Not Everyone Can Play in New York…
If you look at boy-band history there is always that one member of the group who goes on to forge a career beyond the bubble-gum tunes he initially rose to fame on. Names like Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin and Justin Timberlake tell you as much. In 2014 Romeo Santos showed the world that for the Bachata super-group Aventura – he was that guy.
Born Anthony Santos in July of 1981 in the Bronx, New York, Santos first pursued his singing aspirations at 12-years-old as part of a church choir. As he grew older he acquired a penchant for Bachata, and together with his cousin, Henry Santos, and two friends, Lenny and Max Santos, the crooners would form the band that would one day be known around the world as Aventura.
As lead singer, main songwriter and producer for Aventura, Santos led the band – as well as the Bachata genre – to new heights. Aventura released several multiplatinum albums containing numerous chart-topping hit singles, and they also toured the world performing at sold out shows. However, in 2011, the group members would go their separate ways to pursue solo careers.
Santos’ decision to go solo was welcomed with much confidence by his fans, while others felt doubtful that he would reach the level of success on his own that he had with his bandmates. He not only reached that same level, he surpassed it. Two successful albums and sold out shows around the world – collabs with big name guests such as Lil Wayne, Usher, Drake, Nick Minaj and Bachata legends like Luis Vargas, Anthony Santos and Raulín Rodríguez – made way for his grandioso moment in the summer of 2014 when Romeo Santos did what no other Latino artist in music history has done – sell out Yankee Stadium – not once, but twice! The second show was closed out by a reunion performance by Santos and his fellow Aventura members.
What followed were: a performance for the PBS music special “A Salute to The Troops: in Performance at the White House” alongside Mary J. Blige, Common, John Fogerty and Willie Nelson, a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and a performance at the 2014 Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC as the only Latin performer on the lineup.
At this point denying Romeo Santos a spot at the upper echelon of the music industry – or on best of the year lists such as this one – would be foolish. With a voice that drives the ladies crazy – and even some of the fellas – his masterful lyricism, his chart-topping record sales, and historical sold out shows, there is no denying that Romeo Santos is, as he proclaims, the King of Bachata. All hail the King!