Ana Bárbara

Ana Bárbara (born January 10, 1971) is a Mexican Latin Grammy Award winner, songwriter, producer, and Grammy-nominated recording artist. Since her profesional debut in 1994, she has become a prominent figure within Latin music entertainment. Ana Bárbara has not only dominated the Grupero movement, but is one of the driving forces behind the style's realization. With a distinct vocal range, songwriting and producing talent, Ana Bárbara has defined the modern Grupero performance and is one of the few Regional Mexican acts to garner an international following that extends beyond México and the United States. Today, she is amongst the top leading female figures in Regional Mexican music. Life and career edit: Early life and early career edit: Ana Bárbara took interest in music at a young age. She was particularly influenced by her older sister, Viviana Ugalde, who was a popular singer locally. Ana Bárbara was deeply inspired by her sister's performances that she decided she wanted to become a singer herself. Today, Ugalde represents Ana Bárbara as her artistic manager. In 1988 Ana Bárbara entered the local Miss Universe-sponsored Miss Mexico pageant representing her native state of San Luis Potosí; she lost at the national level.. An unknown Altagracia Ugalde moved forward and began to sing professionally at a variety of events and festivals. In 1990 she seized an opportunity to tour overseas in Colombia representing a native of Mexican music. In 1993, Ana Bárbara was proclaimed the Ambassador of Ranchera Music; she also earned the Rostro Bonito de El Heraldo ("El Heraldo's Beautiful Face") award. As a result, she was invited to perform during Mass at The Vatican for Pope John Paul II, but when Mass neared its close and she still hadn't been given her chance to sing, she decided to interrupt the proceedings so that she could command the attention of the Pope, for whom she began to sing. The Pope blessed and wished her luck with her career. In 1994, she signed with Fonovisa, Televisa's then music company. Under the Fonovisa label, she created artistic stage name 'Ana Bárbara' and launched her first CD. The self-titled Ana Bárbara was produced and largely written by Aníbal Pastor. Songs like Sacúdeme and Nada helped make Ana Bárbara a Mexican Grupero star on the rise. Ana Bárbara released her second album titled La Trampa in July 1995, also produced by Anibal Pastor. La Trampa was a huge hit. Ana Bárbara received accolades from industry award shows as well as great reviews within the industry. It spawned consecutive hits, such as Me Asusta Pero Me Gusta and La Trampa, that topped "Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks" and established her as "La Reina Grupera" ("Queen of Grupero Music"). International stardom edit: By summer of 1996, she had become international. The release of her third album Ay, Amor solidified her as a successful Latin recording artist. Her appearance and dancing style captivated Latin America audiences during promotional tours with hit songs like No Lloraré and Ya No Te Creo Nada. In 1997 she debut her first and only calendar. Coors Light beer also selected Ana Bárbara as their Hispanic figure for promotional advertising. Later that year she returned to Miami, Florida for the annual Calle 8 Music Festival where she was crowned Queen of the annual celebration. In 1998, Ana Bárbara released her fourth album produced in its entirely by singer, songwriter, and producer Marco Antonio Solís. The album, titled Los Besos No Se Dan En La Camisa, was largely a ballads album with only one Grupero-style song. This album included a duet and background vocals by Solís, as well as a cover of Como Me Haces Falta, originally sung by Los Bukis in 1982. The album was a minor setback, although the lead single became extremely commercially successful and peaked at number one in Latin America, México, and the United States. Ana Bárbara garnered various industry accolades and toured alongside Mexican icon Vicente Fernández. In 1999, Ana Bárbara released Latin Grammy nominated fifth studio album Tu Decisión, produced by Anibal Pastor. One of his two songwriting credits, Engañada, became the album's most notable hit. Tu Decisión was also notable in songwriting terms because it marked Ana Bárbara's debut as a songwriter. In the same year she also debuted as an actress, starring in the made-for-TV film Todo Contigo; the film was intended for stateside consumption, via Hispanic network Televisa. The theme song for the movie Todo Contigo was included in the album Tu Decisión. In 2000, Ana Bárbara took a short break in order to dedicate time to birth of her first child, Emiliano. She was briefly out of the limelight but quickly returned to the music scene in 2001 with a new release titled Te Regalo La Lluvia. The album was a challenge to her custom Grupero sound. It was recorded entirely in Mariachi style music and produced by songwriter Fato. Critics who had written off Ana Bárbara as simply a grupero novelty built chiefly upon sex appeal consequently took her and her music a bit more seriously. As Ana Bárbara toured for Te Regalo La Lluvia, she began preparations for a comeback Grupero-style album. In 2001, Ana Bárbara participated in El Último Adiós (The Last Goodbye), a song written in memory of the 9/11 attacks, which included popular Latin singers, such as Alejandro Fernández, Marco Antonio Solís, and Ricky Martin. After several years as a recording artist, Ana Bárbara began to produce her own music; she became more involved in the creation and arrangement process. By the fall of 2003 she had released Te Atraparé...Bandido, and Loca de Amar quickly followed in early 2005. Each album helped Ana Bárbara remain a dominant figure in the Regional Mexican genre. Her debut as producer for Te Atraparé...Bandido and Loca de Amar created popular chart-topping singles such as Bandido, Deja, Loca, and Lo Busqué. These tracks consecutively dominated "Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks", as well as earning her important accolades from various music industry award shows. Selena tribute concert edit: In April 2005, she participated in Selena ¡VIVE!, a 10th Anniversary tribute concert held in honor of Latino icon Selena, the "Queen of Tejano music", which was held on April 7, 2005 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The special tribute was produced by Spanish-language network Univision, and was the most watched Spanish-language television special in US history. Ana Bárbara produced and co-wrote a new version of "La Carcacha", which sampled Selena's original version mixed with her signature style and Grupero touch. Marriage edit: In July 2005, she began a relationship with Mariana Levy's widower, José María Fernández, an architect commonly known as Pirru. Their union proved highly controversial as Pirru recently had become widowed few months after announcing a new relationship. They were engaged in October 2005 and wed a few months later. Their marriage; however, ended by mid-2010, after nearly five years. Production credits edit: In 2005, she produced the debut album for Mexican duo Los Elegidos (Ana Bárbara's brothers). The album titled Tal y Como Somos, sampled Regional Mexican Banda music. Ana Bárbara wrote and composed several tracks on the album, including debut song titled Fruta Prohibida. The debut single topped "Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks" chart and also helped Los Elegidos reach popularity in México and the United States. In 2006, she produced their second album titled Niña Mimada. She is currently co-producing their third album due by summer of 2013. 2005 Latin Grammy edit: By the fall of 2005, Ana Bárbara was awarded her first Latin Grammy for Loca de Amar, which won Best Grupero Album at the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Ceremony held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This was Ana Bárbara's Grammy ceremony debut; she performed a medly of Lo Busqué and Loca. 2006 Cancún, Pregnancy, and Family life edit: In the Spring of 2006, Ana Bárbara released official soccer theme, "Arriba Arriba," for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In May 2006, Ana Bárbara released "No Es Brujería," her final album with major record label Fonovisa. Lead single No Es Brujeria fared well on "Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks", but the promotion was quickly stalled after announcing her second pregnancy. Later that year Ana Bárbara took an extensive break from recording; she relocated to the resort city of Cancún, México with her children Emiliano (born in 2000), José María (born in 2006), and Jerónimo (born 2011), as well as her ex-husband's children Jose Emilio and Paula. Ana Bárbara put her musical career on hold for several years in order to dedicate time to her new family. During her time-off from music, she joined the food-industry business. She opened an exclusive restaurant titled Chocalate City, located in Cancún, Quintana Roo, México. In early 2008, Ana Bárbara expanded her entrepreneur side once again by co-sponsoring and partnering with Los Elegidos to open a nightclub titled Bandido. The night-club was located in Cancún, Quintana, Roo México, but it closed down one year later. 2008 José José Speical Tribute concert edit: In July 2008, Ana Bárbara participated in a star-studded tribute concert for legendary Mexican icon José José. She performed one of his classic hits titled Lo Pasado, Pasado and was acclaimed for one of the night's highlight performances. Ana Bárbara was also recognized for being one of the night's "best dressed." In April 2009, Ana Bárbara topped People en Español Los 50 Más Bellos list. She was featured on the cover of this prestigious Hispanic magazine alongside Maite Perroni, Eva Longoria, and Ana de la Reguera, among others. Return to recording edit: After four years of musical absence, Ana Bárbara remained a popular favorite in the music entertainment industry. AllMusic.com said: "Ana Bárbara has not only dominated the Grupero movement, but she is one of the driving forces behind the Grupero-style realization." In July 2009, Ana Bárbara was featured on the cover of People en Español where she talked about the release of her 10th studio album; the appearance marked the third time that Ana Bárbara has been on the cover of the Hispanic celebrity magazine, once in 2005 and twice in 2009. By the fall of 2009, Ana Bárbara introduced Rompiendo Cadenas, a bouncy Urban/Pop track with Grupero elements, produced by Dominican duo Luny Tunes featuring new Reggaeton artists Dyland & Lenny. The music video for Rompiendo Cadenas was filmed in La Habana, Cuba and premiered on her official website in October 2009;Rompiendo Cadenas debuted at number 39 on Billboard's "Latin Pop Songs" on November 12, 2009. Two alternate versions of song Rompiendo Cadenas premiered on iTunes, one in Banda and another in Acustic version; the track became the album's notable hit. When Ana Bárbara introduced Rompiendo Cadenas to the Associated Press in January 2010 she described why the early departure from Fonovisa Records since she was still under contract for one more album. Ana Bárbara stated that Fonovisa perceived her new material as "too risky" since she was "author and producer of all tracks." The album revealed more of a mainstream Pop genre, but included custom Grupero traits.Fonovisa Records ordered to reconsider and change the style or terminate the contract. Ana Bárbara, on the other hand, was grateful for their honesty and immediately launched Rompiendo Cadenas via independent record label AB Productions. In February 2010 Ana Bárbara hosted a series of events for Hispanic networks Univision and TeleFutura. She and Puerto Rican singer Víctor Manuelle hosted the 2010 Premio Lo Nuestro Awards live from Miami, Florida. Ana Bárbara was voted amongst the top finalists for most elegant dressed celebrity. The following day she participated in a star-studded remake of "We Are the World", titled Somos El Mundo along with the filming of the music video. In the same month, Ana Bárbara also hosted a televised music special in honor of the late Selena. She also participated as a judge for another Selena tribute titled Buscando la doble de Selena. In April 2010, Ana Bárbara introduced second single Que Ironía from Rompiendo Cadenas to mixed reviews. The track included rock and pop versions, but neither sparked interest in the general public. The song was originally written for pop diva Gloria Trevi, but after Ana Bárbara's own son Emiliano reassured her confidence, she decided to take a challenge, record the song, and make it her own. A music video premiered the following month. In May 2010, Ana Bárbara introduced two new songs via her official Twitter page. The first track was a featured duet with Mexican singer songwriter Reyli titled Ahora Tengo; the track's music video was filmed in New York and premiered in June 2010. The next song was the popular Alma Perdida, the official theme song for Univision's mini-series Mujeres Asesinas 3. In 2011, some of Ana Bárbara's projects included debuting in a Mexican soap opera titled Una Familia Con Suerte; the cameo role was her official debut as an actress in a soap opera. Ana Bárbara also sang one of the soap opera's theme songs titled Suerte. New relationship edit: In June 2010, tabloid magazines and entertainment television shows speculated over divorce rumors between Ana Bárbara and José María Fernández Pirru, due to his infidelity. On July 2, 2010 Ana Bárbara released a press statement confirming the end of her marriage. Two months after the split, Ana Bárbara confirmed a new romantic relationship with wealthy business man Elias Sacal, but that also went sour only after a few months. She is currently dedicated solely to her children and career. 2010-2011 car accidents edit: Ana Bárbara remained a fixture of celebrity gossip because of her sometimes scandalous personal life. In late July 2010, she was involved in a car accident in Cancún, Mexico, that left a 79-year-old woman dead; the incident sparked a media circus. Authorities arrested Ana Bárbara's driver (bodyguard and family friend). Eyewitnesses, however, told the victim's family that it was Ana Bárbara who was driving. She denied the accusations and any wrongdoing. Due to immense media pressure, Ana Bárbara granted network Televisa an exclusive interview where she broke down in tears and asked the victim's family for forgiveness. She also stated that on-scene police authorities allowed her to leave the scene since they had apprehended the driver. The victim's daughter used several media outlets to blast Ana Bárbara and accuse her of being the driver. Ana Bárbara was exonerated after Mexican authorities found no evidence that could have linked her behind the wheel. She faced civil charges for being the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the accident. In December 2010, Mexico's CNDH (Human Resources National Committee) recommended that the governor and Municipal President of Quintana Roo review the case after a petition was filed by the victim's family claiming investigative fallacies. During the appeal, Ana Bárbara was called to re-testify, but was found innocent of any legal wrongdoing. Munguía was free on bail while the case was pending, but in October 2011 he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. In early 2012, he was sentenced to two years in prison. On February 3, 2011, Ana Bárbara was involved in a second car accident in Cancún, Quintana Roo. Officials in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo say the singer was driving a Porsche Cayenne that hit the back of another vehicle at a stop light. Traffic officer Abraham Coutino said no one was injured and that the singer's insurance covered all damages. Ana Bárbara was highly criticized by the media, but asked the general public via Twitter not to believe the over sensationalized paparazzi coverage over the minor fender bender accident. Health concerns edit: After a few tumultuous years, rumors swirled that Ana Bárbara was battling depression and anorexia. She confirmed via Twitter in March 2011 that she "had an illness" and was receiving treatment in Spain to improve her overall well being. Some suggest she was there for an artificial insemination procedure, something the media has highly questioned and speculated In July 2011, Ana Bárbara confirmed that she was moving from México and relocating to Los Angeles during the summer of 2012. 2011 Third Pregnancy edit: After splitting from ex-husband, José María Fernández Pirru for nearly two years, a 40-year-old Ana Bárbara announced in August 2011 that she was expecting her third child via artificial insemination. She decided to undergo the procedure after sons Emiliano and Jose María told her they wanted a bigger family. Ana Bárbara said she expects to be criticized for her decision to have a child without a father and that she won't let the criticism bother her. "I felt my puzzle was missing a piece and now it's complete," she told the Méxican edition of ¡Hola! magazine. She announced her third child's name would be Jerónimo; he was born on December 22, 2011 in México City, México. In March 2012, during an exclusive interview with ¡Hola! Ana Bárbara revealed the identity of Jeronimo's father, singer-songwriter Reyli. 2012 Music and Television show edit: In April 2012 Ana Bárbara revealed new career projects that included a new single, album and television show. Ana Bárbara began production on a new album recorded entirely in Banda, Regional Mexican music. By summer 2012, Ana Bárbara released Banda single Tu Ingratitud, a cover originally made popular in 1993 by Marco Antonio Solís y Los Bukis. A music video was recorded in Cancún, Quintana Roo, México and released in July. Tu Ingratitud marked Ana Bárbara's return to international music charts; it quickly reached popularity in Mexico peaking at #1 and top 20 in United States and Central America. Ana Bárbara also collaborated with Maria Jose, Anahí, Marco Llunas, and Original Banda El Limón in each of their new albums. In July 2012, Ana Bárbara became the newest judge on Estrella TV's music and talent contest Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento, filmed in Burbank, CA. Ana Bárbara replaced singer Jenni Rivera for the talent show's seventh season, which aired September through December 2012. The show consisted of judges Ana Bárbara, actor Hector Suarez, and one of the most influential figures in the Latin music industry, Pepe Garza. In October 2012, Dos Abrazos, a song written by Ana Bárbara from multi-Grammy nominated album No Es Brujería, was selected to appear in Sharon Stone's 2012 Hollywood motion picture Border Run, (formally titled The Mule). A newer Banda version of Dos Abrazos is scheduled to be re-released in Ana Bárbara's elevength studio album. The motion picture went straight to DVD in the US and was released in February 2013. On December 8, 2012, Ana Bárbara sang Mexico's national anthem during the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez IV fight live from Las Vegas Nevada. 2013 New album and Current projects edit: In December 2012, Ana Bárbara revealed bonus track Los Vergelitos, a teaser to the upcoming 2013 banda album. Her eleventh studio album, delayed from its original release date in November 2012 to June 2013, will be released via independent label AB Productions. Ana Bárbara began production on the record in Mexico, Miami, and Los Angeles; it will include production credits by singer songwriter Reyli as well as songwriting from Joan Sebastian and Marco Antonio Solis. Ana Bárbara is also producing her brothers Los Elegidos third Banda album, due July 2013. In March 2013, Ana Bárbara continued the 8th season of Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento, via Estrella TV which aired from March through May 2013. On April 25th, Ana Bárbara hosted the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards live from Miami, Florida via Telemundo network; however, her best highlight was an impromptu "a capella" serenade to music icon Jose Jose. In May 2013, Ana Bárbara had a cameo singing performance in mexican soap opera Amores verdaderos grand finale, via Univision network. After a career span of nearly two decades and over six million albums sold, accomplished singer-songwriter, producer, and TV personality, the "Queen of Grupero," Ana Bárbara is scheduled to be honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in the fall of2013. Awards edit: The majority of Ana Bárbara's albums have been recognized by either the Latin Grammy Awards or the traditional Grammy Awards. She has received a total of five Latin Grammy nominations for albums, Tu Decisión, Te Regalo La Lluvia, Te Atraparé... Bandido, Loca de Amar (won), and No Es Brujería which also received a second nomination in the traditional Grammy Awards. Her former record label Fonovisa said "these recognitions are a milestone accomplishment in Ana Bárbara's career that spans more than a decade of uninterrupted success in the United States, México and Latin America." During Ana Bárbara's nineteen-year career span, she has been awarded four "Premio Lo Nuestro" awards in the Regional Mexican Best Female Artist category, with a total of 10 nominations overall. She won in the following years: 1996, 1997, 1998, and in 2006. She has also received a total of seven "Premio Furia Musical" awards in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005, as well three "Premio El Heraldo" trophies, one for Best New Artist in 1994 and two Best Female Singer in 1997 and 2000. She also won a Casandra Award (which is the Dominican version of the Grammy's) in 2002 for Most Outstanding International Artist, as well as Mexico's Premios Oye! award in 2006 for Best Female Performer (Mexico's version of the Grammy's). In September 2012, Ana Bárbara was crowned Queen of the LGBT community in Los Angeles, Ca. By the fall of 2012, Ana Bárbara was awarded her first career recognition from Regional Mexican Music award show Premios de la Radio. "A poweful voice and a disctinctive style has placed Ana Bárbara as one of the leading interpreters of Mexican music for nearly twenty years; a multi-talented singer-songwriter and producer in a genre that throughout the years has been dominated by men." On that night, Ana Bárbara performed a medly of her most popular hit songs: Lo Busque, Como Me Haces Falta, Tu Ingratitud, and Bandido. Ana Bárbara also performed a very special duet Te Voy Olvidar on Premios de la Radio with friend, peer, and superstar, the late Jenni Rivera, only one month before Jenni's untimely death.

Source: Wikipedia

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