Fonseca - Bio, Discography and Top Songs

After only four studio albums, the talented singer and songwriter Fonseca has consolidated his own place as one of today's most influential Colombian artists. With his eclectic fusion, Fonseca has become a leading star of the so-called Tropipop movement, a typical Colombian style where tropical genres such as Vallenato and Cumbia are combined with Latin Pop. The following is a short overview of the career and best music produced by this artist.

Trivia

• Date of birth: May 29, 1979.
• Place of birth: Bogota, Colombia.
• Full name: Juan Fernando Fonseca.

Early Years

It did not take long for Fonseca to realize he was meant to be a music star. In fact, he wrote his first song when he was only 12 years old. With the support of his family, he studied music at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, and later on, at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. During those years, Fonseca was also a member of the Rock band Baroja.

Debut Album

As with most artists, the beginning was not easy for Fonseca. He spent lots of time trying to spread the word about his music before getting in touch with the right people. One of those people was Colombian musician Jose Gaviria who helped Fonseca with its first recordings.

Eventually, Fonseca signed a deal with the label Lideres Entertainment Group and recorded his self-titled album Fonseca. Although the album did well in the local market, it did not move outside the Colombian borders. The hit "Magangue" was the most popular single from that album.

In spite of this lack of international exposure, Fonseca grabbed the attention of Colombia's top stars including Juanes and Shakira. Thanks to this, he had the opportunity to share the stage with these two artists, an opportunity that boosted his name and upcoming album.

'Corazon'

In 2005, Fonseca released his second album entitled Corazon. Thanks to this production, he was able to capture audiences outside Colombia. Songs like "Te Mando Flores" and "Come Me Mira" became instant hits throughout Latin America. In fact, in 2008 the track "Te Mando Flores" received a Latin Grammy award for Best Tropical Song.

'Gratitud'

With this album, Fonseca increased the level of experimentation of his previous recordings. This time, the Colombian singer played around with everything ranging from Vallenato, Bullerengue, and Cumbia to Pop, Rock and R&B. Gratitud ended up being a very nice CD defined by hits such as "Arroyito," "Enredame" and "Estar Lejos," a track featuring the legendary Salsa artist Willie Colon.

'Ilusion'

Already a huge star, Fonseca delivered yet another outstanding production with , one of the best Latin music albums of 2012. This album, which was also honored with the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Fusion Album, included the popular hits "Desde Que No Estas," "Eres Mi Sueño" and "Prometo."

During the last decade, Fonseca has been able to establish himself as one of today's top Latin music stars in the Tropical field. Besides his singing and songwriting skills, Fonseca is also a record producer and activist. If you are looking for plain nice music to listen to, Fonseca's repertoire is definitely a nice choice to keep in mind.

Top Songs by Fonseca

• "Magangue"
• "Hace Tiempo"
• "Como Me Mira"
• "Corazon"
• "Te Mando Flores"
• "Arroyito"
• "Enredame"
• "Estar Lejos," featuring Willie Colon.
• "Eres Mi Sueño"
• "Ay Amor"
• "Desde Que No Estas"
• "Prometo"

Discography

• Fonseca (2002)
• Corazon (2005)
  
• Gratitud (2008)
  
• Ilusion (2011)