Marco Antonio Muñiz
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Marco Antonio Muñiz (born March 3, 1933) is a famous singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muniz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican". A few Puerto Rican song standards (such as the danza "Alondras en el bosque") have Muñiz as their definitive interpreter.
Muniz was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Since he was a small boy, he showed musical talent, specifically as a romantic singer. He joined a trio and moved to Ciudad Juarez at age thirteen. He traveled extensively around Mexico, combining his singing assignments with odd jobs (he worked at a bakery once) and even became the valet for Libertad Lamarque and Benny Moré until he settled in Mexico City and organized a trio.
Muniz's first album was a tribute to singers of other eras. It was titled "Aquellas Canciones!" ("Those (old) Songs!"), and it was released in 1946. That was the first of close to 80 albums, all of which he recorded under the BMG or RCA Internacional labels.
During the 1960s, Muniz recorded his first solo albums, which became hits all over Latin America. He eventually moved back to Guadalajara, where he still lives.
In 1965, he began an uninterrupted streak of years traveling to Puerto Rico's Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan around Christmas, to offer concerts there (at one time, Muñiz claimed he was such a regular at the hotel that could figure out his way out of any of the hotel's suites and out of the facility blindfolded). This lasted close to thirty years. Muñiz has since returned for yearly shows at the Caribe Hilton, this time around Mother's Day.
In 1967 he was playing a hotel nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela, and left the facility during one of his breaks. A bomb exploded at the nightclub, demolishing the stage and killing various musicians. Muñiz escaped unharmed.
Muñiz's concerts are usually held in the more private atmosphere of hotel salons, but he has also performed at large stadiums and coliseums throughout his career.
Among the albums recorded by Muniz are "Marco Antonio Muniz con Los Trovadores del Caribe" ("Marco Antonio Muniz with The Trovadores del Caribe") which was his fourth album, "Mi Novia es Guadalajara!" ("Guadalajara is my Girlfriend!"), which was his fifth, "Salsa a la Manera de..." ("Salsa, Marco Antonio's Way...", which represented his first foray into the Salsa rhythm), 1991's "Mi Borinquen Querido" ("My Dear Borinquen", where he played homage to Puerto Rican autochthonous music), a 1993 dedication to Pedro Infante, and a 1997 album and CD which was dedicated to Jose Alfredo Jimenez.
Apart from his multiple albums and concerts, Muniz has also appeared several times on television shows across Latin America, but, especially, in his native Mexico and his beloved Puerto Rico.
His son, "Coque Muñiz" is also a very famous Mexican entertainment personality, as a show host and comedian at various Televisa television shows.
Puerto Rican singer Marc Anthony (real name: Marco Antonio Muniz) was named Marco Antonio by his father after Marco Antonio Muniz. Anthony changed his name to the artistic name of Marc Anthony in order to prevent public confusion between him and the Mexican singer. In addition, New York State Senator, Jose Marco Serrano was given his middle name as a tribute to Marco Antonio Muniz. Both Marc Anthony's and Senator Serrano's parents are Puerto Rican.
