Miguel Bosé

Miguel Bosé has been a force in Latin music in a career that has spanned over 20 albums, roles in more than 35 films, his own television show, and work as a theatre director. With Picasso and Ernest Hemingway among his family friends, Bosé grew up in the arts, constantly travelling from his Panama homeland to Milan, New York, London, Paris, and Madrid. He made his film debut at the age of 15, and at age 21, he began his singing career which eventually lead to international pop stardom.

Between 1977 and 1982, he recorded several albums for CBS, but it wasn't until 1985 that he had his first hit with "Bandido." A year later, he signed with Warner Bros., which led to more introspective LPs like Salamandra, which was overseen by producer Celso Valli (well known for with work with Eros Ramazzotti). This production was followed by XXX, Los Chicos No Lloran, and Directo '90, a live recording compiling many of the artist's hits.

In 1993, Bosé's music moved into a more political vein with the album Bajo El Signo de Cain, which addressed such issues as Yugoslavia's political turmoil, ecological concerns, and aspects of his stardom, and it ended up being his first platinum album. With an increasingly powerful international profile as a singer and actor, he released Laberinto in 1995 and went on a 125-concert tour of Spain and Latin America to support the album. This was followed in 1997 by 11 Maneras de Ponerse un Sombrero and, in 1999, a greatest hits album, Lo Mejor de Bosé.

In the following decade, Bosé's popularity continued undiminished as he released four more studio albums and two live albums. In 2000 he recorded Girados, a collaborative double live album with Ana Torroja. 2002's Sereno won him a Latin Grammy for Best Male Pop Performance, while 2005's Velvetina saw him stepping outside the box to experiment with electronic dance-pop (even the cover is a clear homage to Kraftwerk). In 2007, celebrating 30 years in the business, he made the album Papito, where numerous stars of Latin music -- including huge names like Juanes, Shakira, Ricky Martin and Laura Pausini -- joined him in re-recording duet versions of some of his biggest hits. A younger listenership was turned onto his music by the single "Como un Lobo", featuring his niece Bimba Bosé, herself a successful singer and model. He then took the album on the road, resulting in the live effort Papitour. His 18th studio album, Cardio, was issued in 2010, the same year that he was awarded honorary Colombian citizenship for his efforts towards peace in that country.

During his career as an international pop star, Bosé portrayed a cross dresser in Pedro Almodovar's High Heels, worked with Andy Warhol on two videos, and witnessed the banning of his video "No Encuentro un Momento Pa' Olvidar" for its controversial sexual imagery. Defying the contemporary formula for pop success, his music has been described as a global fusion of many musical influences. At the center of his music is all the passion and expression of a Latin artist, yet Miguel Bosé has constantly incorporated more diverse musical elements than many of the genre's crossover pop stars. ~ Zac Johnson & John D. Buchanan, Rovi