siggno named "Casate Conmigo" Tour. In 2024, Jennifer along with Los Inquietos del Vallenato released “Nunca Niegues Que Te Amo”. Currently Peña resides in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and is planning an international tour].


Discography


Albums

As Jennifer y Los Jetz *''Dulzura'' (1996) *''Jennifer'' (1997) *''Mariposa'' (1998) *''Abrázame y Bésame'' (2000) As Jennifer Peña *'' Libre (Jennifer Peña album), Libre'' (2002) *'' Seducción'' (2004) *'' Houston Rodeo Live'' (2004) *'' Dicen Que El Tiempo'' (2007)


Singles

*''Ven A Mi'' (1996) *''Pura Dulzura'' (1996) *''Tu Castigo'' (1997) *''Yo Te Vi'' (1997) *''Coranzoncito Ven A Mi'' (1998) *''Si Tu Te Vas'' (2000) *''Abrázame Y Bésame'' (2000) *''El Dolor De Tu Presencia'' (2002) *''Entre El Delirio y la Locura'' (2003) *''A Fuego Lento'' (2004) *''Hasta El Fin Del Mundo'' (2004) *''Vivo Y Muero En Tu Piel'' (2004) *''No Hay Nadie Igual Como Tu'' (2004) *''Si Yo Me Vuelve A Enamorar'' (2004) *''Como Entender'' (2007) *''Tuya'' (2007) *''Todo Mi Amor Eres Tu'' (2015) *''Fuerte'' (2023) *''Casate Conmigo'' (as a feature with Siggno) (2024)


Awards and recognitions


Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards

*
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
Best Tejano Performance " Mariposa " Nominated *
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album " Libre" Nominated *
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Best Grupero Album "Libre"
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
Nominated *
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
Best Latin Pop Album "Dicen Que El Tiempo" Nominated


Latin Billboard Awards

*
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Hot Latin Track of the Year "El Dolor De Tu Presencia" Nominated *2003 Regional Mexican Airplay Track of the Year, Female Group or Female Solo Artist "El Dolor De Tu Presencia" Nominated *2003 Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year, Female "El Dolor De Tu Presencia" Nominated *2003 Regional Mexican Album of the Year, Female Group or Female Solo Artist "Libre" WIN *2005 Latin Pop Album of the Year, Female "Seduceme" Nominated *2006 Regional Mexican Album of the Year, Female Group or Female Solo Artist "Confesiones (con Ana Barbara)" Nominated


Premios Lo Nuestro

*
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Musica Mexicana: Mejor Artista Femenina WIN


Tejano Music Awards

*
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
Female Entertainer of the Year WIN *1998 Most Promising Band of the Year WIN *1998 Female Entertainer of the Year WIN *
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
Female Vocalist of the Year WIN *1999 Female Entertainer of the Year WIN *2001 Female Vocalist of the Year WIN *2001 Female Entertainer of the Year WIN *2003 Female Vocalist of the Year WIN *2003 Female Entertainer of the Year WIN


South Texas Music Awards

*2002, 2003 Female Vocalist of the Year *2002, 2003 Female Entertainer of the Year


Filmography

*'' All You've Got'' (2006) DVD *'' Amexicano'' (2007) DVD * Top Chef VIP (2022) Reality Shop


References

;General sources * *


External links


Official Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pena, Jennifer 1983 births Living people American musicians of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American musicians Singers from San Antonio Tejano pop musicians Spanish-language singers of the United States 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Hispanic and Latino American women singers Women in Latin music