Biography of Pete Astudillo

One of the leaders of the Tejano music scene, Pete Astudillo was born in Laredo, TX, and from an early age followed mariachi and conjunto music. He began his musical career as a backup vocalist for the queen of Tejano, Selena, and sang two duets -- 1992's "Aname, Quirereme" and 1993's "Siempre Estoy Pensando en Ti," both of which were nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards. Astudillo also wrote or co-wrote several of Selena's chart-toppers, including "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," "Amor Prohibido," and the BMI award-winners "La Caracha," "Que Creias," and "Como la Flor." As his collaboration with Selena flourished, Astudillo developed as a solo artist as well. In 1992, his debut album Entregate a Mi, which included six songs written by him, was released on EMI Latin. 1993 also saw Astudillo nominated for Male Vocalist and Best Single at the Tejano Music Awards. His following releases -- 1993's Como Nadie, 1995's Como Te Extrano, and 1997's Si Tu No Estas -- continued with the same winning formula of well-written Cumbias, ballads, and Astudillo's charismatic voice. 1999 saw the release of his fifth album, Dondes Estas Amor. ~ Heather Phares

Biography of Graciela Beltran

Latina singer Graciela Beltrán is a rising young star who has already had considerable success on the charts. Her album Tesoro went double platinum. Her first album, Revelación Ranchero was released in 1989 and between then and 1995, Beltrán released ten albums. Grandes y Nuevos Exitos Vol. 1, a collection of re-recorded hits, followed in 1998, and a year later she returned with Reyna del Pueblo con Banda; Para Mi Pueblo was issued in early 2001. ~ Sandra Brennan

Biography of Emilio

While Emilio first attracted mainstream attention with his 1995 country hit "It's Not the End of the World," he came to Nashville only after establishing himself as a massively popular Tejano artist. Born Emilio Navaira in San Antonio, Texas, he left college to become a professional musician, and spent several years touring with David Lee Garza before founding his own group, Rio. After honing a sound which fused traditional country with Latin-influenced rock, Emilio became one of Tejano's biggest stars, debuting in 1991 with the album Unsung Highways. A series of successful records followed, including 1992's Emilio Live, 1993's Southern Exposure and 1994's Soundlife. In 1995, he released the contemporary country LP Life Is Good; A Mi Gente followed in 1997. ~ Jason Ankeny

Biography of The Barrio Boyzz

The Barrio Boyzz are a popular Latino quintet known for their versatility, as can be heard on their 1995 release How We Roll, an English-language album on which they perform everything from R&B and hip-hop to soul. Since their inception, the New York group have had numerous hits on the Latin charts, two platinum albums in Spanish, and have even appeared in a feature film, I Like It Like That. The group members are Angel Ramirez, Jr., David Davilla, Hans Giraldo, Louie Marrero, and Robert Vargas. All of the Boyzz are New York natives and are bilingual in English and Spanish. As youths, they were especially influenced by the soul music of the '70s, R&B of the '80s, and hip-hop of the '90s. The group was formed in 1991 when they were introduced to each other by manager Joe Jacket, who was looking to create a mainstream Latino group. Jacket wanted to make sure the Boyzz could remain together and that they shared the same passion he did and so made them formally pledge allegiance to the group and stay together a year before he allowed them to record. Though they started out making Spanish recordings, the band's ultimate goal has been to crossover into the mainstream market. ~ Sandra Brennan

Biography of Jennifer Peña

Singer Jennifer Peña was born in San Antonio, TX, in September 7, 1983. At the age of six, Peña started participating in different childrens' contests. At the age of 12, the young artist debuted at Houston's Astrodome while paying tribute to one of her idols, singer Selena. Jennifer Peña's first album was released in 1996 after signing up to EMI. Dulzura included Peña's first hit single, called "Ven a MI." That record allowed her to be considered at the TMA (Tejano Music Awards) where the artist was awarded as Female Artist of the Year. In 1997, her album Jennifer was released, including a cover of Rick James' "Super Freak." Later, Peña's voice was added to the movie Selena, achieving one of the singer's major goals. In the year 2000, Jennifer Peña was nominated for a Grammy Award. That same year, Abrázame y Bésame was released. ~ Drago Bonacich

Biography of Bobby Pulido

The son of influential Tejano pianist and bandleader, Roberto Pulido, Bobby Pulido (born: Jose Roberto Pulido, Jr.) brings a youthful apporoach to the rancheras, cumbias and ballads of the Texas and Mexico borderlands. Pulido is on the verge of breaking past regional success. His third album, Llegasta A Mi Vida, released in 1997, earned him Tejano awards for "album of the year", "best male vocalist" and "best male entertainer." His 1999 album, El Cozador, did even bettre and was nominated for a Grammy in the Latin music category. With his powerful accordion playing and gutsy vocals, it's just a matter of time before Pulido achieves international acclaim. ~ Craig Harris