David Bisbal

David Bisbal is a Spanish pop sensation who embarked on a chart-topping solo recording career in 2002 after catapulting to fame on the inaugural season of the popular television show Operación Triunfo. Born on June 5, 1979, in Almería, Spain, he was the second-place runner-up to Rosa López on the 2001-2002 season of Operación Triunfo, a reality show fashioned after Pop Idol. In the wake of his newfound fame as a television star, Bisbal made his full-length solo album debut in 2002 with Corazón Latino. Released in association with Universal Music only a few months after the Operación Triunfo finale, Corazón Latino was produced and largely written by Latin pop hitmaker Kike Santander, whose previous credits include smash hits by Gloria Estefan and Alejandro Fernández, among others. Corazón Latino not only topped the Spanish albums chart; it also spun off a trio of chart-topping singles ("Ave María," "Lloraré las Penas," "Dígale"). Moreover, the album was a moderate success in the United States, where "Lloraré las Penas" proved particularly popular. Amid the many awards for which he was nominated in the wake of his recording debut, Bisbal won a Latin Grammy in 2003 for Best New Artist.

The follow-up album, Bulería (2004), rivaled the success of Corazón Latino, topping the Spanish albums chart and spawning a series of chart-topping singles ("Bulería," "Oye el Boom," "Camina y Ven," "Cómo Olvidar"). Produced and largely written again by Santander, Bulería found Bisbal indulging in a wider range of musical styles than before, flamenco in particular. A live album, Todo por Ustedes (2005), and a greatest-hits compilation, David Bisbal (2006), were released prior to Bisbal's third studio effort, Premonición (2006). Helmed as usual by Santander and more rock-inclined than prior albums, Premonición was another chart-topper for Bisbal, as were the featured singles "Quien Me Iba a Decir," "Silencio," and "Torre de Babel." In 2007 the album was repackaged as Premonición Live, a deluxe edition featuring "Hate That I Love You" (Odio Que Te Amo), a bilingual version of Rihanna's international hit of the same name. Sin Mirar Atras arrived in 2009 and saw Bisbal credited with much of the songwriting which, for the first time, didn't include Kike Santander. This change didn't seem to affect the outcome, however, as Sir Mirar Atras swept the Spanish charts, while a deluxe edition of the record included "Sufrirás", a duet with English singer Pixie Lott. In 2011, Bisbal released his third live album, Una Noche en el Teatro Real. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi