Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler is a Latin pop singer, romantic balladeer, dance pop artist, reggaeton, and bachata musician who is also a songwriter, music producer, and Spanish actor. He was born in Madrid on May 8, 1975. He is the youngest son of the famous singer Julio Iglesias and the highly popular socialite in Spanish gossip media, Isabel Preysler.
Enrique became very popular in America and also in Cuba in the 1990s with his debut album Enrique Iglesias (1995), which produced hugely successful and widely played tracks such as "Experiencia religiosa," "Si tú te vas," "Trapecista," "No llores por mí," and "Por amarte." With this album, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 1997, and thanks to these singles, he reached number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks. He would later release, with equal success, Vivir (1997), from which Cubans fondly remember the singles "Enamorado por primera vez" and "Cosas del amor" (1998).
In his fourth album, Enrique (2000), which marked the Spanish artist's debut in the English-speaking market, his song "Bailamos" features in the original soundtrack of the movie Wild Wild West, starring Salma Hayek and Will Smith, who personally requested the singer to include the song in the film. This track reached the top position on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, helping to establish his international career, further solidified by other hits like "Hero," "Escape," and "Don't Turn Off the Lights," all from the album Escape (2000).
Iglesias has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his long career. With millions of copies sold, he has won the Premio Lo Nuestro several times, as well as Latin Grammys, the TVyNovelas Award for Best Musical Theme, and the Premios Juventud. He also received the Grammy for Best Latin Artist in 1997. Additionally, many of his singles and albums have been honored with the Billboard Latin Award and Billboard Music Award for featuring among the most popular on charts in the United States.
In 2010, Enrique released Euphoria. This album features memorable collaborations with Juan Luis Guerra, Pitbull, Wisin and Yandel, Usher, Nicole Scherzinger, and Akon, and is available in both English and Spanish.
When I Fall in Love, a duet with Juan Luis Guerra, a bachata written by the Cuban composer Descemer Bueno, and I Like It with Pitbull were major hits and reached the top charts. With this album, the artist achieved number one in sales in Spain, Mexico, and other countries. It was certified Double Platinum in the United States, Platinum in Mexico and Colombia, and Gold in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Poland.
In April 2014, Enrique Iglesias brought Cuban musicians Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno into the international spotlight after performing the song "Bailando" together. The song had originally been recorded by the Cubans and was presented to Iglesias by Descemer, who notes that at first, the Spanish artist did not like it until he saw it recorded. It was at that moment that he decided to include it in his album "Sex and Love."
Later, the song was released by the record label Republic Records and performed by Enrique Iglesias, Descemer Bueno, and Gente de Zona. All versions of the music video were directed by Cuban producer Alejandro Pérez and filmed in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Portugal. This video catapulted the Cuban dancer Ana Karla Suárez to fame.
"Bailando" became a tremendous hit around the world, staying for many weeks on the charts. In 2016, it won two Guinness World Records in Mexico. Enrique Iglesias and Descemer have continued their successful collaborations: in 2017, they released the single "Súbeme la radio" along with the Puerto Rican duo Zion & Lennox, and in 2018, they presented "Nos fuimos lejos" featuring Micha as well.
In 2020, coinciding with the sixth anniversary of the release of the music video for the song "Bailando," Descemer Bueno announced that he was working on a second part of the single alongside the Cuban group Gente de Zona, although it was not specified whether singer Enrique Iglesias would be involved.
