Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...

-born American singer. He has won 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 and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. His music fuses

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

, pop, and Latin percussion. Secada has written songs for

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

, and

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

. He has toured with Luciano Pavarotti and recorded duets with

Jim Brickman James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums ''Peace'' (2003) for Best Instrumental, and ''Faith'' (2009) for Best New Age Album ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

, and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

. Secada has performed several times at ''

A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day concert special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is also simulcast by NPR and the American Forces Network. The ...

'', an annual Independence Day concert from the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...

televised by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

Early life

Secada was born in 1961 in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. Secada's father, José, was incarcerated for 3 years as a

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although n ...

to the communist Cuban government. In 1971, the Secadas received permission to emigrate and moved to Miami. His parents opened a coffee shop. Secada was raised in

Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census, Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in the Miami metropolitan area ...

Education

In 1979, Secada graduated from

Hialeah Senior High School Hialeah Senior High School is a public high school located at 251 E 47th Street in Hialeah, Florida, United States. History Hialeah Senior High School opened in September 1954. In April 2012, Alberto M. Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dad ...

. During his performance of ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'' in 11th grade, he says he realized his musical potential and was encouraged by teachers to pursue music as a career. After graduating from high school, Secada attended the

Frost School of Music Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music. Academics and programs The University of Miami's Frost School of Music was on ...

at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

, where he received a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescr ...

in 1983 and a Master of Music in jazz vocal performance in 1986. He graduated cum-laude and was later inducted into the

Iron Arrow Honor Society The Iron Arrow Honor Society is an honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the university. Founded at the University of Miami in 1 ...

, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami.

Career

From 1986 to 1991, Secada was a teacher at

Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College S ...

. In 1986, Secada's University of Miami acquaintances introduced him to

Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-born 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 ...

, a musician in

Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American band of Latin-influenced music that had featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan Jr., the band was originally known as the Miami ...

and husband of

. Estefan listened to one of Secada's demos and then became Secada's mentor and manager. This led to Secada becoming a backup singer for Miami Sound Machine. In 1991, Secada co-wrote and was a backup singer for "

Coming Out of the Dark "Coming Out of the Dark" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on January 10, 1991, worldwide by Epic Records as the leading and first single from her second album, '' Into the Light'' (1991). It was ...

," a number-one hit song inspired by a tour-bus accident involving Gloria Estefan in 1990, in which her back was broken. In 1992, he released his self-titled debut album, which sold 7 million copies. In 1994, he performed a duet with

, a re-recording of "

The Best Is Yet to Come "The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction ...

," released on Sinatra's album '' Duets II''. He also performed at the awards for

Miss Venezuela 1994 Miss Venezuela 1994 was 41st Miss Venezuela pageant, was held in Caracas, Venezuela on September 2, 1994, after weeks of events. The winner of the pageant was Denyse Floreano, Zulia, Miss Costa Oriental. The pageant was broadcast live on Venevisi ...

. In 1995, he performed on Broadway in '' Grease'', and he also presented at the 49th Tony Awards. He recorded ''

If I Never Knew You "If I Never Knew You" is a song by American singers Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, ''Pocahontas''. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American ...

'', a duet with

Shanice Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the ''Billboard'' hit singles " I Love Your Smile" and " Silent Prayer" in 1991 and " Saving Forever for You" in 19 ...

for ''

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

''. In 1999, he co-wrote and produced "

She's All I Ever Had "She's All I Ever Had" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Ricky Martin'' (1999). The song was written by Jon Secada, Robi Rosa, and George Noriega, while the producti ...

" for

. In 2003, he performed in ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

''. He also co-wrote ''

Juramento Juramento is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. the population was 4,345 in a total area of 432 km². It became a municipality in 1953. Juramento is located 42 km to the southeast of Montes Claros on ...

'' for Ricky Martin. From 2006 to 2009 Secada was a judge on ''

Latin American Idol ''Latin American Idol'' was the Hispanic American edition of the popular British franchise of '' Idols'', well known for its American version ''American Idol''. The show aimed to discover the pop idol of the Hispanic American region. The show was ...

'' for its entire four-season run. In 2007, he co-wrote three songs, and performed in one, on

Lilian Garcia Lilián Annette Garcia (born August 19, 1966) is a Spanish-American ring announcer, singer and podcaster best known for her time with WWE. She is currently announcing for the Professional Fighters League (PFL).Doyle, Dave"Former WWE ring announce ...

's album ''¡Quiero Vivir!''. In 2017, he released a

tribute 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 coll ...

with

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of songs by

Benny Moré Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez (24 August 1919 – 19 February 1963), better known as Benny Moré (also spelled Beny Moré), was a Cuban singer, bandleader and songwriter. Due to his fluid tenor voice and his great expressivity, he was k ...

Personal life

From 1988 to 1993, Secada was married to Jo Pat Cafro. In May 1995, he started dating Maritere Vilar. They were married in February 1997 and have two children. Secada resides in a 7,284 square-foot house, with a tennis court and pool, a few blocks west of the

, his alma mater, in

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

. Secada has created the Jon Secada Music Scholarship at the University of Miami, raised funds for

The Recording Academy 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 A ...

's effort "Keeping Music in Schools," and supports many initiatives including the Pediatric AIDS Unit at

Jackson Memorial Hospital Jackson Memorial Hospital (also known as "Jackson" or abbreviated "MJMH") is a non-profit, tertiary care hospital, the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine, and the largest hospital in the United States with 1 ...

Make-A-Wish Foundation The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old. Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqu ...

, and the

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...

Discography

* ''

Jon Secada Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. His music fu ...

'' (1992) * ''

Otro Día Más Sin Verte ''Otro Día Más Sin Verte'' ( en, Another Day Without Seeing You), also called ''Sentir'' ( en, Feel) in Spain, is the Spanish-language debut album by Cuban singer Jon Secada. It was released on October 6, 1992 by EMI Latin to coincide with ...

'' (1992) * '' Heart, Soul & a Voice'' (1994) * '' Si Te Vas'' (1994) *''Amor'' (1995) *''Secada'' (1997) *''Better Part of Me'' (2000) *''The Gift'' (2001) *''Amanecer'' (2002) *''Same Dream'' (2005) *''A Christmas Fiesta/Una Fiesta Navideña'' (2007) *''Expressions'' (2009) *''Classics/Clasicos'' (2010) *''Otra Vez'' (2011) *''To Beny Moré With Love'' (2017)

Awards and nominations

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Bella Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, to the name Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in French. It increased in ...

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Do You Believe in Us "Do You Believe in Us" ( es, "Cree en nuestro amor") is a song by Cuban recording artist Jon Secada for his debut self-titled studio album and for his debut Spanish-language album ''Otro Día Más Sin Verte'' (1992). It was released in late 1992 ...

" , , - , "

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, " Si Te Vas" , Video of the Year , {, class="wikitable" , + !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result !Ref. , - , rowspan="8" , 1993 , BMI Awards , Most Performed Latin Song , "Otro Día Más Sin Verte", "

Sentir "Sentir" is a song recorded by Cuban recording artist Jon Secada for his debut self-titled studio album and for his debut Spanish-language album '' Otro Día Más Sin Verte'' (1992). It was released in 1993 as the fourth single from his Spanish-la ...

", and "Cree en Nuestra Amor" (Do You Believe in Us) , Won , , - , The World Music Awards , Best-Selling Latin American Recording Artist , Himself , Won , rowspan="5" , , - , The Caribbean Music Awards , Best New Latin Pop Album , rowspan="2" , ''

'' , Won , - , rowspan="3" , ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards , Best Latin-Pop Album of the Year , rowspan="3" , Won , - , Best Latin-Pop Artist , rowspan="4" , Himself , - , Best New Latin-Pop Artist of the Year , - , Hit Radio Awards (Hong Kong) , Best Male Artist of the Year , Won , , - , Rolling Stone Magazine , Best Male Vocalist , Won , - , 1994 , Asian Music Awards , Best Pop Song , "Mental Picture" , Won , - , rowspan="1" , 1998 , rowspan="1" , BMI Pop Awards , Best Latin Song , "Amandolo"

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Secada, Jon 1961 births Living people Afro-Cuban culture American entertainers of Cuban descent American Latin pop singers Cuban emigrants to the United States Cuban male singers Cuban songwriters Grammy Award winners Hialeah Senior High School alumni Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music songwriters Male songwriters Miami Sound Machine members Musicians from Miami People from Havana People of Afro–Cuban descent University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni