Chayanne

Biography

Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 28, 1968), known professionally as Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican singer and actor. He has released 21 albums and sold over 15 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists.
As an actor, Chayanne participated in two Puerto Rican telenovelas broadcast by the WAPA-TV television station in the 80s. These were Sombras del Pasado with Daniel Lugo and Alba Nydia Díaz, and Tormento with Lugo and Yazmin Pereira.

Early life

Figueroa Arce's nickname "Chayanne" was given to him by his mother, in honor of his love for the 1950s American television series, Cheyenne.

Career with Los Chicos

In the late 1970s, he auditioned for famed Puerto Rican group Menudo, but the producers told him that he was too young to be a member. He joined another group, Los Chicos, and they produced several hit recordings, including "Puerto Rico Son Los Chicos" and "Ave Maria". Los Chicos toured all over Latin America and became a major rival to Menudo when Chayanne was a member.

Solo artist

After Los Chicos separated in 1984, Chayanne began his career as a solo artist. He signed with RCA Víctor and released his debut album, Es mi Nombre×Es mi nombre26 April 1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Chayanne es mi nombre2:292De dos en dos2:503Chinatown3:014Sexy2:325Un nuevo juego3:196Loco3:087Chicos malos3:358Una marciana en la avenida3:039Dime dónde voy3:2310Estar a tu lado3:4111...¿Y qué culpa tengo yo?3:30, that year. His second album with RCA Víctor, Sangre Latina×Sangre latina26 April 1986 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 21 tracks1Chicos malos3:362Una marciana en la avenida3:043Dime dónde voy3:234Estar a tu lado3:415¿Y qué culpa tengo yo?3:336Chayanne es mi nombre2:297De dos en dos2:508China Town3:019Sexy2:3310Un nuevo juego3:1911Loco3:0812Sangre latina3:0613Amo a una estrella2:4014Vuelve4:1015¿Qué será?3:2416Brujería3:0317Única3:5518Una foto para dos3:0119Jana2:3320Voy2:4821Latin lover3:37, was released in 1986.

After three years with RCA Víctor, Chayanne switched labels to Sony Music and broke out with his first self-titled album in 1987. This album featured a blend of ballads and dance tracks, a combination for which Chayanne would become famous. The album featured two hit songs, the ballad "Peligro de Amor", written by Michael Sullivan and Paulo Massadas, and a song that would cement him as an overall performer, the upbeat dance track "Fiesta en América×Fiesta en América1987 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFiesta en América (versión remezclada)5:40BVioleta (versión remezclada)5:25", written by Honorio Herrero.
On 1 November 1988, Chayanne released his second self-titled album, Chayanne. This album featured several hit singles, including Herrero's "Tu Pirata Soy Yo", José María Cano's "Fuiste un Trozo de Hielo en la Escarcha", and "Este Ritmo Se Baila Así×Este ritmo se baila así1989 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAEste ritmo se baila así ''Sye Bwa'' (long version)6:11BEste ritmo se baila así ''Sye Bwa'' (single version)4:29", composed by Pierre-Edouard Decimus and Jacob Desvarieux, both members of Guadeloupean band Kassav', and Roberto Livi. At the same time, Chayanne became a spokesperson for Pepsi, with the airing of the first Spanish-speaking advertising spot broadcast on U.S. national television, coast to coast, during the 1989 Grammy Awards telecast.
On August 7, 1990, he released the album Tiempo de Vals×Tiempo de vals7 August 1990 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Completamente enamorados4:202Daría cualquier cosa3:243Simon sez4:314Soleil, soleil3:205Tiempo de vals4:116Donde vas5:277La fuerza de amar4:518Sueño perdido3:459No pensar en ti5:12, featuring some of his best-selling singles, such as the title track (composed by José María Cano), "Completamente Enamorados" (by Piero Cassano, Adelio Cogliati, and Eros Ramazzotti), and "Daría Cualquier Cosa", composed by Luis Gómez-Escolar and Julio Seijas. Chayanne followed this with an album and title track that would eventually become his signature song, Provócame (1992). The album also featured the hit "El Centro de mi Corazón" (#1 U.S. Hot Latin, 1992), which was nominated for Pop Song of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards of 1993, while Chayanne was nominated for Best Male Pop Artist. Two years later, he released the covers album Influencias×Influencias1994 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1La vida sigue igual4:332Amada amante4:533Una muchacha y una guitarra3:304Yo soy aquel4:255Pavo real / Agárrense de las manos4:256Gavilán o paloma4:227Querida4:388Amor libre3:529Paso la vida pensando3:5710Pedro Navaja7:31 (1994), which was a tribute to some of his musical influences. In 1996, he released Volver a Nacer.
In 1998, he received his second Grammy nomination with the album Atado a Tu Amor×Atado a tu amor29 September 1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Deixaria tudo4:452Soy como un niño4:353Enamorado3:334Atado a tu amor5:035Mira ven ven4:156Otra Vez3:597You Are My Home5:098Salomé4:139Pienso en ti4:1810Nadie como tú3:4211Vaya escandalera3:4712Sube al desván3:4513La playa4:0414Deixaria tudo (remix)5:1015Dejaría todo4:43, which featured his first number-one hit since 1992, "Dejaría Todo", as well as a long-lasting hit in the title track. The hot streak continued in 2000, when Chayanne released Simplemente and the top-ten hit "Candela" and the number-one hit "Yo Te Amo". On March 19, 2002, he released Grandes Éxitos, a greatest-hits album with a few new tracks. One of those new tracks, "Y Tú Te Vas", was the number-one song of the summer for 2002, and went on to be the theme song for Venezuelan telenovela Todo sobre Camila, produced by Venevisión. The following year, Chayanne released Sincero, which featured two number-one songs, "Un Siglo Sin Ti×UN SIGLO SIN TI25 July 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1UN SIGLO SIN TI2:35" and "Cuidarte el Alma".
In 2005, Chayanne embarked on a tour alongside Alejandro Fernández and Marc Anthony. That same year, he released two albums, a second compilation album, Desde Siempre×Desde siempre29 March 2005 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Contra vientos y mareas3:582Un siglo sin ti4:413Volver a nacer4:554Cuidarte el alma4:125Fuiste un trozo de hielo en la escarcha4:386Atado a tu amor5:077El centro de mi corazón3:488Pienso en ti4:189Yo te amo4:5110Solamente tu amor3:2511Daria cualquier cosa3:2312Entre mis recuerdos3:48, with the new song "Contra Vientos y Mareas", followed by Cautivo, with hits such as "No Sé Por Qué", "Te Echo de Menos" and "No Te Preocupes Por Mí".
Chayanne's 13th album, Mi Tiempo×Mi tiempo31 December 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Si nos quedara poco tiempo3:192Lola4:143Cuestión de Feeling4:134Tengo miedo4:065Indispensable4:026Bailarina4:237Te amaré3:558Sin palabras de relleno3:359Me voy a Río3:5010Loco por vos3:1811Juicio final4:1712Te amaré (acoustic version)3:5513Lola (Spanglish version)4:14, was released on April 10, 2007. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard Latin Albums chart, selling 17,000 copies in its first week. The lead single off the album, "Si Nos Quedará Poco Tiempo", reached number-one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Following the album's release, Chayanne began an international tour to promote Mi Tiempo. Among the regions visited on the tour were México, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú and the United States.
On August 24, 2008, he began a series of presentations in Spain. When interviewed, he noted that the concert would be fluid, "like a musical", and "more Latin" than his previous presentations, being composed of "more pop, Brazilian, Caribbean and reggae rhythms", which he would use to "dance constantly".
He gave a special performance at the Miss Universe 2003 pageant. On October 12, 2009, Chayanne released a new single titled "Me Enamoré de Ti×Me enamoré de ti9 November 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Me enamoré de ti4:22", serving as the theme song for the 2009 soap opera Corazon Salvaje. This single is featured in Chayanne's 2010 release, No Hay Imposibles.
On March 14, 2015, Chayanne released a new single titled, "Tu respiración×Tu respiración11 August 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Tu respiración4:10", serving as the theme song for the 2015 soap opera Lo imperdonable.

Acting career

In the 1980s, Chayanne participated in several soap operas and starred in the comedy series Generaciones with Luis Antonio Rivera. In 1994 he played himself in Volver a empezar along with Yuri. That same year, he also starred in Linda Sara opposite former Miss Universe, Dayanara Torres. The film was written and directed by famous Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales. In 1998, he starred in his first Hollywood role, playing a Cuban dancer along with Vanessa L. Williams in Dance with Me. He also made a guest appearance on Ally McBeal. In the next few years he worked in other projects like the Argentine soap opera Provócame, for which he made the soundtrack of the same name.
In 2008, Chayanne played the title role (of a vampire) on the television series Gabriel: Amor Inmortal. To familiarize himself with the concept he adopted a different daily schedule, sleeping during the day and working at night. He noted that the production wanted to "make things look as real as possible", but that the adaptation process was difficult. The series debuted on September 28, 2008, on Mega TV.
He voiced Flynn Rider in Tangled (2010) for the Latin-American Spanish dubbing.

Personal life

He is married to Marilisa Maronesse and their children are son Lorenzo and daughter Isadora. The family lives in Miami Beach, Florida. Chayanne's daughter Isadora is a singer who was nominated in the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards Best New Artist category. He is the uncle of Venezuelan singer Lele Pons.