ALBERTO PLAZA A TRIBUTE TO LIFE

Transcription

1 ALBERTO PLAZA A TRIBUTE TO LIFE With more than a thousand concerts in Latin America, over a million discs sold and all the mastery of an exceptional singer-songwriter Alberto Plaza is a mainstay of Hispanic music. This gives him a well-deserved place during his career of more than twenty-one years. Alberto Plaza, with his twelve albums, captivates audiences everywhere. It is impossible not to recognize his remarkable talent. Because of both his performances and compositions, this distinguished Chilean artist keeps on charming his audiences with absolute musical mastery. IN LOVE WITH MUSIC Alberto was born on February 12 th in Santiago, Chile and was the youngest of four siblings. Son of Luis Alberto Plaza Valenzuela and María Angélica Aguirre Robles, he took his first steps toward music as a child. Only five years old and with a unique talent, he sang and played the guitar for the first time on a Chilean TV show, called Tío Alejandro. This was a decisive debut that would make him fall in love with music. At the same time that he began developing his artistic career, he studied at University to obtain three degrees (engineering, economy and marketing) that he was unable to finish since his love for music was growing stronger. Therefore, together with his guitar, he started writing his story of life becoming a Poet of Dreams, a name given by his fans. Alberto and his music spent moments of complicity. In his youth, this exceptional artist, who studied at Verbo Divino school, began to captivate audiences in various school festivals. His seeds of talent continued growing and at the age of seventeen he started his career writing and performing his first love songs. While his success story was only beginning, Alberto faced one of the most difficult situations of his life when his father, Luis Alberto Plaza Valenzuela, passed away on July 5 th, The deep love that he felt for his father helped him overcome this difficult moment and continue his path toward music.

2 A PATH TO SUCCESS With a step in the right direction, Alberto Plaza stepped onto the stage of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. With his guitar, his loyal companion, and filled with excitement, Alberto Plaza captivated the audience. In 1985, he sang Que Cante La Vida in front of almost twenty thousand people. This song turned into a popular symbol. With it he won the prize of Gaviota de Plata and also won the nomination of Most Popular Artist and Young Talent. Fifteen years later, Que Cante La Vida would be recognized as the Best Chilean Song of the ones that have been performed in the entire history of the Viña de Mar International Song Festival. Since that memorable February of 1985, Alberto has stepped onto the stage of Viña del Mar seven times. Each time he has obtained the Antorcha de Plata, a prize that the audience gives to its favorite artists. In the middle of 1985, he edited his first album, Que Cante La Vida, which became a triple platinum disc. From that moment on, the albums have not stopped and the internationalization of his career grows stronger everyday. In the middle of the 80 s, he wrote one of the most important and successful songs of his career: De Tu Ausencia, which stayed at the top of the charts for eight weeks. Moreover, this song was chosen as the Best Song of the Year in a TV show in National Chilean Television. In 1987, he released his second album, En La Escalera, with new hit songs such as La Quiero Así and Si Te Vuelvo a Ver. This album became a double platinum disc. During that year, he married Ana María Velasco, from whom he divorced in Two years later, his third album, Blanco y Negro, would also become a big success, becoming a double platinum disc. Plaza traveled across borders and successful performances abroad included Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Mexico.

3 Due to his talent, the specialized critics, Asociación de Periodistas de Espectáculos (APES), gave him two important prizes: Best Song Writer and Best Album of the Year in 1992 for his album Cómplices, which was released in In 1993, he was nominated as Best Songwriter of the Year by the APES Awards. In Quito, he was invited by the recognized painter Oswaldo Guayasamín to give a live concert from his house. This event was broadcasted for the whole country. On October 7 th, 1994, he recorded his fifth album Música y Versos de Amor, which also became a Platinum Disc. In addition, on November 11 th, 1995, he won the prize of second place with his song Canción Contra La Tristeza in the OTI International Festival, which took place in Paraguay. Two years later, his sixth album, Bandido, was released. The songs of this album became hit songs in the radio station charts of the countries where they were broadcasted. The majority of the singles of this album were especially written for Sandra Munilla, who married Alberto on September 28 th, The album Bandido has been one of the most sold albums in Chilean music stores. Together with the recognition of the Asociación de Periodistas de Espectáculos de Chile (APES) as Best Album of the Year in 1996, the successful sales of the album made him win triple platinum disc. In 1997, the song Bandido was chosen Best Song of the Year in Peru. After introducing the video of Bandido to the press, Plaza went to Ecuador, where he sang at the end of the show in the second day in Todas las Voces Todas Festival, which took place in Quito. In 1996, he received one of the most important recognitions of his career, given by Sociedad Chilena del Derecho de Autor, as Best Songwriter of the Decade. This prize sums up his significant contribution to Hispanic music. Because of his seventh album, Polvo De Estrellas, Alberto obtained double platinum disc and another nomination to Best Album of the Year in the APES Awards.

4 This talented singer-songwriter celebrated together with his fans his fifteenyear career on April 19 th, During an exceptional concert in Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile, his eighth album, Alberto Plaza Quince Años Vivo, was live-recorded. In the middle of the concert, he stated with emotion: This treasure will be my companion for fifteen more years. Later, this album received three gold discs. Year 2001 was one of the most significant years in his life. His first son José Domingo, was born on April 16 th. Five months later, he recorded the new album Un Día Más together with famous musicians and world-wide known professionals. Through this work, Alberto conveys the great happiness of having become a father. A few weeks after being edited, this album won a gold disc in Chile and another in Colombia. Tierra Vendrá, composed by the talented Italian singer-songwriter Giovanni Danieli ( and adapted into Spanish by Alberto Plaza and a Chilean producer, Oscar Peña, is a fascinating mixture of the Spanish version from Plaza and the Italian one from Danieli. Alberto Plaza is not only admired in South America, but also in several parts of the world. His friends club I Will Change the World, named that way because of a song written by Alberto and founded in 2001, has head offices in several countries. The aim of this institution is to undertake activities related to solidarity within Latin American nations. With the support of Alberto, this club continues to help people in several cities of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, The United States, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. This club is growing everyday in order to reach different countries and change the world, as its name indicates. In 2006, Alberto Plaza made a big effort, together with his foundation, I Will Change the World, in order to release a new social campaign: Encourage me to Change the World. The aim of it is to help thirteen-year-old mentally and physically abused children belonging to Latin American countries as well as to the States. In November 2002, he released the album Alberto Plaza Sus Más Grandes Éxitos, which compiled 26 of his very best songs, such as No Seas Cruel, Yo Te Seguiré, Polvo de Estrellas, Sentencia, Cómplices and Bandido, among others.

5 After creating the albums Un Día Más and Alberto Plaza Sus Más Grandes Éxitos, this singer-songwriter wanted to face another musical challenge. In October 2003, he recorded the album Febrero 14, with which he amazed people once again with his singer-songwriter mastery. Febrero 14, named this way because of Valentine s Day, was recorded and mixed in The United States with Alberto as a producer. REMARKABLE TALENT With humility and gratefulness, Alberto Plaza has received various recognitions during his career. For example, he was named Cultural Ambassador of Chile in the USA by Chilean Center of Commerce because of his significant contribution to music and his brilliant career. In addition, there have been tributes to Alberto Plaza on several occasions in Colombia, where he is considered one of the most popular musical artists. Due to his work of collaboration between Chile and this country, Alberto received recognition in July 2002: the Gran Medalla Círculo Colombo Chileno. A year later, in March 2003, he received the Medalla Andrés Bello as a kind of Ambassador of Good Will in the Latin American Culture. This award recognizes his substantial contribution to Hispanic music. This prize is given by the Secretaría Ejecutiva del Convenio Andrés Bello, which is an international inter-governmental institution that includes Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. As tribute to his great contribution to social issues and the great popularity that he has in Colombia, Alberto is given the Keys to the City of Medellin by Mayor Luis Pérez Gutiérrez in April Three years later he is given the Keys to the City of Barranquilla by the mayor s office. Furthermore, Alberto became the first artist receiving the medal Orden Mérito a la Democracia en el Grado de Gran Comendador, recognition given by the Colombian Senate in October, 2006 because of his active campaign against child violence. Alberto has undertaken this important social task together with his foundation I will Change the World.

6 HIS LIFE TODAY With a unique mastery, Alberto Plaza does not stop amazing people and in 2005 he recorded in Buenos Aires the album Acústico, which included three unedited songs and eleven of his best-known songs. There is no doubt that this captivating album creates an intimate and magical atmosphere as every single song is heard. In this album, the Chilean musician combined enthusiastic pop melodies such as those heard in Bandido and turned them into the acoustic sound of an unplugged version. In addition, he gave us new spectacular versions of great hits such as Pequeño Rayo De Sol and No Seas Cruel. In the album Acústico he sings with absolute mastery Sentencia in a duet with a recognized Argentinian singer, Jorge Rojas. Nowadays, this remarkable artist is working on his new musical production. In his next album, which is supposed to be released at the beginning of 2007, he will be in charge of writing and singing each one of his songs. Alberto s music, which is a perfect symphony that includes magical singing, profound messages and an authentic sensitivity, makes the love of his fans grow stronger everyday. Undoubtedly they have a sound reason to call him Poet of Dreams. Biography updated in December 2006 Translation: Fernanda Soler U.