Interviews
What is your greatest fear?
To lose a passion for what I love.
What is your earliest memory?
Going to Disney World when I was a kid, and being in a hospital when I was also very young. I got burned in the bathtub back when there used to be gas boilers. I have scars on my inner thighs – nothing on the nuts!
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Elvira, the lady that took care of me when my parents weren’t able to be there. She dedicated her whole life to me and my brother and my sister. Now I take care of her.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Being on a first date in a movie theatre and farting. I was 17.
What is your most treasured possession?
My dogs.
Where would you like to live?
Other than Miami, the west coast of Mexico or Australia.
What would your super power be?
Flying.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
My dog, Grammy, who passed away three weeks ago.
What is your most unappealing habit?
I bite the nails on my feet.
What is your favourite word?
Que pasa.
What is your favourite book?
Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
A guilty pleasure is something you’re a little embarrassed about. I could say reality shows – but I watch them and I don’t feel guilty about it.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Elvis, Obama, Michael Jackson and Abraham Lincoln.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Trusting someone that was a fake.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve made mistakes, but thanks to those mistakes, I’ve learnt.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
To the dinosaur era.
How do you relax?
In my house, on the sofa.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
Probably every time I fly. I am a pilot, but I tend just to get rid of the checklist – only when I fly by myself!
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The great friends I have.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
What A Wonderful World.
How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who made a difference.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Enjoy it, because it’s short.
Tell us a joke
My jokes are stuff you can’t print!
Tell us a secret
I hate doing photo shoots.
March 4, 2012
I have a picture of my two dogs, Lucas and Grammy. Grammy passed away in 2010. That dog was like a human—he would get sad when I packed my bags. It was like losing one of my best friends.A lot of your songs are about love. Why?
It’s the thing we all have in common. Ninety percent of music tackles that subject because everyone—no matter how old, what religion, or what nationality—knows those feelings.Speaking of love, you introduced longtime girlfriend Anna Kournikova as your wife at a concert in Russia last year. What was that about?
It was just meant to be sweet in the moment. I honestly didn’t mean to confuse people. I thought it’d be easier for the audience to understand than if I said “my girl.”So no wedding bells soon?
I’ve never really thought marriage would make a difference. Maybe it’s because I come from divorced parents, but I don’t think you love someone more because of a piece of paper. And nowadays, it’s not taboo to have kids and not be married. What makes a difference is that you’re a good parent, period.What did you learn about fame from observing your father Julio’s career?
I remember there were these two guys who worked with him who would never even watch his show, but afterward they were at his dressing room saying, “Man, that’s the best show I’ve ever seen you do.” In showbiz, it’s easy to be surrounded by people who tell you everything is great, and as a little kid, I developed a sixth sense about those people. It gave me a tremendous psychological advantage.
You grew up in Miami and still live there. What do you love about it?
People always think of the partying and the clubs on South Beach, but it has a tranquil side, too. It’s a city where you can truly enjoy the water, get on your boat and just go fishing. And the water’s not cold!How do you spend Sundays when you’re home?
I sit on the couch and watch TV. 60 Minutes is my favorite show. It’s kinda weird because I go from that to American Idol to Real Time With Bill Maher.You like to go to the movies on Mondays and Tuesdays. Why is that?
It’s the best time: There are no lines, and you’re not sitting next to someone who’s snoring.What’s the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention?
Sometimes you’ll see a shirt fly off. That will get not only my attention, but the whole band’s.
When he’s not working on his music or on tour, Enrique Iglesias can probably be found at the beach surfing; or enjoying the sun. Or he may be watching his favorite basketball team, the Miami HEAT. Whether he’s working or relaxing, Iglesias will certainly be joking around—because this Spanish singer-songwriter loves playing practical jokes. And boy does he know how to do it! Once, he fooled the press by saying he had sold his car to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring. There was also the time when he told a Swedish journalist that he “had just gotten divorced,” which was not only interpreted as the end of his relationship with Kournikova, but to top it off, started a rumor that they had secretly gotten married! The list is long and there have been jokes of all types, some of them off-color. During this interview, he even tried to convince us that he was a year younger.
What Iglesias does take seriously, very seriously, is his music. When he talks about it, the tone of his voice changes and he even becomes somewhat solemn. In that serious tone of voice, he said he’s deeply proud of his new CD, Euphoria, which is his first bilingual album and he thinks it’s great. He’s not exaggerating: in fact, Iglesias has already reached the top of the charts in English and Spanish with some of the songs. For example, “I Like It,” an English song featuring Pitbull, became part of the soundtrack of the hit MTV show “Jersey Shore.” At the same time, Iglesias’ duet with Juan Luis Guerra (“Cuando Me Enamoro”) has been in the Spanish radio charts. We began our interview discussing the latter partnership.
Q.Your new CD features a duet with Juan Luis Guerra. What happens when two top-selling artists get together in the studio? Do they learn from each other, or is there nothing left to learn?
No! I learned a lot when I recorded with Juan Luis Guerra. I learned what a good human being he is, how honest, how despite his talent he’s still grounded, how he doesn’t have an ego… The experience of recording with him was very good, and he later invited me to participate in a concert he gave to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti. That’s where I confirmed his power as a person: he was able to get many artists to participate in the concert without any egos, simply to sing among friends like normal people. That was thanks to him, to the way he is. He’s very modest.
Q. Maybe you’re like two peas in a pod, since you’re not known for being conceited…
Well, I think I’m not, at least I don’t feel I’ve let my ego get the best of me. When you put a dozen artists in the same room, at least one of them will let fame get to their head, but in this concert that Juan Luis organized, something unusual happened: no one had an ego trip.
I strongly identify with Juan Luis because he’s one of those artists who hasn’t lost touch with reality… It’s very good to see him being successful for so many years and with that attitude. I hope that when I’ve had a career as long as his, I can continue being like this, keeping in touch with reality.
Q. It seems like you value unpretentious people…
Nothing bothers me more than someone who feels like they’re better than other people. I think that when someone is like that, there’s a high level of insecurity and very little intelligence. In this life, being famous, having money or being successful in something doesn’t mean that you’re better than another human being in any way. No! I think it’s odd when someone starts earning more money or becomes famous and starts showing off or treats others arrogantly. People say ‘money changed him’ or ‘fame changed her’; I think that this person was like that from the start and fame or fortune brought it out. He or she didn’t become conceited, but was always like that, insecure… And I can’t stand that.
Q. Speaking about staying unpretentious, when you’ve sold 60 million records, like you did, can you still fly commercial or is it safer (for your privacy) to charter a plane?
Yes, I fly on a private plane, but I haven’t completely given up on commercial flights. For example, I’m familiar with TACA Airlines.
Q. Then you must know that TACA mainly flies to Latin America. Of your trips throughout the region, which sights do you remember most?
Wow! There are so many! Although in general, to be honest with you, when I go to countries on tour, I just sing and then have to leave—so although I’ve been to many countries, of some I’ve been able to see little. I love Mexico for its variety. And I think all of Central America is marvelous. Ah! I must say I had a great time in Costa Rica. I loved the beaches in Costa Rica; there’s something truly magical about them—I don’t know if it’s because they have the Pacific and the Caribbean, or because of the weather, but I spent one of my best afternoons surfing there. Costa Rica is definitely a paradise for surfing.
Q. You were born in Spain and grew up in Miami among Americans and Cubans. Where do you feel you’re from?
Imagine that! I think of myself as a little bit of everything. I’ll never forget Spain, because I spent the first few years of my life there. But besides that, while growing up in Miami I came into contact with so many cultures: the Cuban influence is enormous, also the American one… I feel like a bit of everything, since I grew up surrounded by friends who spoke English and others who would tell me Colombian, Venezuelan and Puerto Rican words. Miami is a good place to be influenced by many things, especially when it comes to music—and I think that was good for me and my career.
Q. At 35, how does life look? What are your dreams and outlook?
I’m 35? (Joking.) You’re making me older! Well, I know it sounds like a cliché, but my dream has always been to do what I’m doing now: sing. Music is my true passion, so I live and dream of doing just that. I wouldn’t change my work for anything in the world.
Q. You co-produced an off-Broadway show and have taken on some acting roles. Will we see you acting?
Perhaps in the future but for now it’s not in my plans. There also hasn’t been anything that I really want, and if I don’t find something I’m truly passionate about I’d rather not do it. Maybe if in the future they offer me something in which I can identify with the character, or if it’s a comedy that really makes me laugh, or a drama that truly touches me, then they could talk me into it.
Q. Finally, after earning more than 130 platinum records and traveling the world with your music, what has been the greatest life lesson?
I think that what’s most important in life is not taking things so seriously. Maybe that’s why I like joking around… Because I’ve discovered that you must enjoy life because it can be very short.
Musician Enrique Iglesias has sold more than 58 million albums and recorded 22 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and now the recording artist can add spirits company co-owner to his résumé. In September 2011, Iglesias and Miami-based Atlantico Rum announced a partnership. The pop star chatted with Wine Enthusiast about his passion for spirits.
Wine Enthusiast: Have you always been a fan of rum?
EI: No, I wasn’t really a big rum drinker. When I was of legal age in Spain, I had it during vacation as rum and Coke. Then, I started enjoying it again when a friend kept bringing a bottle over to my house. We would have a drink of Atlantico. He’s like, “you’ve got to try this,” and through him is how I got started on Atlantico.
W.E.: There’s probably any number of spirit brands that would have loved to partner with you. Why did you select the small-production Atlantico?
EI: First of all, I liked it. So, I knew that I didn’t have to fake it. There comes a point in your career where you have to be passionate about what you’re doing. I think Atlantico is fun and different. And, I like [co-founder] Aleco [Azqueta]. When I first met him, he seemed like a very serious, hard-working guy. We got along, and I thought it was in a way a small company just starting up. It was very interesting to me.
W.E.: A lot of musicians use spirit brands in their songs. Hennessy, for example, has been in several rap lyrics. Can you see yourself singing lyrics with a rum line?
EI: If it goes with the song, definitely. I wouldn’t just stick [a lyric] in there, and that’s one thing that Aleco and I spoke about from the beginning. I just want this to be completely organic and not forced in any way. Even if I put the bottle in one of my videos, I don’t want it to be excessive. I don’t want people to think that I’m shoving this product down their throat. I want them to know I’m passionate about Atlantico, that I love it and I drink it.
W.E.: Why invest in rum over other spirits?
EI: Rum is one of those drinks that little by little is coming back, and it’s more of an acquired taste. Once you get used to it and once you love it, it’s very hooking. That’s exactly what happened to me. I used to drink more vodka when I would have a drink, and now I’m drinking more rum.
W.E.: You said this partnership was not fake. Do you feel some celebrities endorse things that they are faking so they can get a payday?
EI: Well, that’s just being part of a celebrity. But, I’ve never had to endorse a brand that I hated or disliked. Have I endorsed brands that I’m less passionate about than other brands? Definitely, but never a brand that I disliked or didn’t consume myself. I’ve [endorsed] brands I like more than others, but I’ve never done anything that I didn’t feel good about.
July 4, 2007
He’s the best-selling Spanish music artist in the world, with 40 million albums. And that number is about to go up. Enrique Iglesias’s new record, “Insomniac,” features a catchy mix of ballads, rock and pop—the song to download is the single “Do You Know (the Ping Pong Song).” Iglesias is on tour now, but he’s stopping in Germany this Saturday to take part in Live Earth, Al Gore’s series of concerts aimed at bringing attention to global warming, with acts that include Madonna, Duran Duran, Paul McCartney, The Police and Kelly Clarkson. Iglesias spoke to NEWSWEEK’s Ramin Setoodeh.
NEWSWEEK: Why is your name album called “Insomniac”?
Enrique Iglesias: I’ve always had insomnia, since I was a kid. I’m a nervous person, so it takes me a long time to go to sleep. It sucks. I think it’s genetic. My mom has it. I remember growing up with my dad, he’d never go to sleep until 5 o’clock in the morning.
Do you sleep in a lot?
The ironic thing about me is that I love daylight. I love waking up and going to the beach if I have the day off. I hate it when it’s raining, it depresses me. But I can’t fall asleep with any noise or light.
What do you do when you can’t sleep—do you write songs?
I write songs. Or I pop a few sleeping pills.
Aren’t they bad for you?
Oh, man. I take them every day. Obviously, it’s better to sleep without a sleeping pill, but when you’re touring, what the hell do you do?
You’re not afraid of getting addicted?
They say Ambien, for example, is not a narcotic, it’s not addictive. If you think it’s addictive, it’s in your mind. I feel like I’ve overused the drug so much, I’m immune to it. The worst is when you take a sleeping pill, you double up on it, and you still can’t sleep. I pull all-nighters all the time. Like last week I was doing “Regis and Kelly.” I got to New York City at 11 o’clock. By the time I went to bed, it was 12:30. I look at the clock: 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30. I’m supposed to be up at 5:30. You think, I’m going to pull an all-nighter. The next day, I have to work 14 hours straight. I’m telling you man, it’s the worst. You get so tired you can’t even fall asleep from how tired you are.
Where are you right now?
I’m in Miami. It’s my first day off in two months. I’ve been traveling like crazy. I’m going to L.A., then New York, the Middle East and Germany. I won’t stop touring until Christmas.
Do you have a favorite country for your tour?
Not really. Believe or not, they stick you in the room wherever you go. It’s the same thing.
Didn’t you perform at a gay club in London?
Oh, yeah. I was at G.A.Y. I actually had a good time. It was my first time performing at a gay club. But I didn’t know what to expect. You get nervous, you have this adrenaline, you’re going to perform for 3,000 gay men—you don’t know if they’re going to be silent, if they’re going to boo you.
I doubt they were going to boo you.
But you don’t know. You truly don’t know. But I loved it. It’s funny, the owner called my manager and said, “We figured Enrique is probably going to say no….” And I said, “Yeah. Are you kidding me?” I know the gay audience is very loyal. The guy that I work with, produce all the records with, he’s gay. The first person I called was him. I was like, “Man, guess what we’re doing.” He was like, “We gotta do it. It’s going to be great.” When I went on stage, they were singing so loud I couldn’t hear myself. My ears were ringing for two days, I promise.
What songs do you have on your iPod?
You know what, lately I’ve been listening to a lot of albums that I grew up listening to. Anything from Tom Petty to Bruce Springsteen. Police to Pink Floyd. The other day I went to a Roger Waters concert. I also listen to … what else? I listened to some Spanish artists. You wouldn’t know who they are.
Say their name. I’ll put it in anyway.
Tam Tam Go.
How did you get involved with Live Earth?
I saw “An Inconvenient Truth” a year and a half ago. I wasn’t really the biggest Al Gore fan, but when I saw the documentary, he’s so passionate that you truly respect him. When I heard about the tour, I called my manager. It’s not like they call me. I wanted to do it. But it’s a little strange, because with all the concerts they’re wasting a lot of energy.
As a child, Enrique Iglesias dreamed of being a soccer player, a professional surfer or a singer, but he made his career in the latter by playing to his strengths.
Iglesias told the stories behind his career moves Wednesday during a keynote Q&A at theBillboard Latin Music Conference in Hollywood, Fla., with Billboard’s executive director of Latin content and programming Leila Cobo.
Iglesias recalled the childhood thrill of going on tour with his father, Julio Iglesias. “I thought, if I’m in the audience and I’m this nervous, imagine how it would feel to be onstage.”
He was rejected by major labels as a teenager because his demos were “too simple,” so he happily accepted a recording contract from regional Mexican label Fonovisa, even though he was a pop artist. The label promoted his first album at small rural radio stations.
“It was the best decision I could have made,” said Iglesias, who now releases through Interscope and Universal Latino, and recently came out with his Spanish-language greatest hits album, “95/08.” “I wanted to work…If they wanted to put me on a nuns’ radio station, I didn’t care.”
By the time his second album came out in 1998, his audience had gone from teenage girls to “those who are 18 or 20 or 40 who are looking for something a little deeper. I had to make that transition, and it wasn’t easy,” he said. “It comes with time and hits and you keep going past that barrier, and you come out with that song that takes you to another chapter in your career. I think for me that came with ‘Bailamos,’ and I was able to get new audiences with that song.”
Those audiences included Europe, where Iglesias had promoted his work early in his career, but didn’t get noticed on a massive scale until later. Buying back his masters “wasn’t a business decision,” said Iglesias. “It was for sentimental reasons, especially for my first album.”
The singer revealed that it wasn’t until about four years ago that he finally felt satisfied with his onstage performances, having begun his performing career in arenas rather than in small venues as most artists do. Iglesias plans to release another Spanish-language studio album late this year or early next year, and plans are in the works for him to tour stateside this fall.
Against the advice of promoters, Iglesias has resisted bringing smaller productions of his shows to Latin America to cut costs. He is looking for a tour sponsor, but on a recent swing of 26 countries, he and his manager “reviewed the numbers and we were losing money…but it’s an investment in my career.”
Also bucking conventional wisdom, he made sure not to make available for digital sale any tracks from “95/08” in advance, because he wanted people to buy the album.
But “people are still as interested in music as ever…selling 3 or 4 or 5 million less, isn’t going to stop me.”
July 18, 2009
On July 4, Enrique Iglesias became the first Western artist to play a concert in Syria in three decades when he performed his steamy Latin-inflected pop for a sold-out crowd of 10,000 in the capital city of Damascus. Back home in Miami, Iglesias rang up EW.com to chat about playing in a country that President Bush once linked with the ”axis of evil,” and how a bit of strategic deception helped convince him to play the historic show.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did you come to be the first Western artist to play in Syria in 30 years?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: They just invited us, the promoter there. There’s this guy that’s trying to promote the arts there. He didn’t tell us there hadn’t been a concert there in 30 years. He probably didn’t want to scare us.
So you had no idea you what were signing on for?
I found out at the press conference [in Syria]! I knew that nobody had played there in quite some time, but never in my mind did I imagine 30 years. I thought maybe two years, whatever. It amazed me when the promoter said it. I couldn’t believe it. That’s a long time!
Were you worried at all?
I really wasn’t. I’ve traveled around the world, and I’m so used to being places where there’s conflict. I’ll give you a quick example. I was in Bali right after [the 2002 terrorist attack]. There was a lot of tension and it killed the tourism there, [but] the place was still beautiful. People tend to move on, and people tend to keep on living their lives. Same thing happened in Damascus. Obviously, there’s tension, but there are still millions of people that live a normal life. It’s not like you’re going to go there and there’s going to be gunshots or bombs going off in every corner. When people watch the news, that’s the vision they get from these countries, and it’s not like that.
What impressions did you get of the audience when you played?
It was one of the best crowds I ever played for. They went absolutely nuts. There were all types of people, whether it was Christians, Muslims, or Jewish people. That’s the stuff that you never hear about — they’re all there and they were all mixed in and all having fun. And I saw it with my eyes.
Did they know your songs? Were they singing along?
Every single song. Whether it was a single or it wasn’t a single. That’s what amazed me — from the first song to the last song.
Had you known that there were so many Enrique Iglesias fans in that part of the world?
I know that in the Middle East we’ve always done really well. Anywhere from Lebanon to Israel to Dubai, all those countries I’ve been to, and it was always huge. Whether it was 20, 30, 40 thousand people, we always sold out.
Do you think a lot of other international artists will start visiting Syria now that you have?
I truly do think it opens up. The first thing we ask when we go to a place is, ”Who else has played there?” And whenever they say somebody that you know, it immediately makes you feel a lot better. That’s what the promoter said to me: ”Enrique, look. Nobody wants to be the first, because nobody wants to risk it, and the management and the agents, they’re afraid. We need someone that we can say, ‘Well, he was here.’ And that will open up the doors.”
December 19,1999
It is like a dream, this moment: to be alone in a luxurious Beverly Hills hotel suite with Enrique Iglesias, the door’s “privacy” button engaged, all 6 feet, 2 inches of the 24-year-old superstar draped sensually over his chair.
OK, maybe he’s tired. He does spend only about four days a month at the Miami home he shares with a dog named Grammy. But the delusional romantic in you prefers to think he’s probably just, you know, happy to see you.
He has sold more than 13 million albums worldwide in Spanish with his romantic pop-rock power ballads. He’s had a No. 1 single in English this year with the uncharacteristically upbeat “Bailamos,” and his English-language debut album, “Enrique,” entered the national sales chart this week at No. 42 leading into the peak holiday buying season. Critics and industry insiders expect the slick, versatile pop-rock album, which includes a duet with Whitney Houston, to sell at least 10 million copies worldwide, making Iglesias the only pop idol capable of making the nation howl a collective “Ricky who?”
By the way, Iglesias was voted the sexiest man in the world by People magazine‘s Spanish-language edition last year, and at this moment half a dozen female fans ranging in age from 10 to 47 loiter in the plush
lobby downstairs, trying to look natural.
In a couple of hours, Iglesias will perform downstairs for an Oscar De La Hoya Foundation benefit while inebriated celebrities eat ice cream shaped like boxing gloves. But for now, Iglesias stretches catlike, parts his full lips to speak and you hold your breath.
“You know,” Iglesias purrs, low and intense. “I’ve only had diarrhea one time onstage, really bad.”
Huh?
“I was so sick.” He glances distractedly about the room, checks the clock. “Usually, if you have to pee, you know, you can hold it. If you need to scratch, you scratch.
But that, huy . . .”
He sees the pain in your eyes, the disappointment. He appears delighted. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he says, perking up. Laughing. (At you, moron.) “I don’t mean diarrhea diarrhea, you know, from that end. It was more like diarrhea from the other end, how do you say it? Nausea?”
Splat. You have just crash-landed on Planet Enrique.
Yes, he’s pop music’s newest “It Boy.” But if you’re expecting him to be anything like that other “It Boy,” forget it.
Where Ricky Martin is all polite smiles, Enrique’s all about prank calls. Where Ricky dances onstage, Enrique stalks with the gangly gait of a middle school Dungeons and Dragons champion. Where Ricky chants and cheerleads to the audience in his carefully planned outfits, Enrique suffers and serenades in whatever he seems to have dragged from the wash pile. Born middle class, Martin strives to fit in with the upper class. Rich and famous even in utero, Iglesias wears celebrity like a pair of sweat socks.
During the recording of the new album, Iglesias repeatedly phoned producer Rhett Lawrence pretending to be someone else. “You could tell it was Enrique,” Lawrence says, rolling his eyes.
Then there’s the magazine reporter Iglesias lied to for more than an hour, who cried when she realized what was going on. “I only lie to the ones I don’t like,” Iglesias says, flashing a wicked grin, “the ones who ask stupid questions.”
During the $1 million video shoot for the new single “Rhythm Divine,” Iglesias poked the ribs of Interscope Records staff visitors on the set, then dodged out of sight like a clumsy puppy. “He’s sort of immature,” says Interscope product manager Michelle Thomas with a knowing grin, “but in a good way.”
Iglesias’ notorious naughty streak is probably the product of his unlikely hunger to be perceived as a regular guy.
“I’m very normal,” he stresses in the hotel interview. But it is obviously untrue.
For starters, his dad is Julio Iglesias, the Ricky Martin of his generation, known for that Don Juan ditty “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”
Second, his mom is a Spanish socialite who cast him from Madrid at the age of 7, after his moneyed grandfather was kidnapped for ransom. Mom stayed behind with her daughter, while Enrique and his brother, Julio Jose, were raised by a nanny in their father’s Miami home. When Enrique went looking for a record deal, he insisted on being presented by his manager as an unknown guy from Central America. And when Enrique won his Grammy as best Latin pop artist in 1998, he did not call either parent to celebrate. He dedicated his first album to the nanny.
Third, he’s gone from being a short and skinny high schooler who was twice rejected for the prom to being an international superstar.
Oh, and he inked a $40 million contract with Interscope this year, after his contract with the Mexican label Fonovisa ran out.
One of the reasons Iglesias says he signed with Interscope was the company’s open-minded approach to him as an artist. They realized, he says, that he was a Spaniard, a European who sang pop rock and did not “dance salsa” and, frankly, never would.
“These idiots ask me to dance salsa,” he says of certain music video directors, waving his hand dismissively. “I don’t dance. I don’t sing ‘salsa.’ ” Almost as irritating, he says, is when American fans say things like, “Where’s Spain? Next to Colombia?”
Jimmy Iovine, co-chairman of Interscope, says he’d heard about Iglesias for a couple of years in that vague way folks in the music biz hear about things. But when he heard that the superstar’s contract with Fonovisa had almost expired, he got himself to an Iglesias concert at the Universal Amphitheatre and left with just one thought: “I want to sign this guy.”
Iglesias and Iovine both say they simply clicked musically and personally. No surprise that Iovine cut his teeth in the business working with one of Iglesias’ strongest influences, the English band Dire Straits.
The new album is filled with a variety of tempos and keys, showing that Iglesias has conquered the monotony polluting his Fonovisa works. The songwriting ranges from upbeat dance cuts such as “Rhythm Divine” to the more characteristic power ballads.
And the gags Iglesias is known for are not missing from the album, either. While his first two English singles (“Bailamos” and “Rhythm Divine”) were woven with the stereotypical Spanish sounds of castanets and flamenco guitars, these ethnic devices are brazenly absent on the rest of the album.
Fernan Martinez, Iglesias’ manager, says Iglesias planned to have a stereotypical Latin sound on his first English songs almost as a joke, in order to lure American listeners by the ropes of their own prejudices. Then, once they thought they knew him, he would spring his real stuff on them: straight pop rock. Among such cuts on the new album are the duet with Houston and a version of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Sad Eyes.”
“I grew up listening to singers like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel,” Iglesias explains. “There’s nothing Latin about my music except the language.”
Iglesias has a yelping, almost desperate quality to his voice and is the first to admit he’s not a gifted singer. But, he says, neither are many of his favorite singers.
“I’m a singer by passion,” he says, “not by technique. But so is Bruce, and Bob Dylan. You think Dylan was a beautiful singer? Psssh! You don’t have to be a great singer to be a great singer, know what I mean? You have to have heart.”
Sometime in 2000
Enrique Iglesias — in love with love
What does love mean to you? Have you ever cried over a girl? I guess you’re very open with girls and tell them if you love them. What are you like when you fall in love? Do you find it easy to talk to girls? When you’re going out with a girl, do you need much time to know if she’s the right one? You’re very famous. Does it help you meet girls? Has being famous ever backfired? What kind of girl attracts you, in particular? Do you want to settle down and get married? |
Enrique Iglesias may be the son of crooner Julio Iglesias, but he’s got what it takes to be famous all by himself. With the smash hits, “Bailamos,” “Rhythm Divine” and “Be With You” — not to mention his smoldering good looks — Enrique’s talent has made its mark.eteen talked with Enrique to find out what he thinks about love, relationships and girls…December 2001/January 2002
CosmoGIRL! Grooves with Enrique Iglesias
from CosmoGIRL! December 2001/January 2002
By Deborah Baer
Okay, he cursed enough to give our interview an NC-17 rating, but we bleeped ’em out so our moms wouldn’t disown us.
Bailamos! Let the rhythm take you over, bailamos! Te quiero, la la la la la la la la. Oh. . . sorry. It’s just that Enrique Iglesias’s songs are the kind that you belt out at the top of your lungs in the shower. His soulful lyrics in “Be With You,” and his latest, “Hero,” off his new album, Escape, just ooze romance. But the real Enrique? When we got Mr. Rump Shaker on the phone, we found out that the sensual guy is really just a mischievous 11-year-old boy stuck in a 26-year-old’s body!
CG!: We love your first single, “Hero”!
Enrique: I bet that’s what you tell every artist you talk to!
CG!: That’s not true. If we don’t like it, we don’t say anything! But enough about other artists–let’s talk about you. What was it like the first time you sang for an audience, after you got your record deal?
Enrique: I s**t.
CG!: You didn’t give a s**t?
Enrique: No, I took a s**t!
CG!: What?
I said, I took a s**t. I was scared s***less.
CG!: Okay, we get it. We thought you meant…too much information! Is getting up onstage still hard for you?
Enrique: Hard?
CG!: Well, you know, you said you took a s**t before…
Enrique: Well, you always get nervous. But it’s never that kind of nervous you felt the first time…. The first time was more like I said, taking a s**t. Sorry I keep saying that. After that, you get butterflies in your stomach. And it kinda sucks to sing when you’re nervous because your voice is all ahhhhh [sings in a really high warble], you know?
CG!: Well, you don’t sound like that on your new CD, Escape. How did you pick that album title?
Enrique: I wish I could give you a whole story, like, yeah, I’ve “escaped”, but I’m not gonna bulls**t you. It was a cool title, musically, I think. It goes with the music.
CG!: There’s a song on your album called “I Will Survive.” Is that a remake of Gloria Gaynor’s disco song?
Enrique: No, it’s not. Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid! It kinda talks about that stuff though, you know? Because you hear all these girls on TV singing and male-bashing. But you know what? It happens the other way around, too. I mean, guys suffer. Maybe not as much. But they do. There’s always a girls out there that breaks their heart.
CG!: How long does it take you to get over a breakup?
Enrique: About two hours. No, I’m kidding. It depends. The longest was about a month. Is that bad?
CG!: Uh, that sounds pretty fast to us. How do you do it?
Enrique: You know how you get over it? You meet someone else! Which is easier now than it was before. Easier than it was when I wasn’t a singer. That’s kinda sad, eh? It’s funny how life turns around because all those cool guys that all the girls liked [in high school] are not doing much right now. One of them parked my car the other day. One of those cool guys. Not that parking cars is bad…everything’s cool to me.
CG!: Everything’s cool? What a down-to-earch way to be.
Enrique: Thanks. It’s because I’m lying in the bathtub.
CG!: What?! Right now?
Enrique: Yeah, I am… not with water. There’s a lot of people in the other room so I got in the bathtub to talk.
CG!: We’re having a fantasy boyfriend moment here.
Enrique Iglesias Spices Up the Music Industry
by Nora SummersbyIs Enrique Iglesias turning into his famous father Julio Iglesias? Julio was well-known as a world class Latin lover. His 25-year-old son has been linked to Geri Halliwell and more recently Christina Aguilera, and if his sexy new video is anything to go by, you’d think he was after his father’s crown. The in-demand star, whose duet with Whitney Houston “Could I Have This Kiss Forever,” appears on her Greatest Hits album, is best known for his hits “Bailamos” and “Rhythm Divine.”
People Magazine voted you one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Do you think you are beautiful?
I think when People Magazine votes they don’t mean beautiful in looks… I wasn’t the most beautiful in high school, I’ll tell you that much!
You weren’t?
No, I was a reject! I was the top 10 most rejected! I wasn’t the number one most rejected, but I was on the top 10 list. I got dumped on my junior high school prom and my high school prom. How pathetic is that? I know it sounds stupid and you may think I’m lying, but this is true.
Well, you used to get dumped, and now all that has changed?
At last my revenge… Ha-ha! I was a shy kid. That’s why I wrote music. I was so shy that I would lock myself up in my room and write lyrics. When it came to my true feelings, and someone would face me with something, I would lock myself up in my room. I would write about them in a song. I would write about my problems, my desires or if I had a crush on someone.
What about the rumors about you and Christina Aguilera and you and Geri Halliwell?
Geri, who?
The ex-Spice Girl?
I wish that was true! You see that’s stuff that you wish, but then no [laughs]! They mix you with so many people, and I’ve never even seen them. I wish I could see them. I wish I could see my supposed “girlfriends.” Let me at least touch them once!
So many women so little time, huh?
No. So many lies, so little women!
Is it true that you don’t like to talk about your family?
It’s not that I don’t like to talk about my family, but I’m here to talk about my music.
Do you think you have become a musical artist due to your father?
No, I think I have become who I am because of my music. I think I sell records and albums because of my music. I think I have a Grammy because of my music and I think I’ve been number one in countries because of my music. I don’t think any of my accomplishments have come to me because my father is a singer. I think when it all comes down to it, it’s about music. People buy music because they like it. They don’t care about where that person comes from, about his last name or what he looks like. They care about the music.
Is your father proud of you?
Yeah, both my parents are. I’ve always been very independent, but they’ve been great parents.
Is it hard to compete with your brother [Julio Iglesias, Jr.]?
No, my brother’s just starting out. He’s completely different. He still has to get his feet wet. I think, in a way; if it goes well for him, it goes well for me too. If he sells more albums than me, or my father sells more albums than me, I don’t mind. They’re my family and it’s good that they’re doing well. Thank God. If anyone’s going to sell more albums than me, it might as well be my family.
Will we be hearing some work of the three of you together?
No, not for now.
How do you feel about people stereotyping Latin American music?
There are so many different kinds of Latinos. There are Spanish, Mexicans, Cubans, Argentineans and they are all completely different. One is Flamenco, the other on is Salsa. Food and accent, it’s all different. The other day I was on the plane and a women said, “Oh you’re Latino. Do you Mambo? Do you Lambada?” What is she thinking? Ha-ha. It’s funny. But it is important that people learn the difference.
Where did you go to school?
I went to the University of Miami. I studied business.
So, how did you get into the music business?
I did music before this, ever since I was a kid. Why study music when you know it? I wanted to do something different. I’ve been writing music since I was a little kid, so why go to music school? I’ve been working with music since I was a little kid, so it wouldn’t have made any difference. Not to seem overconfident, but I was over the music school thing. So, I thought, why not go to business school and learn two different things.
Did you work on your music while you went to business school? Yes, definitely. What I would do was I would go to classes during the day and play afterwards with a bunch of my friends, write music and windsurf!
Are you aiming for world domination?
I’m trying to do the best I can, in work and in my life.
And in your love life?
World domination? No, I don’t think so.
September 2000
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: SINGER
By Cristina Fallaras
El Mundo
Monday, 18 September 2000
“I accept the fact that someone might not like my music, but to hate me personally…”
MADRID – Enrique Iglesias, who begins a mini-tour through Spain – on Wednesday he will be in Madrid, the 21st in Barcelona and the 25th en Santiago – had a telephone conversation with this journalist on September 3rd, after his concert in Hannover.
It wasn’t until 12:30 at night that this journalist heard a voice over the hum that was coming from the car. “Cristina? This is Enrique. Don’t worry, I’m not tired. Go ahead,” he says after 12 previous interviews. And one asks himself/herself: “Who said that this guy is never serious. If the entertainment business has professionals, he’s an example.
It’s surprising that Latin music is coming to the Swedish and the Norwegians.
Let’s be sincere. This is not Latin music. I don’t sing salsa, merengue or flamenco. What I do is pop.
It’s still surprising.
It’s incredible to be in Stockholm in front of 7,000 people singing Experiencia Religiosa. But this latest CD in English is the one that has given me the most on a worldwide level.
Were you expecting a good response in Europe?
I had a lot of faith in this CD because it’s very well produced, with good songs and something special that could work.
Does the language have any influence on it?
For me, English is the universal language for singing. It flows over the melody easily. I, also, was raised in the United States and my influences are Anglo-Saxon.
Do you usually speak English?
English and Spanish.
What is your show like?
The musicians are kick ass. We have rehearsed a lot. The backup vocals are perfect and I have a drummer who is a machine. Everything is more finished than they were in the first tour and the response of the public and the critics is very good.
Why, then, do people pick on you so much?
It could be the typical jerks that are always going to hate Enrique Iglesias, but what pisses me off is that they don’t hate my music, they hate Enrique Iglesias.
Does it bother you?
I accept 100% that someone might not like my music. But that they hate me… How, then, can I sing with people like Tom Jones, Pavarotti or Whitney Houston?
Why does that happen?
I have no idea. It could be that my music doesn’t seem profound or intellectual to them.
Should it?
R: Look, I’m only obligated to do the music that I feel like doing, the music I like and that my audience likes.
Are you satisfied?
One hundred percent. If not, I wouldn’t sing. The depth is not so much in the lyrics as it is in the music and the way the song is sung. I don’t know. Maybe they expect me to sing a political report.
*** politics in Spain?
It’s like that everywhere! In the United States worse!
Do you mind if I ask you about Pinochet?
No, not at all . I sang in Chile, in Viña del Mar, when the Pinochet thing was going on, and I noticed a frightening tension just because I was Spanish.
Does it make you uncomfortable that people ask you about politics?
In Spain it’s the same nonsense with the left-wingers and the right-wings. Not long ago I sang at the Democratic Convention for Al Gore and nothing happened there. I was there to entertain people.
Do they put you to the test?
They do it because they think “Let’s see how ignorant this guy is”. It’s not about ignorance but because I don’t live in Spain. But there always has to be some halfwit out there trying to destroy me.
Does it upset you?
There came a time when I felt so depressed and I worried about it so much that I decided ‘no more’. Just when I stopped worrying myself about it things started to go better for me in Spain, where I have sold almost a half a million CDs. Now, how many people do that.
Are you Spanish?
Yes, I feel Spanish.
And how do you view Spaniards? Very European?
European? Is that good or bad? In Spain I don’t think they ever get as serious and cold as they do in Europe, for many reasons. What has always been funny to me is that in Spain they devour anything with the American flag. McDonalds, for example.
Could it be an inferiority complex?
Yes, they have one, but less and less of one. In the United States you can go from nothing and become whatever you want. It’s a place of opportunities and if you show your success, people love it because they think they can also make it. In Spain that’s the worse thing you can do. The jealousy begins, and they say, “He’s a son of a b!tch” and they’re out to destroy you.
Do you belong to the “dot com” generation?
Well, now my friends never give me a call, instead they send me an e-mail.
They also say that it’s the ONG generation. Do you know what I’m talking about?
No.
Cooperation, human rights . . .
Sometimes I feel bad. With more time a lot could change. I’ve done things for children with AIDS. I’m involved with a foundation for them where they organize events and I help by singing.
Does ecology concern you?
I’ve never paid much attention to it. I’ve been more concerned with AIDS. I think they hide it too much in North America. But since Clinton became president, things have progressed a lot.
Do you like Clinton?
I used to like him. He’s a Democrat and he understands young people. But in the United States there’s not that much difference between Republicans and Democrats.
Let’s talk about your generation, the generation of designer drugs. Do you see drugs around you?
I’ve seen a lot of ecstacy, because it seems like now that’s the in thing in the clubs, and people take a cheap pill and are buzzed the entire night. But my friends are not much into drugs, maybe a joint.
Have you ever lacked anything or have you always had everything?
I can’t complain. “I’m in an interview”. Cristiana, sorry, but I’m here signing autographs. (Female voices, commotion, apologies from Iglesias).
Don’t you get tired of all of this?
There are times I get a little tired of it. But, can I tell you something? Now that you ask me if I’ve ever lacked anything, I think there are people who hate me for that. I can’t complain. If I did, it would be unfair.
Do you have teachers?
Bruce Springsteen. I’ve always admired his simplicity. His song have only three or four chords and simple lyrics that most of the time talk about love. If you took the musical favorites of all those intellectuals you criticize me, 9 out of 10 of them have songs with simple lyrics.
Any more teachers?
My father. He has taught me to be a good father and a good artist at the same time, which is tough. (Fans interrupt again).
Are you tempted to run away?
Yes.
What do you do then?
I try to lose myself and sometimes I accomplish it by writing songs in whatever paper I find lying around. I write a lot in airplanes.
AOL CHAT TRANSCRIPT – April 24, 2000
AOL LIVE: Here comes Enrique! Please stand by.
Host: Hey, we are live with Enrique Iglesias flying high on the success of VH-1’s “Men Strike Back” concert. Enrique is chatting live with us about the upcoming Latin “Billboard” music awards as well as his appearance on the farm club.com television show. And you have thousands of AOL members to chat with you. Would you like to open with a comment?
Enrique: Hi.
Host: OK. We’re going to get your first question here.
Enrique: This is voice activated?
Host: Anything you say westbound broadcast to our audience.
Enrique: It’s not like you can check it?
Host: Exactly. You’re being captioned. You are on live. OK. A first question from our audience. How old were you when you started in the music business?
Enrique: I started in the music business, I was 18 when I started in the music business. Writing songs since I was 13.
Host: What was one of the first songs that you’ve written?
Enrique: One of the first songs I wrote, actually it was in English. And I’m kind of embarrassed to say the title of it.
Host: Are you?
Enrique: Yeah.
Host: You’re not going to tell me? You’re not going to tell us?
Enrique: No.
Host: Our AOL member sweet 74 angel asks: how do you feel about being a role model for a bunch of young people?
Enrique: I think it’s good as long as you can — you can keep on being a good role model. I don’t think I’m perfect, I’m going to make mistakes. But sometimes it’s kind of tough because you’re definitely not perfect. At least the good thing is that I know when to say I’m sorry.
Host: Does your heart feel as strongly as your words portray that it does?
Enrique: I think everything I write comes from the heart.
Host: The next question, what is it like being on the road away from your family and do you ever get homesick on tour?
Enrique: Yeah, I definitely get homesick. It’s hard. Definitely. That’s probably one of the hardest aspects of this job is being on the road, being in a different hotel every single day, being stuck on a plane for many, many hours. And not being able to sleep in your own bed. That gets a little tough at times.
Host: What’s one of the things that you miss the most about being on tour? When you’re away from home?
Enrique: On tour?
Host: Uh-huh.
Enrique: I think when you go on stage, the rush you get on stage. There’s no rush like that. There’s nothing like that. Nothing comes close.
Host: It’s incredible the way that you connect with your audience especially during the VH-1 “Men Strike Back” concert, and during your DUET with Tom Jones, what was that like?
Enrique: It was amazing because Tom Jones is a legend and to be able to sing with him and sing those — the 30 minutes of that song was a lot of magic. I think it was a special song and a special occasion. He’s definitely a special — a special performer. And I think it was magical. It’s one of those performances that I like watching over and over again. It was a lot of fun.
Host: It was magical for the audience, too, and the people at home. Enrique, how does it feel to be recognized as a great individual singer apart from your father?
Enrique: It feels good. If there’s one thing that I love about this business is that at the end, what matters is music. And that’s the only thing that — that’s the only thing that matters. Nothing’s going to make you different. If your music is different, that makes you different.
Host: Are there any artists that have influenced you musically?
Enrique: Definitely. Growing up — growing up in the U.S. –one second.
Host: Sure.
Enrique: I’m sorry. Hello?
Host: Yes, I’m here.
Enrique: I’m sorry. I — I’m sorry. Can you repeat that question again?
Host: Sure. What are some of your musical influences or what musicians have influenced your style?
Enrique: Right, it was mainly like — I mean, when I was 8 years old mainly by influence was like Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Police, stuff like that. Even soul music. And R&B.
Host: Was it exhilarating meeting Sting?
Enrique: Yeah. Whether it was Tom Jones, Sting, I mean, they’re all legends. And it was amazing to be onstage with all of them. And not only them but all the other guys like the Backstreet Boys and Christina Aguilera.
Host: What is your favorite song of yours that you like to sing?
Enrique: What’s my favorite song? That I like to sing — I don’t have a favorite song.
Host: No?
Enrique: I would have to say, it depends what day, what mood I’m in.
Host: Is there any song that particularly captures your audience when you’re performing on stage?
Enrique: Any song — not really, I mean. It all depends. It all depends on the day. It depends on what audience. Sometimes it’s a ballad. Sometimes it’s an up-tempo song. Every concert’s different.
Host: Nicole asks who do you look up to most in your life?
Enrique: I’m sorry?
Host: Our member A Nicole 2003 asks who do you look up to most in your life?
Enrique: Artistically?
Host: Yes. Maybe both. Artistically and personally.
Enrique: Oh, artistic and personally. Personally it’s people that maybe she wouldn’t know. Because it’s friends that are not really — they’re not really famous or known. But artistically, you know, just being an artist itself, I think it’s a very difficult job. And at the same time it’s — it’s a different race, it’s just not judged by color, by religion, by nationality. It’s different, and it’s hard to do. And it’s an amazing job. And it takes a lot of talent and those are the kind of people I admire. That’s why I admire this job so much.
Host: And jen Omar 12 asks what was your date like with the girl on the game show?
Enrique: It was fun. It’s a game show. You can’t take that serious.
Host: Right.
Enrique: It was a lot of fun. I mean, I think all of those game shows on MTV, that MTV comes up with, I think they’re a lot of fun.
Host: Oh, definitely. In all of your interviews, it’s been noted that you have a great sense of humor. What makes you laugh?
Enrique: What makes me laugh?
Host: Uh-huh.
Enrique: I don’t know. I like to surround myself with people with a good sense of humor because I think what I do, my job, I take it so seriously that I just, I need a balance. I need to have fun. I need — I mean, I myself need to have a sense of humor and people around me need to have some sense of humor because if not, you’ll go nuts.
Host: Nick 14 asks: Are you singing a song with Christina Aguilera on her new Spanish album?
Enrique: No, no, no.
Host: Do you ever plan on singing a duet with her?
Enrique: We haven’t planned it. I would love to. She’s an amazing– I’m a big fan.
Host: What inspires you when you’re writing new songs? Enrique?
Enrique: Yes.
Host: What inspires you when you’re writing new songs?
Enrique: Anything that’s going on in my life. Every time I write a song, it’s something that’s going on in my life. Sometimes I try to make up a story and the words just don’t come out, the lyrics don’t come out. So it has to be real. It’s not — if not it will take me forever to write it.
Host: What are your touring plans in the U.S. this year? Do you have tour dates coming up?
Enrique: Yes, I’m going to start a tour in September. September, October, November all over the U.S. hopefully.
Host: Where will the tour start?
Enrique: I’m not sure yet. I’m not sure of the dates.
Host: What would you say the toughest part of your career is?
Enrique: Toughest part, you know, I hate complaining because I think I have a great job. You know, I think a lot of people wake up every day and they do a 9:00 to 5:00 job because they need the money. And here I wake up every single day and I do the job I love. I don’t do it for the money. I do it because I love it. For me it’s like living off a hobby. Which is music. So I can’t — I can’t really complain. I hate complaining. When she says tough part, I mean, that would be complaining.
Host: So you’d rather just avoid that. I understand.
Host: OK, McKenzie 0402 asks : hey, Enrique, this is Laurie from Alabama. I want to know if you consider yourself a Latin sensation?
Enrique: What does she mean by Latin — by Latin sensation?
Host: It’s hard to say. I know you’ve been compared to Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera, Santana. Do you consider yourself part of that Latin movement?
Enrique: I mean I consider myself Latin. I got to be honest. I don’t think my music is so much Latin because I was never really influenced by Latin music. And I’m proud of being who I am. And like I just said, I feel that I’m Spanish, I’m Latin. But my music, I don’t feel it’s Latin because it was mainly influenced by anglo pop music. I may sing a little Spanish guitar, but when it comes to the real hard core of it, it’s pop music. And I don’t like the word sensation because they don’t last too long.
Host: Something tells me you’re going to be around for a long time.
Enrique: She said that?
Host: No, I say that.
Enrique: Oh.
Host: Do you choose your own wardrobe for personal appearances and concerts?
Enrique: Yes.
Host: Do you have a favorite designer or style that you like?
Enrique: Not really. I just put on whatever I like. If I like it, I just put it on. I’m not — I mean, if there’s one thing that bores me it’s clothing. It really bores me. So the first thing I see that I like, I just wear that.
Host: Did you ever sing at church and places when you were a kid?
Enrique: Not really. I never sang at church. The church I went to — there was singing, but it wasn’t like loud singing. I mean, you couldn’t really sing very loud. The place where I sang the most was in my shower.
Host: What was the first time you made a public appearance singing?
Enrique: When I was 19, I think. 19.
Host: Were you nervous?
Enrique: Yeah, I was freaking out. You still get nervous. You still get those butterflies in your stomach.
Host: How long does that last?
Enrique: It lasts the first, the first two seconds. It all depends what you’re doing, I mean, sometimes I’ve been nervous in small shows and then I’ve done huge shows and I haven’t been nervous at all. So it all depends.
Host: Does it depend on who’s in the audience?
Enrique: It depends on what kind of a show. It depends — if you think, I mean, it depends on the preparation of the show. It depends how you feel. Sometimes what’s happened to me, like you’ll feel sick. Like, for example, like a week ago I was in — I was in Canada– I mean two weeks ago and I felt kind of uncomfortable but it wasn’t like a good nervous. It was like a bad nervous because I was sick. And you go on live TV and you’ve got to sing and you know you’re sick and you know you’re not going to sound very good, buff’s got to do it. And then there’s the nervousness, it’s a huge show and if anything goes wrong, it will be pretty embarrassing.
Host: On your most recent album, you sang a duet with Whitney Houston, which was beautiful, by the way. Who else would you like to sing a duet with?
Enrique: I’ve never really thought about duets very much. I’d have to think about it. I guess if I like the song, it’s mainly about the song. It’s not so much about the singer that I’m singing with. It’s — sometimes it’s more about the song. I’ve really got to like the song.
Host: What has been your biggest challenge in your life so far?
Enrique: I think this, what I do, my job. That’s my biggest challenge so far.
Host: When is the time you find yourself most creative when writing a song? Or do you have to be in a particular place when you’re writing?
Enrique: Late at night. In my bedroom and sometimes even better when you feel a little depressed. A little lonely. That’s when I think.
Host: That’s when you’re most creative?
Enrique: When I’m most creative.
Host: Last summer there was some news about you doing a song with T.L.C. What became of that, and is it still in the works?
Enrique: Yeah, we went to the studio and we experimented with– and it was pretty good. And we did do it. The rest is up to the record company, to T.L.C.’s record company. Whether they release it or not.
Host: Are you up for any songwriting awards at the ASCAP awards or are you participating in the event?
Enrique: Yeah, I think I get two awards for two songs I wrote.
Host: What two songs?
Enrique: I think one of them’s a song which is a Spanish song on my Spanish album. And the other one’s for another song I wrote which is also on an album.
Host: Have you won awards for songwriting before?
Enrique: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think my first award was songwriter of the year, I think.
Host: Oh, that’s great. Was that in 1996?
Enrique: Yeah, that was 1996 or 1997, one of my first awards.
Host: Would you ever consider acting?
Enrique: Would I ever consider acting? I’m not really into acting. If I ever got offered something that I feel comfortable doing and it’s a small thing, a small role, I will try it. I’ve really got to feel good about the role. If not, I won’t try it.
Host: What is your favorite song on your “Enrique” C.D.?
Enrique: I got to say my favorite song — it’s hard to pick a song. ” Be With You” is one of them, t’s not because it’s the one that’s getting the most air play so far, it’s just because the way I wrote it, it’s just one of those songs I wrote, like, in five minutes.
Host: Really?
Enrique: And never expected to come out that way. And suddenly it becomes, when you least expect it, it becomes one of your favorite songs.
Host: It is a great, great song. When can we expect your next album?
Enrique: When can we expect — I think I might take out a Spanish album, soon. I mean soon, when I mean soon it’s probably early next year. And then a few months — four or five months later I’ll take out another English album.
Host: Oh, that’s great.
Enrique: I’m not sure yet. I hate to put dates on albums because since I got to write them, I’m not sure.
Host: Right.
Enrique: And at least I want to write at least 50%, 60%, 70% of the album. So it depends. Oh, my favorite song, I forgot to say —
Host: Sure, go ahead.
Enrique: It’s too late, right?
Host: No, go ahead.
Enrique: Also some of my favorite songs, track number one, track number two, track number three, track number four, five, six, seven eight — no, seriously, I like the Whitney duet. That’s a beautiful song. And then “Sad Eyes” I love.
Host: How do you feel about getting a lot of media attention? And attention from your fans?
Enrique: How do I feel? As long as it’s positive attention, it’s good, you know? As long — and it’s focused on my music and what I do. And my job, it’s fine. I don’t mind it.
Host: Do you write all of your own songs?
Enrique: No. All of the songs on the album?
Host: Right.
Enrique: No, not all of them. I like getting songs from other songwriters so the album can be sometimes a little more diverse. It all depends. And sometimes I can go eight months without writing a song and suddenly in a week write five songs. So hopefully it those eight months won’t happen right now for my next album.
Host: Definitely. We’re getting a lot of questions about your marital status. Do you care to comment?
Enrique: My marital status? I’m married and I have eight children.
Host: You’ve been a busy guy.
Enrique: No, actually, I’m kidding. No. I’m not married. And I’m not married, not divorced and right now I think I’m single — a single guy.
Host: You think so?
Enrique: I think.
Host: We have many of our AOL members in the audience, they’re cheering after you said you were single, in the auditorium.
Enrique: What do you mean the auditorium?
Host: The virtual auditorium where everyone’s chatting back and forth.
Enrique: Oh, OK. I thought you meant an auditorium. If I’m talking with you, does it also pick it up?
Host: Yes, it does. Our whole conversation.
Enrique: As I’m talking with you?
Host: Yes. It’s all coming through. A typist is on the other line. I think we have time for one last question. What do you like to do for fun besides singing?
Enrique: Sleep.
Host: Sleep.
Enrique: If I’m not sleeping, I like to — I like to just hang out on the bay and go water skiing, hang out with my friends.
Host: And do you have anything to say in closing to the on-line audience?
Enrique: Thank you so much for — for connecting and for asking me so many good questions. And thanks for all the support. Thank you very much.
Host: And thank you for joining us again. We really appreciate it.
Enrique: Are we off?
Host: We are off.
A day in the life of Enrique!Thursday, April 6, 2000 So simple a query, yet so weighted with hopes and dreams. Would he name something they have in common, shortening the gulf between celebrity and admirer? But every time, the answer was the same: Mostly, he likes to sleep. “Ninety percent of my time or more,” Iglesias estimates of how much of his life is taken up by this If-It’s-Tuesday-This-Must-Be-Toronto promotional touring. “I can’t complain. I love my job. I want (people) to say I’m lucky, but at the same time, it’s not an easy job.” At 24, Iglesias has sold 17 million albums, including more than 300,000 of his English-language debut, Enrique, here in Canada. He has a Grammy, he performed at January’s Super Bowl, and is invited to sing with Pavarotti in France this summer. He travels by private jet. But what he’d most like to do is go home to Miami to play with his dog, and windsurf. Instead, he’s on the road, nursing a sore throat and daily thrilling hysterical, mostly young female fans by performing his hits Bailamos, Rhythm Divine and Be With You. Here then, one day in the life of a hot young pop star: Tuesday, April 4, 7 a.m.: Wake-up call. Is Iglesias a morning person? “No way,” he says. 9 a.m.: At CTV to tape Canada A.M., he declines help with hair and makeup. He favours simple, casual clothes and doesn’t travel with a stylist. When he landed here Monday night wearing a sweatshirt and ballcap, photographers initially mistook model-handsome Andreas Restrepo, Iglesias’ assistant manager and best friend since age 10, for the star. Now at CTV, about 100 excited contest winners — all but five of them female — sit around the stage. A CTV staffer repeatedly, sternly warns what behaviour will get them expelled: Moving toward Iglesias, taking flash photos. The threat proves too effective. The crowd is subdued during Iglesias’ performance, even after Canada A.M. co-host Dan Matheson implores them, “The more you dance, the better chance you have of getting on camera.” Iglesias is down-to-earth, self-deprecating. Three record labels rejected him before he got a deal. “They told me that I sucked,” he tells Matheson. He speaks of keeping his musical ambitions secret from his family, including his famous father, Julio. His teenaged songwriting was “very personal, like my own little diary.” And he tells a crowd-pleasing Canadian story: Five years ago, under the name Enrique Martinez, he spent three months in Markham recording his first album. Because his U.S. student visa expired — he’s never taken U.S. citizenship — it took him three tries and a lawyer to get back across the border. Although he’s usually described as Latin because of his Spanish father, he’s also half-Asian. His mother is Filipina. Mainly, he’s American, having lived in Miami since age eight. His musical influences are Anglo: Bruce Springsteen, The Police, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel. He sees himself as a pop singer who sometimes performs in Spanish, rather than a Latin singer. The audience poses other questions: Boxers or briefs? Boxers. Is his bellybutton an innie or an outie? “Which do you prefer?” When will he do a Canadian concert? Between September and Christmas. A quick interview with CTV entertainment reporter Anne Brodie and he’s out the door. Noon: His van stops to pick up cheeseburgers, fries and Cokes at a drive-through window. “People want to be in this business because they think it’s glamour, they think it’s fame,” he says. “You have your moments of glamour but it’s not what people think.” Back at the hotel, he catches an hour’s nap. 2:30: At CHUMCity, MuchMoreMusic’s Diego Fuentes, who is Chilean, asks, off-air, if they can discuss Augusto Pinochet. No, Iglesias says. “This is a music channel, right? People can turn on CNN for that sh–.” He tapes English and Spanish promos for AIDS fundraiser Fashion Cares. Next, Iglesias agrees with CITY entertainment reporter Liz West that his musical ability must be “partially in my genes.” But when she quips, shrewdly, “It’s partially in your genes, partially in your T-shirts,” he doesn’t respond. The packaging issue is a touchy one. “It definitely helps, but the only thing that sells music is music,” he tells me afterwards. “When people go in their cars, turn on their radios and hear a song, if they like it, they go out and buy it. Nobody buys a song because of a pretty face.” 4:00: Fans need no urging to make noise as Iglesias performs live on MuchMusic. He’s playful on the phone with Nathan, an 11-year-old phoning from Newfoundland. Veejay Rick Campanelli ultimately calls him “a tough man to read.” True enough. Although consistently charming, Iglesias is also a practised interview subject. Questions about his family and his personal life are answered vaguely and briefly. Later, he tells me how his father’s stardom exposed him to the good and bad of the business. He could always sense who in his father’s circle was a hanger-on and who was sincere. His grandfather was briefly kidnapped in Spain by crooks drawn to Julio Iglesias’ fame and fortune. “I feel like I’m pretty normal,” he says. “Can you imagine if you have to be fake, if you have to be acting all the time? Can you imagine how tiresome that would be? It’s tiresome already with the way I do it.” Enrique surrounds himself with friends, keeps his sense of humour. Asked if he’s interested in acting, he jokes, “My management told me I should get into pornos. They think I could be very prosperous.” 5 – 7:30: At Bramalea City Centre, Iglesias can barely be heard over 2,000 screaming fans. The lucky 300 fans allowed autographs hand him roses, jewelry, cologne, stuffed toys, phone numbers and one naked photo. Iglesias kisses and hugs each one. Security pulls off those who won’t let go. A female security guard’s hand is bitten to bleeding by a teenaged girl. Two girls are carried out — one hyperventilating, one with an injured shoulder. A Mexican doctor once told Iglesias that young girls physically overcome at such events are in fact experiencing their first orgasm. Watching them, it doesn’t seem far-fetched. Afterwards, Iglesias is unfazed. “Once you’ve done South America, this is like church,” he says. There, girls tipped over his van and chased his plane down the runway. 8 p.m.: Pressed for time — they must make an 11 p.m. curfew at Montreal’s Dorval Airport — there’s talk of cancelling back-to-back interviews with three CFMT-TV programs. Iglesias does the interviews. 9:30 p.m.: He falls asleep en route to the Malton airfield. 9:45 p.m.: Liftoff. Yesterday and today, they did it all again in Montreal. Tomorrow, it’s Germany. For a day. And so on. |
TEEN PEOPLE – in the spotlight – Enrique Iglesias
Rhythm King
by Leila Cobo
photos by Todd Frances
With the release of his first English-language CD, Enrique Iglesias steps into the international superstar league. Now, if only he weren’t so uncomfortable with fame.
Upon first glimpse of Enrique Iglesias, you think: “This man oozes star power.” Tall, dark and head-turningly handsome, the son of legendary Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias looks every inch the celebrity.
Just don’t expect him to act like one. For starters, the Miami-based singer gets around town in a silver SUV, no in a chauffeur-driven Bentley or Benz. He dislikes schmoozing with other celebrities and never travels with a bodyguard. He prefers drive-through fast-food joints to his city’s more glamorous eateries. And forget about finding him at one of South Beach’s trendy clubs; Enrique would much rather go waterskiing or catch a late-night movie with his old high school buddies.
When Enrique appears at the door to his two-story Mediterranean house on the Bay of Miami (just several houses away from his childhood home), the 24-year-old is barefoot and dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, playing down his pop star aura. “I hate to draw attention to myself,” he explains later, while carrying beverages from the kitchen into the living room. (Never mind that there’s a maid present who’s paid to handle these things.) “It’s not that I mind my fans. Please, I love them a lot. But that’s just the way I am. If I’m walking down the streat and people start screaming, I get really embarrassed.”
That happens often. A Latin singing sensation since 1995, Enrique had already sold 13 million copies of his first three Spanish albums and collected 12 No. 1 Latin singles, a Grammy and an American Music Award, before hitting the U.S. last summer with his first English-language single, the Billboard No. 1 “Bailamos.” Now, with his first English-language album, Enrique, and its second his, “Rhythm Divine” — not to mention a new $44 million deal with Interscope Records– his crossover success is complete.
Though Ricky Martin had been there, done that months earlier, Enrique insists that Ricky’s phenomenal success was not what convinced him to record his fourth album in English. “I’ve grown up in the U.S.,” says Enrique, a Madrid native who moved to Miami when he was seven. “I write in English. My first demo was in English. And anyway, musically [Ricky] and I are completely different. He Caribbean; I’m Mediterranean.”
But comparisons are inevitable, and they have been since “Bailamos” followed Ricky’s “Livin’ la Vida Loca” into smash status. And the two do have a lot in common.
“Women love him. He’s very handsome, very charismatic,” producer David Foster says of Enrique. (Foster produced “Could I Have This Kiss Forever,” a duet with Whitney Houston that appears on Enrique.) “I think men love him too. He’s kind of nonthreatening in a way. He’s got that disarming charm and that almost self-deprecating humor.”
Foster has helmed records for major leaguers like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, but he’s also worked with none other than Enrique’s dad, Julio. But lest one think Enrique is following in his father’s footsteps, he had actually gone to great lengths to distance himself professionally from his famous dad. The younger Iglesias ultimately wants his music to succeed on its own merit and not because of his last name. “I never paid attention to whether my father liked [my music] or what he thought I should do– never, never, never,” says Enrique, who is still uncomfortable talking about Julio in interviews. “I remember [listening to music] with my father in the car and he was so musically different from me.”
Enrique was three years old when Julio and his mother, Spanish socialite Isabel Preysler, divorced, and Julio decided to move to Miami. Four years later, Enrique and his siblings– sister Chabeli, 28, a TV news reporter, and brother Julio Jose, 27, a model-turned-singer– relocated to the U.S. to live with their dad for security reasons after their paternal grandfather was kidnapped. (He everntually was saved by a rescue operation.) Despite Julio’s international fame, “I had a normal life,” says Enrique, who had often been surrounded by bodyguards in Spain. “I grew up in that environment [of stardom], but he never spoiled us. He raised us well.” Nonetheless, Enrique missed his mother, whom he saw only four times a year growing up. Today, the tow are close; indeed, the only photo in his living room is of her.
With Isabel living on another continent and Julio often away on concert tours, the person in charge of tending to Enrique and his siblings on a daily basis was Elvira Olivares. (Today he refers to her as La Seño, saying, I hate saying that word, ‘nanny.’ She took care of us when we were little. [Now] she’s my friend.”) It was Elvira who loaned Enrique $5,000 to record his first demo when he was 17; he didn’t approach his parents because he didn’t want his father to know he was doing it.
“He didn’t want to be played on the radio because he was Julio Iglesias’s son,” say Fernan Martinez, the singer’s manager. “When he was little, if a friend introduced him as Julio Iglesias’s son, he would walk away. He never used that, either in school or with girls or in a restaurant.” Enrique would eventually dedicate his first album to Elvira.
By the time he made his first demo in 1994, Enrique already had spent years writing music, often staying up until 7 a.m. and sleeping until noon doing it, a schedule he keeps to this day. “For me it was like my own little diary,” he says. “I used to hide in my room and write. My music was my little secret, my therapy, my shrink.”
After high school, Enrique enrolled as a business major at the University of Miami. But he dropped out of college following his freshman year and began to work on music full-time with his collaborators, songwriter Mario Martinelli and producer Roberto Morales. In 1994, Enrique approached Fernan Martinez, who had once worked as Julio’s publicist, and asked for help in getting a record deal. “I thought the whold thing was suspicious, because he was Julio’s son,” Martinez admits. “But when I heard him [sing] I said, ‘This is great. Let’s get to work.’”
Martinez’s first challenge as Enrique’s new manager: landing him a record deal. Unfortunately, all the major U.S. labels passed on Enrique Martinez (the singer used this name at the beginning of his career so record company execs wouldn’t link him to his father). However, a year later, Enrique jumped at an offer from Fonovisa, a small label that specializes in Mexican music, and recorded his smash debut, Enrique Iglesias. Then things really took off.
“His first prize was a Grammy [in 1996 for Best Latin pop performance],” says Martinez. “His first live [TV] show was on David Letterman. His first album sold six million copies. His first English single was a No. 1. His first duet was with Whitney Houston. He starts where most people want to arrive! He’s so effective; like the batters who always hit a home run.”
But there are days when this cleanup player would prefer to sit on the bench. “It does come to a point whre it kind of scares me,” he says. “You become, like, a little freaky about going out in public. You prefer to stay home.”
At least Enrique can joke about his sex symbol status. Like the tiime he was asked how he felt about being named Sexiest Man Alive in 1998 by People en Español. He suggested that his then-lable, Fonovisa, had bought him the honor. “It was a joke!” says Enrique, who publicly recanted after the subsequent mini-media uproar. “I was trying to be modest. If it were true, do you think anyone would go around saying it?”
A while later, Enrique takes a break from his TEEN PEOPLE interview to make a quick telephone call to a Philadelphia radio station that’s launching his latest single. He warmly greets the programmer and DJs by name before taking calls from several listeners. “Sheila!” Enrique shouts to one, as if he’s greeting a longtime friend. “Do you have a boyfriend, Sheila?” he teases.
Resuming his TEEN PEOPLE talk, Enrique explains that he loves to flatter his female fans. In concert, he always brings a girl or two onstage to serenade them. “I never look to see if they’re beautiful or not,” he says. “I pick the one who most wants to get onstage.”
Although romantic interludes are mostly onstage these days, Enrique does date when he can. But gold diggers beware: He says he can always tell whether someone is interested in him or in his celebrity. “That’s one thing I know. I’ve grown up in this environment, and I know. You can tell if they like you for yourself.”
Seems Enrique is a pretty good judge of character. All of his best friends date back to elementary and high school. Some even work with him today, as producers and personal assistants. Not that he’s trying to hand on to the happy-go-lucky, and decidedly more anonymous, days of his youth. But even if he does yearn for them now and then, Enrique has no regrets. “I think it’s important to enjoy those years when you’re between ten and eighteen– I did. I was a mischievous kid, a normal kid. I had my first kiss. When I turned 18, I had already enjoyed my youth.” Soon after, fame came knocking. And “when a door opens for you,” he says, “you gotta go in.”
Other quotations and/or photo captions in the article:
Enrique uses his VIP status sparingly– even when he checks into a hotel: ‘The only think I ask is [that they don’t put me on] the ground floor,” he says. “I like beingo on the top, not on the bottom.”
“He would rather no get into a disco than say he was Julio Iglesias’s son.” –Fernan Martinez
“I have a foot fetish,” says Enrique, who hates his own. “I always look at girls’ feet.”
Enrique Iglesias Chat
December 27, 1999
Enrique Iglesias shot up the charts in the summer of 1999 with his hit “Bailamos” while stealing the hearts of millions of women in the process. His first English-dominated album has cracked the Billboard Top 50 and although following in his father’s musical footsteps, he is attracting fans of all ages. Enrique also features a duet with the talented Whitney Houston on the sensual track “Could I Have This Kiss Forever.” This hot sensation joined twec.com for a chat with fans online and discussed his new album, inspirations, a very talented dog, and much more!
twec.com: twec.com would like to welcome Enrique Iglesias to today’s chat! Hello Enrique.
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Hello to everyone that’s out there.
Eilynn: What is your next video?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: My next video will probably be for “Be With You.” It will probably be in mid-January.
TuFantasia: Hi Enrique, I just wanted to know what inspires you for your songs?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Everything! It’s my personal life. It’s the way I express myself. For all the stuff that happens to me, face to face or otherwise, I put it down in my music.
Evelinka: Enrique, you said that your Spanish album will come in a year. Have you already written songs for that album?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No, not yet. I’ve been concentrating a lot on the promotion of the new album. Soon enough though. I have some ideas, but no, I haven’t put everything into it yet.
Athos: Enrique, did you ever sing in duet with your dad? Would you think of doing something like that?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No, not for now. Who knows later on? But not for right now.
Crazy4enrique: Have you ever gone out and dressed up so people would not recognize you?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I try! But I don’t think it works too well. I just wear my hat and that’s about it. I don’t think I have anything to hide. I am who I am.
evelyn: What is the craziest thing a fan has done? What is the craziest thing a fan has said to you?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Sneak into my dressing room during a concert and no one noticed her. She was stuck under a table where all the food was. The fans are great. I get tons of letters. I have a great, great, great fan base.
Angelly: Are you planning to tour extensively in the US soon?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’m doing the promotion of the album now, and we’ll see how the promotion goes. We don’t have anything planned now. We just finished a tour in June, but we’ll see. The last tour was a Spanish tour for my last Spanish album.
lucofborg: Who is the Esperanza girl from your song?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I never say who the people are in my music. I think it’s a very personal thing. That’s the way I write my music. I wouldn’t even tell that person who I was writing the song to. Everything in my music is something that actually happened to me. That’s my diary.
MsMusica: As one listens to “Oyeme” one might thing you are a Bee Gees Fan – is this correct?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’m a big Bee Gees fan. But I have many musical influences, but the song doesn’t come straight from the Bee Gees. I guess you must think it sounds like the Bee Gees, but that wasn’t the intention. It was just something I came up with. I think it’s an honor.
Eilynn: When will your official Web site be updated?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: It should be coming up in about January. There’s a new one. It’s http://www.enriqueIg.com and it’s already updated with the stuff from the new album, music and clips.
jennifer: Is the story about the song “You’re my #1” true?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Of course the story is true. It’s one of the last songs I wrote for the album when I had the whole album completed. I had the song close to the end of the album and it’s one of those songs I really wanted to record for the album. So the album was all handed in and I said, ‘No, I want that song on the album!’ And I did it in a day. I love that song.
lieke: How do you start writing a song?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: It comes naturally. I usually write at night. And it happens when something in my life has touched me that I write about it. Since I was 13 years old, it’s been my diary of stuff that really happens to me and I just put it down on paper. It’s my way of getting away.
dina mina: What song are you going to perform on the American Music Awards?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I haven’t decided yet. But pretty soon we’ll decide. But I have two songs in mind. It will probably be either “Be With You” or “Rhythm Divine.” I don’t know, I don’t know yet. It’s going to be a lot of fun, singing at the Awards.
LaBomba: Enrique, this is Becky and Erica, we want to know exactly what you are doing on New Year’s Eve? Happy New Year!
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’ll be in New York. I’ll be hosting a television show. That, and also the Univision.
denia: Which language do you prefer to sing in?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: It just comes naturally. It all depends. I don’t know. It depends on how the song is written. I don’t have a preference. Sometimes I want to speak in Spanish and sometimes I want to sing in English.
Esperanza: Enrique, my question is, why is the blue baseball hat special to you?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: It’s something that a friend of mine who passed away a couple of years ago gave to me, and I’ve had it ever since. It’s like good luck.
sassy1: Did you ever think you could touch so many people in so many ways?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’ve always wanted to write my songs and to be able to show them to people. It’s great that I have great and supportive fans, and that they like the music. That’s my dream, what I’ve dreamed of doing since I was little.
SPANISHEYES: Do you ever go online?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Sometimes! Once in a while. I go to my Web page sometimes.
YoureMyNumber1: Is it true that you and Christina Aguilera will do a duet together?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Not yet. Not yet. I like her music. I think she’s great. It would be quite an honor to do a duet with her. I met her once in Spain on a television show.
sailor_nena1: From all the songs you have sung, which is the one that you hold dearest, and why?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS I think all my songs have something special. I don’t have a preference to one. Every song that I have written is about a special moment in my life.
Donna: Hi Enrique, I saw you in Philly and told you that “Be With You” is my favorite song. How long did it take you to write it?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: That came out in a couple of hours! I was in a studio in London with the people who I did my album with. I got to the studio that afternoon and I had an idea in my head, and a few hours later I had the words to the song. We recorded it that day. I think it came out great. I love that song.
lucofborg: What is the whole ‘you being a virgin’ thing you talked about with Jay Leno the other day?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: It’s funny, because I like to joke around with him, and I say that every day in my life. I speak to all those people and I like to joke around. It’s my pickup line. Sometimes it works.
cs: Do you ever sing any of your Father’s songs in concert?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No, no. I love his music, but no.
Enriquesgirl: Have you ever written a song that was based on a dream? Thanks, Karina.
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I think everything begins with a dream. It’s the beginning of the dream that means so much, and you actually write it down. You can dream while you’re awake.
Sonia de Brasil: Hi Enrique, sabes que nosotras de Brasil te amamos muchismo y queremos sabes si te gustaria hacer un video con una fan?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Me encantaria. Me encantaria. I did a video not too long ago, “Nunca Te Olvidare,” in Mexico, and it was with some fans. They were part of the video. They weren’t professional models. They were just fans. It was a lot of fun.
Farah Isabel: I am a volunteer for a Colombian organization called Corazona Corazon. We are in need of a strong Latin role model like you to help us with our cause. How do you feel about using your fame to help worthy causes?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I am involved with a program called Children with AIDS, or at least affected by AIDS. And I’m the spokesperson. I think they’re great, and I wish I could do more. My schedule is such that I don’t have time to do more. I’d love to do more for South American countries.
Kate: What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’ve never done anything embarrassing.
tak: What has been the greatest reward from your success of the past year
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: My fans. The people who go out there and support me, buy the album, and love my music.
YoureMyNumber1: Why do you want to wait until you have 4 singles until you can start your tour?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I want the people to know my music when I go out and do my concerts. When you do a concert with just one song, it’s still new. I like people to sing along and be part of the show. It’s so much better.
RiqueFan: Does your father come to your shows, like my father used to do by coming to my little league games?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No, not really. He’s working too. We never come across in the same place at the same time, so it’s pretty difficult.
denia: Do you consider yourself a singer or a songwriter?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’m an artist. I’m a singer that writes.
francesvanessa: Enrique, what was the name of the first song you wrote?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: “Si Tu Te Vas.” It’s on my first album. I think it’s the song that people know the most. I used to write a lot. Like I said, it’s my diary. I have more songs than that, but that’s the one that people would know, “Si Tu Te Vas.”
MARIA in Uruguay: I don’t understand the meaning of your song “Sad Eyes.” What are you trying to say?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: That song was written by Bruce Springsteen, and it was given to me by the president of the record company, and he said ‘do this song!’ I idolize Bruce Springsteen, and I was scared. I went ahead and sang it in the studio one day. I fell in love with it. It’s a beautiful song. I think the lyrics are easy and not difficult to understand. There’s nothing to hide. Simple words and a beautiful melody.
Kate: What is “Rhythm Divine” about? Is the girl a mermaid or something?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: That song was written by the people who wrote “Bailamos.” It’s more about the music than about the girl.
Squinty: Since you have written so many songs, would you ever consider writing for another artist?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS Yeah! Of course! I’ve done some. I wrote a song for a friend. One day if something would ever happen and I won’t be able to sing…that’s what I first started doing, writing the songs.
jennifer: Do you tour with your dog, Grammy?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: He comes along sometimes, but no. I go around Miami with him everywhere I can. But I can’t take him to other countries because he doesn’t have a passport. He’s got to stay home and clean the house.
bwitch: What music do you listen to?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I listen to all kinds. I don’t really have a preference. I just turn on the radio and listen to what is out there. I listen to everything. I was heavily influenced by 80s music – Bruce Springsteen, Foreigner, Dire Straits – but I enjoy listening to the radio.
Hippy2500: Do you ever get stage fright?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No! I think the stage is something I look forward to. Every time I get on stage it’s where I feel the most comfortable. I’m with my fans. I think it’s the most comfortable place that I have – on stage with my fans.
Esperanza: Enrique, are you learning to fly airplanes?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’d love to! But would you get on the plane with me? I love to fly, but I think I’d like to have someone fly for me. I love to fly, but…I don’t know if I would be able to control the plane.
Rosie: Is it true that you sang “Nunca te Olvidare” at a funeral once?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: No – where did you get that from?! At a funeral? That song is in a soap opera in the United States. On Spanish TV…but at a funeral?
shelly1225: Do you want to have a family one day?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: Of course! I think it’s great to have a family. I want to have kids, and I want to be able to share with my kids all of my experiences and everything.
minniemm: Hi Enrique! How old were you when you first started performing?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I used to perform in my bathroom by myself. When I first started performing in front of a crowd I was 19 years old.
Rebecca: Enrique would you ever consider acting?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I’m looking at stuff and I haven’t found anything that I feel I can do well. I’m not the best actor.
Crazy4enrique: Describe yourself in 5 words. Thanks, Michelle.
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS: I think I’m a good person. Simple. Real. Honest. Maybe a good friend.
twec.com: twec.com would like to thank Enrique for stopping by today! Any last words to all of your great fans who stopped by to chat with you?
ENRIQUE IGLESIAS:
Thank you so much for your support and time, and supporting my music. If it wasn’t for you guys…So thank you. I wish you guys a very happy, Happy New Year, and may all your dreams come true. Remember that everything starts with a dream.
twec.com: Thank you to Enrique and Interscope for making today’s chat possible. twec.com thanks all of the great fans for stopping by today! We apologize for not getting to everyone questions, there were over 14,000 questions sent in! We thank everyone for all of the great questions
House of the Rising Son
Out of his father’s shadow, Enrique Iglesias, multimillion-selling singer apasionado, soaks up Miami from his bayside villa
by DEGEN PENER
photographed by FERNANDO BENGOCHEA
A hurricane has hit town. We’re not talking about Latin superstar Enrique Iglesias, the force of nature who in fact has just blown in from Spain. We’re talking about a real hurricane, Irene. Sixty-mph winds whip the palm trees in Iglesias’s front yard. Waves crash against the singer’s infinity pool, which would normally blend seamlessly into Miami’s Biscayne Bay were the sea’s usually aquamarine water not all roiling gray fury. By the time the ceilings in the living room, billiard room and dining room of the bi-level, four-bedroom house begin to leak, there aren’t enough buckets and pans left to catch all of Irene’s downpour.
So where is Iglesias? Upstairs, leaning against his bed, knees to chest, bare toes scrunching the carpet. Virtually oblivious to the storm. Like an excited kid showing off a new toy truck, he’s playing tracks from Enrique, his fourth album and his first in English. “My bedroom is my most personal space. I write my songs on that desk,” says the 24-year-old son of Julio Iglesias, whose achingly romantic tunes have made him one of the top Latin singers in the world. In the last three years Iglesias the younger has sold almost 14 million albums and seen 12 songs soar to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin charts and one, “Bailamos” (“We Dance”), top the U.S. pop chart. All while projecting an image of the boyish troubadour next door.
But there’s a song Iglesias unveils that breaks the mold. On “You’re My Number One,” his voice trembles as he sings of a girl with whom he does things he’s never done before. “I wanted to make the song a little bit more sexual. Why does a woman drive you crazy? Why is she amazing? Because she makes you wicked,” say Iglesias, a glint lighting up his intense brown eyes. This is what his fans adore–the combination of gentle boyfriend and fantasy lover. With his full lips, puma-sleek body, and penetrating eyes, Iglesias is even more good-looking in person than in his smoldering publicity photos. “He gets mobbed by women. And he doesn’t have a single security person. I’m like, ‘Get a damn bodyguard and make it easier on the rest of us,’ ” says Gerardo Mejía, the early-nineties one-hit wonder (“Rico Suave”) who first brought Iglesias to Interscope/UMG. The record company signed Iglesias to an impressive $44 million, six-album deal this year. Says his friend boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who went backstage with Madonna when Iglesias performed at L.A.’s Universal Amphitheater: “He’s energetic, he’s charismatic. Madonna was impressed at how he had the crowd going, and how the women drooled over him.” Madonna isn’t the only person marveling at the attention Enrique gets. Says Iglesias: “My mother was like, ‘This is the same kid who couldn’t get a date for the prom?’ ”
If Enrique’s no longer the shy, retiring type, he does like to get away from it all, namely here, at this tiled-roof casa where he can recharge after long recording sessions and tours. “To relax? I close all the shutters and go to sleep,” Iglesias says, laughing. Most of the time, however, those shutters are thrown wide open to the extraordinary panoramic views: the city’s skyline, glittering Miami Beach across the bay, tiny islands covered in palms and mangroves. Iglesias began building the house–a mere two down from the one where he lived as a teenager–three years ago. Relying on local decorators, he created an environment beyond what most 24-year-old multimillionaires would want. Sure, there is an oversize TV, a pool table and a workout room upstairs, but the overall effect is of a mature restraint, with rich, muted colors and Spanish-inspired detailings. Paintings by established Cuban artists abound, and a beautiful photo of his Philippine-born mother, Madrid socialite Isabel Preysler, prominently graces the living room.
Iglesias was born in Madrid. In 1979 his mother divorced Julio, one of the most successful Latin artists of all time, and sent the 8-year-old Enrique–along with older brother Julio Jr., now a rising singer in his own right, and older sister Chabeli, currently a Spanish-language talkshow host– to live in the U.S. with their father. (His mother feared for her children’s safety after Basque separatists kidnapped Enrique’s paternal grandfather.) And though he spent summers with his mom, “leaving her was one of the hardest parts of my life.” As a teen Enrique was obsessed with music. “I would lock myself up in my room with my tape recorder and write little simple melodies,” he says. by 18 he was angling for a recording deal, something he didn’t tell either parent until he had landed one. Eager to prove himself on his own, he even sent out demo tapes using a fake last name. “He didn’t want to be seen as a curiosity,” says his manager, Fernan Martinez. Adds Iglesias: “I had one thought in my head, which was music, music, music.”
He’s not all work, though. Iglesias may be just beginning to show his wild side in his songs, but it’s out in force during downtime. Besides being a prankster (recently typing Mejía’s shoelaces to his luggage when he wasn’t looking), he’s a daredevil. Pointing to his head, he shows where he had 40 stitches after a waterskiing accident. “We were too close to the mangroves. I hit a tree and my ear was, like, coming off.” He hang glides too, and recently began to fly planes. “I’m a little afraid of it,” he says. “But I love fear.” It takes a lot to rattle him: When the storm moves in, he never mentions it once.
The next day, Irene has passed. Sunlight glistens on the bay. Iglesias’s golden retriever, Grammy, a gift from his former record company, runs around the yard. (“It’s kind of tacky, but I can’t change his name now,” says Iglesias.) He’s inspecting the property for damage with the person who keeps him grounded: ex-nanny Elvira Olivares, his unofficial household manager. When his dad was on the road, Olivares helped raise him; he dedicated his first album to her. “She’s family,” says Iglesias. He’s 6 foot 2, she’s 5 feet, if that. He gently rests his hand on her shoulder.
Right now she’s his main girl. He’s still looking for the woman he fantasizes about in his new song. “I like girls who are outgoing, independent–and a little bit crazy,” he says. A long-distance relationship with someone in Spain ended four years ago, and he has dated sporadically ever since. He allows that he tends to hold back. “I’m passionate in my music,” he says. “Sometimes I wish I could be that way in life.”
Reticent he may be, but he’s clearly a romantic. Near his bed sits a dried, half-opened pink rose. A fan gave it to him, probably never dreaming it would end up here. “I just left it there,” he says. “I don’t know why.” For her and his other admirers, the reciprocity, for now, will have to come through the CD player or radio. “I wish I could say what I say in my music to someone I love, face-to-face. But since I can’t–I don’t have the guts to, or it just won’t come out right–I just sing it.”
| Warning: Here Comes Enrique!by Luz Maria Doria Miami – 12:03 A.M. Taco Bell. From the window of a Jeep comes a voice that orders in perfect English four tacos and a medium Coke. The owner of that voice, a young man in a baseball cap, talks on his cell phone while the cashier rings up the total. “Six dollars and 12 cents. Drive through to the window.” The Jeep stops in front of the window. A hand reaches out with seven dollars, and from the other side of the window, shouting is heard: “Enrique! I was waiting for you. Today I brought the Polaroid camera to take the picture of you that Marisela wants.”The young man in the baseball cap who is going to eat the four tacos with the medium Coke is Enrique Iglesias. While magazines around the world wait impatiently for a new photo captured by one of the paparazzi, this Argentinian guy, late-night cashier at Taco Bell, is taking it. In that photo that will never be published and will most assuredly live in a frame on Marisela’s nightstand, Enrique isn’t serious like in the 250 magazine covers that he has done. Nor does he look sad. A little hungry, perhaps, but the tacos will take care of that.No one who looked at that Polaroid photo would think that the young man in the baseball cap, with a face that looks fresh out of school, who doesn’t like to dance, and who has $20 in his wallet, has sold 14 million copies of Bailamos in the English market. Universal, a record company which covers 95% of the world music market, signed him four months ago. They needed someone to compete in the English market with Ricky Martin or with Jennifer López. And it cost them 44 million dollars.“I don’t like to talk about money,” Enrique warns. “I have never celebrated signing a contract or releasing a CD. To me, talking about money is embarrassing. Money isn’t my motivation, it’s a way to measure things. I like it when people talk about my concerts, my CDs, not my money or my house or my cars…”Cars – he has two. A Jeep and a Porsche, which he doesn’t drive because he feels like it’s ostentatious. He doesn’t like limosines either because he feels embarrassed getting out of them. He prefers taxis. “I just don’t like red carpets or black limosines,” he explains with such sincerity that you have to believe him. “I don’t like luxuries. Look, for me there’s nothing better than the applause at a concert. There’s nothing better than being being successful. Having success recharges my batteries, touches my heart. The day I don’t have that, I’ll be screwed. I had never been depressed until I finished my tour last year. When it was over, I got depressed. I felt like I was empty inside. I didn’t leave my house for two weeks. It’s because I don’t know how to do anything else.” “I CRIED A LOT WHEN I CAME TO MIAMI” In this house he lives with la Seño, Elvira Olivares,the woman who has bought him over 300 white T-shirts (which he collects), and the person who knows him better than anyone else in the world. She gives him two kisses everytime he comes home, and when he doesn’t come home she scolds him. She lent him the money to record– unknown to his family– his first demo tape in 1994, and she is the one who consoled him when he was eight years old and cried day and night because he was in Miami and he missed his mother, Isabel Preysler, who was in Madrid. “I cried a lot when I came to Miami,” Enrique recalls. He still clearly remembers the day in 1983 when he had to flee from Spain with Chábeli and Julio José, his siblings, for fear of a kidnapping. “I missed my mother a lot. She had stayed in Spain. We were always alone. When they asked me about my parents at school, I would just say that they were out of the country. It made me sad to say that my mother lived in Spain and my father was always traveling. Those of us who raise ourselves turn out a little strange. The day I have a child, I won’t leave it alone so much.” “NO ONE KNOWS THAT I GOT MARRIED” “Once a Panamanian businessman came into our office,” his manager Fernán Martínez tells. “Enrique sat beside him and said, “Panama, Panama… that’s south of Argentina, right? Tell me, how are the ski slopes and the snow in Panama?” The man looked at him, terrified, and Enrique didn’t so much as smile. He told John Quiñones of ABC, off-camera, ‘No one knows that I got married to a girl I went to school with and we have two children.’ Once he called my brother to the office and told him I was in the hospital because I had herpes… He always joking around.” When he goes to his office Enrique not only answers the telephone, he also asks about everything that’s going on there. He gives out autographs for the relatives of his staff, and sometimes he even falls asleep on the sofa. “I like a quiet life… Going to the movies on a Tuesday afternoon or going snow-skiing or skiing in the ocean,” he says, sitting on the same sofa, while his team, four of whom worked with his father, run around preparing for the release of Enrique, his first CD in English. It will be released in November. (He’ll do the Spanish release on the Cristina Show). Experts are already predicting that it will be the confirmation of a much-trumpeted crossover. “I hate that word. Just because a Latino crosses to the other side, to a larger audience, doesn’t mean he has made it. The success lies in seducing the U.S. public and letting it be them who cross over to our side. I’m singing in English because I like it. Period.” Enrique was in Europe when Ricky Martin hit #1 in the U.S. They say he was happy. “Consistency is the most important thing,” Enrique explains, as if he had not four but forty years in this business. “If 8 out of 10 songs on a CD are hits, that’s success.” – Did you learn that from Julio Iglesias? “I like women who don’t smoke, and are not spoiled,” he says, enumerating the requirements. Another fact: he loves women from the Caribbean, but he prefers not to say it too loud so that no one will be upset. And once again he comes back to that story that no one believes still– the one about before becoming famous he said he was from Guatemala and his name was Enrique Martínez so that no one would know that he was recording a CD… and that girls didn’t even look at him. That has to be a lie. With this one, three thousand years can pass and no one will forget him. [Play on words from a line in Enrique’s song “Nunca Te Olvidaré”]. |
by Fátima Escobar
When Enrique Iglesias decided to embark on a career in music, he never imagined he would become one of the most sought after and applauded singers by his fans, which makes you think about what is the secret to his success. The answer is very simple: He is a spontaneous young man with a great passion for singing, song writing and giving himself fully to his audience.
As they say, “to each his own taste”, but it seems that Enrique Iglesias breaks that rule. Since September of 1995 the passionate screams of his fans began to be heard over songs like “Si tú te vas”, “Experiencia religiosa” and “Enamorado por primera vez”. Now, and after three years of overwhelming success, Enrique Iglesias returns with Cosas del amor, a production which includes six songs he wrote himself. “This is the most intimate and romantic CD I’ve done so far. I hadn’t felt so good for a long time and I still hadn’t exploded like I wanted to, but if God is willing, I hope that I’ve been able to accomplish that with this third CD.”
What is it that makes Enrique Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias?
I think I’m super spontaneous, but I’ll tell you something: I’m not interested in the show business world. What I do know is that I like to sing and write songs. It’s the only way I know how to express myself; it’s how I pour my heart out, and I’m the happiest person in the world when I’m in front of my audience.
How much marketing is there in the Enrique Iglesias phenomenon?
Like any other singer, and like Coca-Cola that also has marketing, but I people didn’t like it, they wouldn’t buy it. I think it’s just an incentive so that people will go and give the product a chance. If, afterwards, it’s not accepted and people don’t like it, they won’t buy it again. It’s that easy. No one is forced to buy my CDs. All singers when it comes right down to it use the same marketing, some on the radio, others on television, but the difference is that some sell and some don’t.
His inspiration: women
What’s new on this CD?
It’s the most intimate and romantic CD I’ve done so far. On the first and second CDs I wrote the songs when I was, like, 15 or 16 years old, and now I was home for eight month just to reflect and to write because I thought that there should be a new stage in my life and my music, and you can really see that this CD has different language.
What can you tell me about “Esperanza”?
I’ve never named a song or a CD after a woman, but I decided to do it.
Is it something related to your life?
Everything I write is related to my life, in one way or another. Esperanza is a person who left me in less than a week. She’s no longer in my life, but she’s one of those people that you know you’re always going to remember.
Tell me about the production of the CD.
I started to write the songs in December, and in March we started recording. There was pre-production here in Miami and later we went to Germany to do a lot of arranging/mixing.
When you write, are women always your inspiration?
Yes, it’s always women.
Have you ever felt like the “marionette” of any woman?
Of course I have.
So, is “Ruleta Rusa” for dancing naked?
It’s for dancing naked, clothed or however you like.
In which of your songs do you feel like you transmit everything?
In “Nunca te olvidaré.”
When something happens to you, do you know at the time that you’re going to write about it?
If it really touches me, yes. Everything I write is something that happens to me. That’s why I don’t write that often, because I can’t imagine a story.
Do you need to be in a certain mood to write?
Yes, I need to be sad, and sometimes, happy. I need to have something to pour out my heart or my frustations about. Writing is like going to a psychologist.
How does one come up with good lyrics?
When they come from the heart, when they are really inspired.
Do you think you have matured with this album?
I think so. It bothers me to say it, but, yes, it’s different as far as the vocabulary is concerned.
How do you feel after giving a concert?
I feel alone. Onstage I’m the happiest person in the world, but then it’s over, and suddenly, there’s this enormous, deep silence. I never get depressed, but when I finished my tour on December 13 in Miami, I went into a depression and didn’t leave my house for two weeks. I don’t know why; it was strange. I was down and I didn’t want to do anything.
Is it hard to live that kind of life?
It’s harder than what people think because not only do you have conflicts with work, but also personal problems, and sometimes, everything comes down on you at once and you say: “Screw this!” Even so, I can’t really complain. It would be wrong.
Why such a radical change in your look? You have ever worn a suit before.
I don’t know. I never thought that was going to be the cover. It was something spontaneous. It was like I was thinking, “Ah, Enrique it going to be wearing a suit on the album cover!” It was just that when I saw the photo, I liked it; I felt comfortable with it, and besides, I think it goes well with the album.
How do your life and your work as a singer go together? Do they feed off of each other, or does each have its own place?
They are totally unified; everything that happens in my life, I write about it and say things that I would never say face to face.
Money, success, and image
You have always had an economically stable life…
That’s why I say that I can’t complain. I’m not a fussy person. What I was given was average. I didn’t get a car at age 16. I didn’t get a car until I was 18 and it was just one. I wasn’t a guy who threw away money and cried because they didn’t buy me something. I was really into sports. A guy who is really into sports usually isn’t fussy because sports are the only thing he likes.
What does money mean to you?
Look, I would rather be happy and poor than happy and rich, but I’d also rather be rich and happy than a poor, unhappy devil. Money is important because with it I can invest in things for my career, I can buy myself a house; but that doesn’t mean that it will always bring you happiness. It brings you luxuries and fun, but it doesn’t mean that if you’re rich you will be happy.
For what reason would you retire from music?
If I decided to have children.
Where does your success lie?
In the lyrics of my music. Well, other things can also have an influence, of course. For example, charisma can have an influence, personality, and a lot of other things, but the only the that really counts is the record.
Are you a self-critic?
Very much so. It’s my worst fault.
So how much do you think your image has helped you?
Sure, your image really helps! If you ask a record company what they prefer: a good singer with nice songs, or a good singer with nice songs who is also good-looking; of course they’re going to tell you, “Of course, the good-looking one!” It has to do with a lot of things… there are millions of good-looking people, but in the end, a person sells because they have something special.
He prefers a life without fame
Where were you most happy, with or without fame?
It’s not really about being happier, but it I could choose, I prefer a normal life. The only thing I know is that I’m the happiest person in the world when I’m with my audience, and that’s something I wouldn’t change for anything.
Do you think it’s like an addiction?
It is an addiction.
What is your opinion about drugs?
Which ones? Like Tylenol or aspirin? (laughs)
No, like cocaine, LSD, or marijuana…
I can tell you the truth. Love, I had a friend that was so into drugs that he almost died, but I haven’t even smoked even a joint of marijuana, I swear. If you ask me my opinion, I think they’re no good. And it’s not only the drug you’re taking, but also where it came from, and all the things that have happened to get it to you. If they legalized drugs I don’t think there would be so many problems
You don’t think that a person with a life as active as yours or any other artist’s might need drugs?
That’s a complete lie. A lot of people think that because we’re artists, we’re into drugs. I’m tired of going someplace and always having them offer me cocaine, as if they were sure that I would accept it. The thing is, the media is famous for that. I don’t know if some people do that, but I assure you that I don’t. I’m not going to judge someone that does it, it’s their body and they have the right to do whatever they want with it. That someone that smokes a joint of marijuana in front of you doesn’t mean anything.
What do you do to get out of the “bubble of fame”?
The thing is, I’m not in it. I’m a normal guy, who is at home with his friends, and I live my life, really. So, I’m not in the “bubble of fame”. I don’t see it like that, I see it as work.
After such success, is there anything you haven’t done yet? [
There’s a lot.
Where do you think your success lies?
In my sincerity, even if when I say it it sounds idiotic, but I think I’m sincere. What you see, is what I am.
Have you felt like you’ve had bad luck at any time?
Of course I’ve felt bad luck, but I think for me, it has come a little at a time.
What do you need to be happy?
A woooomaaaaan! One who really loves me the way I am, who takes care of me, who protects me.
Why do you think you haven’t found the woman of your dreams?
I don’t know. Hey, I’ve had a few good relationships, so I don’t want to say it’s because of bad luck.
He does not know envy or regret
Do you believe in God?
Yes, a lot.
Have you ever felt like you’re falling into an abyss?
No, I don’t think so.
What do you do when you need to heal your soul?
I smoke a joint. (laughs) No, I’m joking. I have to do this a lot. I go to the ocean. It relaxes me a lot both physically and mentally. When you say “heal your soul”…
HOT INTERVIEW
Translated to English from:
TV y Novelas
October 13, 1997
If there is one thing that characterizes you, it’s your sensuality. How do you like to seduce women?
Obviously, I seduce with the one thing that women expect from a man: with a sense of humor. If that doesn’t work, I give them back their entrance money!
Do you feel more comfortable being seduced or doing the seducing?
I still think the seduction of the other person is based on indifference. I prefer to be seduced; that way, the conquest becomes more appealing.
What do you do to create the ideal atmosphere for a romantic evening?
The times you plan something out or try to set up the perfect atmosphere, nothing happens. On the other hand, if you turn off the electricity, the gas, the telephone, then, yes, something will happen because there’s nothing else left to do.
Do you prefer to initiate the kiss or to be kissed?
Both. Now, I’ll tell you one thing, the first time I like to initiate it.
Are you more turned on by an argument or a love letter?
A love letter. I don’t like arguments. They make me nervous.
Do you like to kiss before or after making love?
If you’re really in love, you kiss the whole time. If you’re not in love, you do a good impression (fake it a little), and that’s it.
Do you consider yourself a ‘relentlessly pursued’ or ‘harassed’ man?
When you’re famous or well-known that kind of harassment doesn’t exist. People fall in love with the image.
Do you prefer making love in the dark or with the lights on?
I like it better in the dark, that way my partner can imagine she’s with someone more ‘endowed/gifted/blessed’ than I am.
Do you fantasize about wearing some special outfit to seduce her?
No, I just use my skin. It’s the simplest thing to use during those moments.
What are the gestures or the little things that most excite you during romance?
To feel her hands on my skin, without a doubt.
What disconcerts you when you’re trying to make love?
When the women yells at you, ‘Get away from me! I don’t want you anymore!’, and we haven’t even started to do anything yet!
How was your first sexual experience?
In the backseat of a car. It was unforgettable.
And the strangest place?
On the kitchen table.
Can you confess something wicked to us?
Yes, but I’m not going to do it. I’m not interested in comparing notes with everyone else.
What is the best romantic encounter you’ve had with a woman?
One night with an incredible blonde. We couldn’t stop looking at each other. We hit it off at first sight. We were perfect together.
How did that first encounter end?
The best way possible.
Do you remember ever having embarrassed yourself in front of a woman?
I think she remembers it in greater detail than I do. No, seriously, I’m proud of my performance/behavior when it comes to love.
What does marriage mean to a person like you?
It’s the most important thing, and it’s forever.
And love?
It represents 90% of our lives.
Who was your first platonic love?
Marilyn Monroe, the goddess.
And the thing you find most attractive in a woman?
The way she looks at me. It’s the first thing I notice.
Enrique Iglesias: On the Inside
The best musician: My father. He’s the greatest. He opened doors for other Spanish-speaking singers. What other Latin singer can be heard in an elevator in Taiwan?
A goal: That my music can be heard in elevators in Taiwan and Jupiter.
Hobbies: Windsurfing in the Caribbean.
A color: Black
A wish: To have one-fourth of my father’s success.
A fault: Being too sincere.
A dream: To dedicate all my songs to just one person.
Loneliness: It’s an inspiration… sometimes. We all experience it. You can be surrounded by people and still feel great loneliness, that becomes serious.
Your life: My life is… is… The truth is, sometimes I say: ‘My God, I can’t take this anymore.’ But, what am I saying? I’m 22 years old. Now is when I have to take advantage of things. I’m young, I have ambitions, and I have a great public. I should make the most of that because, maybe the following day, I won’t have it.
Your greatest temptation: A woman.
Favorite word: Woman. I’m not a womanizer. I don’t like that.
A cure for loneliness: Sleeping.
Something that makes you sad: Evilness on the part of another person.
To fight insomnia: With the TV. It’s hard for me to fall asleep, even though once I’m asleep, I sleep a lot.
Something that makes you insecure: Everything except singing. Being onstage is the only thing I know how to do well.
Your personality is like that of: A dog. When you tell him ‘Sit’, he sits. I’m faithful to the people who really love me, you realize that immediately.
The best gift you have given to a women: Writing her a song.
You suffer: When I’m in a country and I see children in the street, working.
Your weapon to win a woman’s heart: A romantic look.
Cabalas: I don’t have any. The only thing I do is cross myself before I go onstage to sing.
Inspiration: Love.
Something that bothers you: Envy, evilness, and when they tell me, “This really is the last photo.”
A book: The Old Man and the Sea.
Your goal: To sing.
Your greatest virtue: Singing with my heart.
Your ideal woman: Blonde, brunette, tall, short, as long as she’s pretty to me.
For your friends: I’m capable of anything. “I love my friends above all else.”
Romanticism: My romanticism is kind of strange. Even though I sing ballads, I find a lot of romanticism in rock, in heavy metal, or in rap. Also, I try to do special little things everyday: invite a girl to dinner, write a poem, serve a cup of coffee to a female friend, give her perfume.
Money: People think I live in a gigantic mansion. I live in a small house with two rooms and a kitchen. I drive a Jeep. The truth is, I don’t have time to enjoy my money.
Your most Spanish features: My accent and eating late.
Superstitions: A few silly things, like spilt salt.
A fear: Not being happy.
Free time: Windsurfing. You go out into the middle of the ocean and you forget about everything.
You see God as: A great light. I also see Him in everyday people and occurences.
Source: TV y Novelas, Enrique Iglesias Special, 13 October 1997
Enrique Iglesias: The Women in His Life
TV y Novelas (U.S. Edition)
Year 19, Number 21
October 13, 1997
He has fame, money and heart-stopping good looks. He’s young, sings beautifully, sells records, and he says he’s not at all a womanizer, even though it runs in his family. But he has appeared in pictures with beautiful women. According to him they are just friends, but judging from the photos, it seems as if he’s been romantically involved with them. Is he a confirmed bachelor or a full-time romantic? In this interview, he tells you himself.
What kind of woman do you like?
-It doesn’t matter to me if she’s blonde, brunette, red-headed, tall or short, as long as there is chemistry, I like her. The women I like have to know how to make the most of what they have.
How would you like your woman to be?
-A little “crazy”. One of those girls that would cause a terrified reaction in my parents when they saw her. “Oh my gosh, what kind of girl is this that you’re bringing home?!”
Is she the type of woman that seduces you?
-I’m captivated by a woman who has a certain quality and knows how to use it… whether it’s physical or in her personality. I won’t lie to you, the physical is the first thing that attracts me (even though everyone has their own taste). If I see a girl who seems pretty, I’d choose her, but if after three days you realize she’s dumb (and there are millions), you end it and that’s it.
Have you had many girlfriends?
-I’ve only had one, but I don’t like to talk about her. I haven’t been in a relationship for about a year now.
When it comes to love, do you identify with a tiger, a cat or a dolphin?
-I would say that I’m a dolphin because it’s very smart. When I want to win a girl’s heart I try to use intelligence, without putting aside my feelings. I wouldn’t characterize myself as being pampered like a cat, even though I love it when women are affectionate and fuss over me.
Are two women in a man’s life a crowd?
-That could turn out to be a crowd (he laughs). I’d rather concentrate on one than be overwhelmed by two.
Does going after a girl make you feel insecure?
-Yes, but that kind of insecurity is nice. It creates more passion. Without it, it’s no fun.
Do you maintain a good relationship with your past loves?
-Yes. I’ve never had a “tortuous” relationship.
What makes you take interest in a woman?
-The thing I like most in a woman is that you can leave her by herself anywhere and she has fun… you’re not in a meeting worrying about her the whole time.
STRAIGHT TALK
By Jeffrey Zaslow
Issue date: May 30 – June 1, 1997
The younger Iglesias is red-hot: Sold 5 million copies of Vivir, his second album, in one week; won ’97 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance. Spectacular stage show: Rides atop a giant crane, but resists wearing a safety belt. “If I have to die, I’d love to die in concert. I’d die happy.”
No plans: To record a duet with his father. His dream duet partner? Michael Jackson. “When I was a kid, he came to my dad’s house and stayed in the room next to me.”
Enrique Iglesias
“If you have kids, be there for them,” says the Latin pop star, whose dad, Julio, was always on the road. t’s 1:30 a.m. in a hotel suite in El Paso, and Enrique Iglesias knows better than to throw his shirt out the window. He’d like to accommodate the shrieking throng of girls 17 floors below, but it wouldn’t be wise: “In Argentina, I threw out my pants and shirt, and people got hurt and trampled. It was crazy. I’ll never do that again.” At 22, Julio Iglesias’ handsome son is the world’s hottest Latin pop star. Hours earlier, he gave an impassioned concert for 14,000 screaming, weeping fans, thousands of whom mobbed the stage door after the show. Police had to link arms and use screeching bullhorns to hold them back. Think Beatlemania in Spanish.
Now safely in his hotel, Iglesias is catching up with his dear friend and supporter Elvira Olivares. She was his nanny after he moved to Miami from Spain at age 8. His father was always on the road; his mother, a Madrid journalist, wasn’t around. He and Olivares have remained close. To thank her, he dedicated his first album to her. “She’s given me so much, I should dedicate every album to her. Sometimes you’ve got to show that if it wasn’t for a certain person, you wouldn’t be where you are.”
Until Iglesias had a record deal, his long-divorced parents didn’t even know he could sing. He first auditioned as Enrique Martinez, and confided only in Olivares. “When I was 7, I’d kneel in bed and pray I’d be a singer. But I’d never have made it if I’d told my parents. If I’d heard anything negative, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it.”
Having grown up admiring his father from a distance, Iglesias is now a passionate advocate for children. (His dad would not comment for this article.) “If you have kids,” he says, “you’ve chosen a responsibility. Be there for them. Don’t leave them.”
I left my own kids back East to come interview him. “Get a flight at 7 in the morning,” Iglesias says. “Go see them.”
Advice from Iglesias
Don’t assume he’s like Julio: “My father’s a playboy. If he’s getting chicks, I’m happy. But it’s not the kind of life I’d follow. I love women — they’re my biggest inspiration — but I can’t be in a room surrounded by girls. If I have a girl, it’s just that one.”
You needn’t be Don Juan: Before he became a sex symbol, “I wasn’t a major reject, but I was rejected enough to get hurt a bunch of times. That’s OK. There’s someone for everyone. Wait — it’ll happen.”
Why “girls”? His dad sang To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before. “It’s OK to say ‘girls.’ Women want to be called girls. You can’t say, ‘To all the old ladies I’ve loved before.’ ”
Advice from Dad? “He never really gave me advice. I just saw him work hard. Hard work helped him advance from a little house to a bigger house to an even bigger house, from a bus to a plane to his own plane.”
Seize the moment: “I’m playing big arenas because I can fill them up. Maybe next year I won’t be able to. So I’m doing it now. That’s the whole point of life: Seize the moment.”
To protect your voice: “Eat a lot of pizza. When your mouth is full, you don’t talk as much; your voice doesn’t get tired.”
Zaslow is an advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
ANDRES, ENRIQUE’S BEST FRIEND
by Roxana Navarro Beltrán
We all have an inseparable friend with whom we have experienced unforgettable moments, and to whom we tell all our secrets whether they be about love, good times or sadness. Enrique Iglesias introduced us to his best friend, Andrés, a guy who has spent a lot of time with him and who holds his utmost trust.
WHO IS ANDRES?
Andrés Restrepo is a 22 year-old [the article is from 1997, remember] Colombian. He studied Sound Engineering at the University of Orlando [University of Miami], U.S. Since he graduated he has accompanied Enrique everywhere and they have a great time.
“ENRIQUE IS MY BEST FRIEND”
How did you meet Enrique?
When we went to school together, ten years ago.
And have you always been good friends?
Yes, we get along very well. We’re almost exactly the same. We like the same things, we have a lot of fun, we like to play pranks, he’s my best friend.
How is Enrique as a friend?
He’s a faithful friend, a modest kid who likes to share with everyone. In spite of his success, he and I still get along the same way we did ten years ago. He’s not at all conceited, at times he’s shy and introverted.
How was Enrique when he was a boy?
Like any other boy in elementary school. We used to like to play pranks on our classmates and sometimes we got in trouble, but of course, we also studied.
Does he tell you his secrets?
Of course! He tells me everything, but I don’t think I should say what he talks to me about… that’s why they’re secrets between friends.
“THE GIRLS DIDN’T PAY ATTENTION TO US”
Do you always travel with Enrique?
Sometimes. When he invites me I go, especially now that I have finished school. I have more opportunities to accompany him and I really like to… I have met a lot of great people thanks to those trips.
Which one of you has had more girlfriends?
We’re about equal. We’ve hardly had any girlfriends because we’re both shy and girls don’t pay any attention to us.
In the Corner: Enrique Iglesias
From Eres magazine, July 1996.
What do you see when you stand in front of the mirror?
Happiness.
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
I go straight to the bathroom.
What is the last thing you do before you go to sleep?
I pray.
What is the best news you’ve been given?
That my CD is selling.
What are you afraid of?
Not being happy.
What makes you happy?
Singing and the people around me.
Have you ever had your cards read?
No, never.
Do you believe in UFOs?
Yes. If there is life on Earth, why couldn’t there be life on other planets?
If you were a type of roll, what type would you be?
Oh, well, a croissant…
Who is your favorite super-hero?
Superman.
Whose CD would you buy?
Tracy Chapman’s.
Whose book would you buy?
One of Hemingway’s.
Your most priced possession is…
My voice.
You would not go out without…
Underwear.
Who is the funniest person you know?
Fernán (his manager).
And the most boring?
Dulce María Ruiz de Velasco (chief publicist for Melody).
Which joke do you always tell at parties?
The one about pee pee-poo poo or the one about the turkey, but they are dirty jokes, very dirty, so I won’t tell you.
What is your obsession?
Music.
When is the last time you cried?
Yesterday.
What is the most exciting thing you’ve have done lately?
Sing at the Acapulco Festival.
What is something you can’t stand the sight of?
Cockroaches.
Are you a good dancer?
Average.
Are you a good driver?
Very good.
What is something you always have in your refrigerator?
Yogurt.
What is your motto?
Live and die.
The most admirable man in the world is…
God.
The greatest love in your life is…
My fans.
If you were president, what is the first thing you would do?
Help young people.
Talent: Enrique Iglesias
From 15 a 20, February 1996.
His girlfriends, his childhood, his brother and sisters. We didn’t forget a thing! Enrique told us everything!
Who is Enrique Iglesias?
Far from being just a 20 year-old guy, the son of famous singer Julio Iglesias, Enrique sails through life with simplicity and tranquility, and he carries the bohemian spirit deep within his blood.
GIRLS? ONE AT A TIME, PLEASE.
Tell us, how is Enrique, without the last name Iglesias?
I’m a very normal guy, just like everyone else. I like the same things guys my age like. I don’t go out at night as often as I used to, though. I party a lot less now.
So what do you do when you have free time?
I like to go to the movies, out to dinner, or just stay at home and talk to my friends. Listening to music is another thing I like.
Are you much of a womanizer?
No, not at all! I’m really not! It might seem like a lie, but it’s not. Well, of course I like women – but one at a time. [He laughs out loud].
What are you like with girls? Do you move fast?
When I see a girl, I know right away if there is chemistry between us, because I do believe in love at first sight. Maybe it’s not eternal love like in the fairy tales but instead a special attraction.
How do you win the heart of a girl you like?
Well . . . [He starts to think as if we’ve asked him about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity]. . . .when there’s chemistry you just start to talk, and from there, you get to know each other better.
HE GETS GIRLS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM SIMPLY BY TALKING TO THEM
So, you get girls by talking to me? [We persisted].
Hey! People get to know each other through conversation, so yes, I talk to them… a lot!
What bothers you most about a girl?
Uff! [He makes a gesture with his hands like he has a bag full of complaints in front of him]. No, I’m kidding. What I can’t stand is if she pretends to have a personality that is not really hers. A phony woman is the worst.
Do you pursue girls or do they pursue you?
Look.. [He seems like he has just remembered something]. Both! Well, sometimes I use a false name, Enrique Martinez, you know, to throw off “the enemy”. [He closes one eye like he is looking out on the horizon]. That’s how I am when I go out. I go to a restaurant, alone, with nobody to tell the girls who I am, just like any other guy.
And, what happens next? [We ask, now interested in hearing this soap opera that is unfolding].
Nothing! They don’t pay any attention to me! [He lets out a loud laugh]. No, I’m joking. We talk – they tell me about themselves, I tell them about myself, without telling them who I am. I love to do that!
Why?
Because invariably there are girls who, out of curiosity, want to get close to “the son of”, and they forget that I have my own identity.
THE MACHO TYPE? NOT AT ALL, HE SAYS.
Are you machista [the macho type] in the way you treat women?
No, I don’t think so. If my girlfriend goes out with her girlfriends to have coffee or to have fun at a bar, it doesn’t bother me, but if I saw her with another guy, I don’t know, I would probably get mad . . . really mad.
From whom did you receive your home training? From your mother or your father?
Well . . . [He takes hold of his hair and pushes it back]. . . . from both of them equally. I know now that because my father wasn’t home for long periods of time, they used to work it out to give us all – Julio, Chábeli and Enrique – enough time. I remember a lot of things from when I was a boy with my father.
How did you take your parents’ separation?
Honestly, to tell you the truth, I took it well because there was always a lot of communication between them. They didn’t, and still don’t, hide anything from us. We’re a united family.
A FUN CHILDHOOD
Are you mischievous?
I’m kind of rebellious, actually, even though as a child I was very mischievous. I can tell you all kinds of stories.
Like what?
Mmm . . . once when my father was on tour in Argentina, my brother and I filled an entire room with that white powder from a fire extinguisher. I squeezed it so hard that the whole thing emptied in less than two minutes. Or in Spain, we used to buy little ducks and we would throw them out the window, into the garden, to see if they would fly.
How long have you lived in Miami?
I’ve lived there for many years now. I go to Spain, but I actually live in Miami.
Do you speak English perfectly?
You could say that. I don’t even have much of a Spanish accent now. [We realize that it’s true].
Since you mentioned how much you like movies, would you like to make a movie sometime?
When I made the video for “Si tu te vas” I liked the experience a lot, but you couldn’t really say that I was acting because it was all came out very naturally. As for movies, seeing myself on the big screen, well, I don’t know . . . maybe in the future, but for now my thing is music.
Tell us, what do you like to eat?
Everything. I think spicy food is what I like the most. Mexican food, Japanese food, Chinese food, Spanish food, I’ll eat whatever you put in front of me. I even ate twotortas ahogadas in Guadalajara. Jeez, just thinking them makes my mouth water.
So, there you have it, everything from tortas ahogadas to a fun childhood to a solid foundation for the future. Enrique Iglesias is no longer a total stranger to you, is he?
qvMagazine’s June 2000
Artist of the Month
Enrique Iglesias!
A qvInterview with superstar Enrique.
Enrique Iglesias, the son of world-famous recording legend, Julio Iglesias, was born on May 8, 1975 in Madrid, Spain. At the age of 7, Enrique moved to Miami, Florida, where he experienced the best of three cultures: Hispanic, European, and American-each with their own musical styles.
Enrique’s recording career officially began in 1995 with the release of his self-titled debut album. Since then, he has sold more than 10 million albums and has won all kinds of awards, including the 1996 Grammy for Best Latin Pop performer.
His first world tour, 1997’s “Vivir,” was considered the biggest tour ever by a Latin performer as it covered 13 countries and was attended by more than 720,000 people.
Enrique has made records in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, and last year, he released his first English-language album after signing a $42 million contract with Interscope Records. He then scored three big U.S. hits with the songs “Bailamos,” “Rhythm Divine,”and “Be With You.”
As a person, Iglesias is a perpetual jokester, sportsman, enthusiast, old-fashioned romantic, optimist, cinema devotee, loyal television viewer, and an inveterate consumer of any and all types of music that falls into his hands.
qvMagazine briefly chatted with Enrique and asked him a few questions about his dreams, his family, and his QV fans.
When you were born, they probably wrapped you with silk diapers. So what do you dream about? I just want to be and feel like anyone else. Of course, the rhythm of my life goes so fast, and, wow, it goes fast! I dream of being able to sing for many years.
Besides singing, what is it that you enjoy most in life? I love the ocean. I really love sailing; that is something that I really enjoy. I love being with my friends and my family, although we don’t get to spend a lot of time together.
About your father…he brags that he has slept with over 2,000 women in his lifetime. Will you follow in his footsteps? (Laughs) No, I want my story to be different.
And what about Javier, the guy who claims to be a son of your father. Do you think he is your brother? I don’t know. I seriously don’t know. I met him, but I don’t know what to say. That is an issue between my dad and him, and I don’t want to get involved in it.
How do you feel about competition? You’ve got Ricky Martin and Luis Miguel…I think they are great singers, and I think they are doing a great job. But I don’t have time to think about them or their careers. I think about mine, and the things that I have to do.
You’ve had the chance to explore many other cultures and philosophies. Do you believe in life after this one? No, I don’t believe in that. When you die, you die-and that’s it.
You always mention Mexico as the place where you made your career. Why? I love Mexico. My success started in Mexico, and I will never forget that. I am Spanish (born in Madrid), or maybe a citizen of the world now, but my heart is in Mexico. My heart is Mexican, and I love Mexican people.
With all due respect, are you QV? No. (Pauses) I am not. I don’t find anything attractive in a man.
So then, what would you say to your QV fans?I respect the sexual preferences of everybody. Everybody has a right to like or love who ever they want. I respect QV people a lot. I have a lot of friends who are QV, and I respect them. A great deal of my public is QV.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Enrique Iglesias remembers visiting Las Vegas as a youngster.
“I just remember a lot of lights and big rooms,” he says of the Caesars Palace environment that’s been like a second home to his famous father, Julio Iglesias.
In November 1997, the younger Iglesias got a taste of that star treatment himself. Performing at the MGM Grand Garden arena, the hotel’s penthouse suites marked “the first time I’d seen that they had a suite with an elevator (to get from the first floor to the second).”
So he can see how his dad may have been spoiled?
“I can see how any artist would get spoiled,” he says.
But Iglesias says that to have grown up around that environment is not the motivation to get into the music business that some might think.
“You’ve seen it all, to tell the truth,” he says. “You don’t really do it for the money, you just do it because you love it. I think, in the end, the artists who do well don’t do it for themoney.”
In just three years, the 24-year-old Iglesias has done quite well. Three platinum albums — all sung in Spanish — have established him as a balladeer with a career surpassing his father’s in the short run, and showing the potential for the same kind of long-term longevity.
Since his debut album was released in late 1995, Iglesias also has helped transform Latin radio stations, scoring 11 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks chart (“Nunca Te Olvidare” currently holds the top spot).
“It was hard for me to get on the radio in places like Miami because the listeners were not young people,” he notes. “They’d say, `You’re 18 or 19 years old, no one’s going to listen to your style of music because they’re not into that.”
And Iglesias could sympathize. He was one of those young people himself. “I really didn’t (listen to Latin radio). You know why? I would turn on the radio and all I would listen to was 40-, 50- and 60-year-old artists.
“OK, good, there was nothing wrong with them, but they’d been there for so many years and you didn’t hear any of the young stuff, you know? You didn’t hear any of the younger people. Radio knew that the listeners were older people, but they were older people because they would always play older people.”
Iglesias knew “that type music had to be updated.” But, perhaps ironically, he felt his famous surname would hurt him more than help him.
The singer was born in Madrid, Spain, but grew up at his father’s Miami estate after his father and Filipina mother, Isabel Preysler, divorced in 1979. He first started singing and trying to write songs with two older friends when he was 15.
After he decided to drop out of the University of Miami to pursue show business, he chose his dad’s manager — Fernan Martinez — but not his father’s name. He swore Martinez to secrecy and had him shop demo recordings of his songs under the name Enrique Martinez.
“I didn’t tell anyone because it was songs I had been writing since I was 14,” he says. “It was almost like my own diary, I put music to it. I don’t know, I just kind of felt it was my own little thing.”
Three major Latin labels turned him down. Finally the smaller Fonovisa label signed him on the music’s merits, only gradually revealing the singer’s lineage to the public.
People like to compare Enrique’s success to his father’s. But Enrique notes that comparisons are unfair because the music industry has changed so much in the past 15 years.
Julio, 55, was never famous in the United States until his 1984 duet with Willie Nelson, “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Today, he wouldn’t have to sing in English — as his son has proved. “When my dad started … Latino music wasn’t as big in the U.S,” he says. “But now, you have 30 million Spanish-speaking people in the U.S.”
And a lot of them are second generation, just like Enrique. “They grew up in the U.S. and they speak more English (than Spanish), but they still get into our music.”
He notes that McDonald’s is a sponsor for his current tour. “They notice that 30 percent of the people that buy McDonald’s are Hispanic.”
When interviewed earlier this week, Iglesias already knew that Heftel Broadcasting Corp. — the owner of Spanish-language stations around the country — recently bought KISF-FM 103.5 in Las Vegas, and will soon make it the first Spanish station on the FM dial.
“It will definitely make a big difference,” he says. So far, touring has been limited to citieswith Hispanic populations, and so it tends to focus on the two coasts and Southern bordercities. This week, Iglesias was in Miami filming a video to a song, “Bailamos,” that will be his first with English lyrics. He’s calling the song “a bonus track,” meaning that it might be more to test the waters than a major push for a crossover hit that is still one of his goals.
“When you talk about English it’s a whole different world,” he says. “To have an English hit in the U.S., I mean give me a break. English is English. … You can survive with Latin music but an English hit is an English hit.”
So far, Iglesias has steered clear of the “Frank Sinatra Jr. syndrome” of being cast as a younger version of his father, despite designations such as the Spanish version of People magazine naming him “The Sexiest Man in the World” last year. “I’m not a swingin’ playboy guy, trust me,” he says.
“I don’t think you can actually market a heartthrob. It either becomes or it doesn’t become. To tell you the truth, I hate that word — heartthrob,” he repeats with disgust.
However, there’s no need to be too uptight about things either. He remembers the Hard Rock’s casino being “full of young women” during his last visit. “That’s like a major party there. I don’t mind that for a few days.”
Asked if his celebrity would prevent him from being able to move around in such surroundings without causing a scene, he answered with a laugh, “If there’s women you can move around.”
enrique iglesias ei 
wonderful interview with enrique,
December 20, 2012 at 5:20 pm