True to Herself
Having grown up in the public eye in Mexico, Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter ALEJANDRA GUZMAN continues to captivate fans with a best-selling new album.
Alejandra Guzmán was barely 2 months old on February 9, 1968, when she first tested the waters of celebrity. The Mexico City native was born to entertainment royalty. Actress Silvia Pinal and rock legend Enrique Guzmán, who co-hosted a TV show together called
Silvia y Enrique, gave their daughter her first TV credit.
From the onset, Alejandra showed an inclination for the arts. At age 5, she was taking jazz, tap and ballet lessons, sometimes performing "shows" amongst her siblings, honing her skills for what ultimately would become a stellar career. Although she desired the spotlight early on, her parents were keen on Alejandra completing her studies before her full-fledged incursion into the business. In the meantime, she acted as an extra in soap operas, did some TV commercials and lent her voice to the choirs for bands La Union and Kenny y los Electricos.
Being born to legends wasn't exactly the golden opportunity many on the outside believed. To the contrary, it actually served as a liability. Some industry insiders saw her as the deluded offspring of stars who thought she could easily pickup where her folks currently stood.
Not one to be discouraged, Alejandra met with producer Miguel Blasco, who saw in her a wealth of untapped talent. From that union sprouted
Bye Mama, her first LP, released in 1989. Wasting no time, she went back into the studio and released her sophomore album
Dame tu Amor. The album cemented her as a force to be reckoned with, not the one-hit-wonder that some made her out to be.
The accolades kept pouring in, and in 1990 she saw the release of
Eternamente Bella, the album that left no doubt she was here to stay. She was selling out stadiums for 17,000 people in Central and South America, as well as the United States. She was unstoppable, and, like many stars, she also tried her luck in the movies. She starred in the film
Verano Peligroso (Dangerous Summer) in 1991, and broke ticket-sale records. The soundtrack was also a runaway hit.
The albums kept coming, and with them came a slew of awards. In 1991, she released
Flor de Papel. Two years later, Alejandra switched over to BMG Entertainment, where again under the auspices of Miguel Blasco, she recorded
Libre, which was her first album to see major sales not only in other Latin American countries, but also in Spain and the United States.
After releasing
Enorme in 1994 and
Cambio de Piel in 1996, she got the opportunity to work with two Latin music luminaries, Miguel Rios and Fito Paez on her 1997 effort,
La Guzman, which would later become an affectionate nickname.
Following the release of her ninth album in 1999 called
Algo Natural, Alejandra struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, addictions that landed her in rehab. Her career seemed to be at a standstill, yet Alejandra managed to turn the situation around, and once again took the stage with her mother in a musical production of
Gypsy. This collaboration paved the way for her 2001 release,
Soy, widely thought to be her brightest and most mature work.
Soy was helmed by ASCAP songwriter/producer Desmond Child, a driving force behind Cher, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Kiss, among many others. It was a volcanic rock album that won her the 2002 Latin Grammy for Best Female Rock Performance.
With her next album,
Lipstick, Alejandra ventured into the world of English language music, collaborating again with Desmond Child. The songs contained suggestive lyrics, which Alejandra transformed into an irresistible dose of musical energy. The album received two Latin Grammy nominations for Best Rock Solo Vocal Album and Best Rock Song.
Now after 17 years of singing, Alejandra has come out with her most distinguished album yet, appropriately titled
Indeleble (Indelible). This latest release allows her to express the fire of creativity within her in her own words, accentuating the intimacy captured in her singing.
The first single off of
Indeleble is "Volverte a Amar," co-written by another notable ASCAP member, Mario Domm. The album achieved gold record status after just a week and a half and also reached platinum status in two months with 100,000 records sold in Mexico. The album was produced in Italy by Loris Ceroni, who helped Alejandra funnel her energy and passion into each song.
Staying true to herself and constantly pushing herself as a songwriter and artist has kept her one step ahead of the times, adding to her continued and long success. Her fans have seen her grow up in the public eye, and that close connection with her audience has been an invaluable part of her career. We all look forward to what the future will bring for La Guzmán!
—Karl Avanzini
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