Ana Gabriel

Ana Gabriel
Background information
Birth name María Guadalupe Araujo Yong
Born December 10, 1955
Origin Mexico
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active 1977present
Labels Sony International

Ana Gabriel (born María Guadalupe Araújo Yong, December 10, 1955) is a Mexican singer and songwriter from Santiago de Comanito, Sinaloa, Mexico. She first sang on the stage at age six, singing "Regalo A Dios" by José Alfredo Jiménez. She moved to Tijuana, Baja California and studied accounting. At age 21, in 1977, she recorded her first song, titled "Compréndeme". During her long career, she has hits in three different genres of music: rock en español, Latin pop, and rancheras.

As of 2013, Gabriel had released twenty studio albums, three live albums, and fifteen compilation albums. Three Gabriel albums reached number one on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums, and seven singles reached number one on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, including "Ay Amor", "Es Demasiado Tarde", and "Quién Como Tú". Her work earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award nomination, four Latin Grammy Award nominations, thirteen Lo Nuestro Awards, as well as awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; in 2006, she received the Excellence Award at the Lo Nuestro Awards.

Career

In 1987, Ana Gabriel won third place at the OTI Festival in 1987, celebrated in Lisbon, Portugal, where she performed an orchestral version of the pop-power ballad song "Ay Amor", which later was released as a single in its album version; it climbed to the top position in Mexico, all-over Ibero-America and on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart for 14 consecutive weeks.[1]

In 1988 Gabriel released her first album, Tierra de Nadie, followed by Pecado Original in 1989, which met with some chart success. Her 1990 album Quien Como Tú made her a force within the Mexican music industry. Eight months later, her live album En Vivo showcased her powerful stage act and scored several hits: "Hice Bien Quererte", "Propuesta", and "Solamente una Vez".

Throughout the 1990s Gabriel released an album almost every year. A versatile singer, she showcased her talent as an interpreter of many different musical styles, from lambada to mariachi and romantic ballads to pop music. She also honed her skills as a songwriter and a producer, releasing Mi Mexico, a ranchera-influenced, mariachi-backed pop album, in 1991. This unique blend of styles was also reflected in the songs, all written by Gabriel. Her lyrics described strong, active women involved in their love lives, counter to their passive, traditional depiction in older songs. The album also included a tribute to Mexico's most popular singer-songwriter, Juan Gabriel (no relation).

Gabriel scored a number-one hit with the duet "Cosas del Amor" in 1991, which she sang with Vikki Carr, a Mexican-American pop singer. The single earned Gabriel a Lo Nuestro Award for Song of the Year in 1992. At the same awards ceremony Gabriel was also named Female Artist of the Year in the Regional Mexican category and Pop Female Artist of the Year; Mi México was named Regional Mexican Album of the Year. In 1993, Gabriel was awarded Best Pop Female Performer at the Lo Nuestro Awards.[2]

In 1996 she released the pop-oriented Viven-cias. She followed this with the traditional ranchera album Con un Mismo Corazón in 1997, an album she wrote and produced herself. Of particular interest is her title-track duet with Vicente Fernandez, one of the most prolific and popular ranchera singers in Mexican history. Burr wrote of the duet, "The beauty here lies in the melding of two great voices—Gabriel's husky sensuality and Fernandez's powerful, understated expressions—set against a 25-piece symphony."

The logo that identifies Ana Gabriel in her career as a soloist.

Gabriel released another live album in 1998, En la Plaza de Toros Mexico, a 30-track boxed set. That same year she traveled to Miami to work with the renowned producer Emilio Estefan, Jr., on her 1999 album Soy Como Soy. The result was a pop-influenced ranchera album that went gold in the Latin music market and helped Gabriel win the Ritmo Latino Music Award for Female Pop Artist of the Year in 2000.

With the release of Eternamente in 2000 Gabriel returned to mariachi love ballads, using only guitar as accompaniment. That same year she also appeared with other Mexican music icons in an independence day television special called Viva Mexico, a celebration of Mexican music and history. In 2001 Gabriel released Huelo a Soledad, once again balancing the traditional sounds of Eternamente with sophisticated pop songs, a cappella numbers, and dance tracks.

In 2002 Gabriel's platinum-selling album Sagitario was released. In that same year she won the Billboard Latin Music Estrella Award in recognition of her contribution to the Latin music industry, performed at a tribute concert for Vicente Fernandez sponsored by the Latin Music Awards, and participated in the ninth annual Las Cruces International Mariachi Concert and Festival in New Mexico. In December of that year she was scheduled to perform at the eleventh annual Christmas Mariachi Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, but was denied a work visa and refused entry into the United States.

Personal life

Gabriel is a devout Catholic, telling Luther Orrick-Guzman of QV Magazine, "I believe and have a lot of faith in God." She places a red rose and a white carnation onstage at each of her performances, telling Orrick-Guzman the flowers symbolize "communication between myself and God." Her performances are also noted for their power and the respect she has for all of her fans.

Albums

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Awards

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States. Ana Gabriel has received one nomination.[3]

Year Recipient Award Result
1991 Quién Como Tú Best Latin Pop Performance style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated

Latin Grammy Awards

The Latin Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in the United States. Gabriel has received four nominations.[4]

Year Recipient Award Result
2005 Tradicional Best Ranchero Album style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
2006 Dos Amores Un Amante Best Ranchero Album style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
"Sin Tu Amor" Best Regional/Mexican Song style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
2008 Arpegios de Amor: Requiem por Tres almas Best Female Pop Vocal Album style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated

Lo Nuestro Awards

The Lo Nuestro Awards are awarded annually by television network Univision in the United States. Ana Gabriel has received thirteen awards from twenty-nine nominations.[2]

Year Recipient Award Result
1989 Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1990 Tierra de Nadie Pop Album of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
"Simplemente Amigos" Pop Song of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
1991 Quién Como Tú Pop Album of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
"Es Demasiado Tarde" Pop Song of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
"Quién Como Tú" Pop Song of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1992 En Vivo Pop Album of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
"Cosas del Amor" (with Vikki Carr) Pop Song of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Mi México Regional/Mexican Album of the Year style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
1993 Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
"Evidencias" Pop Song of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1994 Luna Pop Album of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1995 "Luna" Pop Song of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Herself Best Pop Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Ayer y Hoy Regional/Mexican Album of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1996 Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Joyas de Dos Siglos Regional/Mexican Album of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1998 Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
Con Un Mismo Corazón Regional/Mexican Album of the Year style="background: #FDD; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="no table-no2"|Nominated
1999 Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
2000 Herself Best Regional/Mexican Female Artist style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won
2006 Herself Excellence Award style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won

References

http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/gabriel-ana-biography

  1. "Ana Gabriel" (in Spanish). formulamexicana.com. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lo Nuestro Awards:
    • 1990 Nominees:Houston Chronicle News Services (March 29, 1990). "Latin Music Awards - 3 Houston acts earn nominations". Houston Chronicle (Hearst Corporation). (subscription required (help)).
    • 1992 Nominees:"Ana Gabriel leads nominees for Latin Music Awards". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) 104 (13). March 28, 1992. (subscription required (help)).
  3. Grammy Awards:
  4. Latin Grammy Awards:

Bibliography

External links