Henry Santos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Santos
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Henry Santos in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Henry Santos |
| Born | December 15, 1979 Moca, Dominican Republic |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | Aventura |
Henry Santos Jeter (born Henry Vicente Santos Taveras on December 15, 1979) is a singer, songwriter, and producer from the Dominican Republic. He is best known for his time with the bachata group Aventura. With the group, he helped create songs like "9:15", "Déjà Vu", "Voy Malacostumbrado", and "Princesita". He also sang background vocals on many tracks.
Henry started his solo music career in 2011. Since then, he has released popular songs such as "Poquito A Poquito", "Por Nada", "My Way", and "La Vida". He has released 5 studio albums and 1 live album. Henry has also worked with other artists like Bad Bunny and Anthony Santos. Besides music, he is also a dancer, actor, and art designer.
Contents
Henry's Early Life and Family
Henry Santos was born in 1979 in Moca, Dominican Republic. When he was 13, his family moved to the Bronx, New York. In 1994, he helped start a music group called Los Tinellers with his cousin, Romeo Santos. This group later became famous as Aventura.
When Henry was 17, he became an American citizen. He then changed his last name from Santos to Jeter. He explained that the Yankees baseball team is his favorite. At that time, Derek Jeter was a new player, and Henry was so excited about him that he legally changed his name.
Henry's Amazing Music Journey
Starting Out: Los Tinellers and Aventura
Henry was a singer, songwriter, and producer for the group Aventura. He formed the group in 1994 with his cousin Anthony "Romeo" Santos, and friends Lenny Santos and Max Santos. They first called themselves Los Tinellers.
In 1999, Aventura released their first album, Generation Next. They wanted to mix bachata music with hip hop and R&B. Their song "Cuándo Volverás" became a signature hit. In 2002, their song "Obsesión" became a huge success. It topped music charts in many countries like France, Germany, and Italy. This song was from their second album, We Broke the Rules.
Aventura released several more albums and had many international hits. Henry often sang backup vocals and danced on stage. He was also the main singer for songs like "9:15" and "Deja Vu." After breaking many records, the group decided to take a break in 2011. This gave Henry a chance to show his own musical talents.
Becoming a Solo Star: First Albums
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In 2011, Henry started his solo career. He signed with Siente Music, which worked with Universal Music Group. On May 2, 2011, Henry released his first solo song, "Poquito A Poquito". It reached number 12 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.
His first solo album, Introducing Henry Santos, came out on October 4, 2011. It quickly reached number 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums Chart. Songs like "Poquito A Poquito" and "Por Nada" became popular with bachata fans worldwide.
In 2013, Henry released "My Way", the first song from his second album. This song became his first number 1 hit on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. His second album, also called My Way, was released in June 2013. It included songs with other artists like Natti Natasha. In 2014, his song "La Vida" also reached number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.
In July 2014, Henry surprised fans by reuniting with Aventura members Lenny, Max, and Romeo. They performed together at Romeo's concert at Yankee Stadium.
Independent Music and Aventura Reunions
In 2015, Henry became an independent artist. He started his own record label, HustleHard Entertainment LLC. He released "Y Eres Tan Bella" as the first song for his third album.
In December 2015, Aventura announced they would reunite for a series of concerts in New York City in February 2016. Their first show was sold out. During this reunion, Henry released "Quédate" for his third solo album. The group's final concert was on February 28, 2016. Two months later, Henry released his third album, Henry The Third Deluxe.
In 2017, he released his first live solo album, The Live Album: Sólo Éxitos. This album included his best solo songs and songs he sang with Aventura. In 2018, he released his fourth studio album, Shut Up & Listen.
New Friends, Karaoke, and More Aventura Tours
In 2019, Henry released a karaoke album called Reto: Canta Con Henry Santos Vol.1. He wanted fans to try singing like him. On April 5, 2019, Aventura released their first new song since 2009, "Inmortal". This song became a big hit, reaching number 1 on the Latin and Tropical Airplay charts.
Henry also released new solo music. He teamed up with Anthony "El Mayimbe" Santos for "Don Juan & Cupido." In September 2019, he joined Aventura again for a concert at MetLife Stadium. Later that year, Aventura announced their "Inmortal Tour." Henry also released a second karaoke album.
The Aventura tour started in early 2020 but was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Henry continued working on his fifth album, Friends & Legends, which was released in May 2021. This album featured many bachata artists, both new and legendary, like Luis Vargas and Alexandra. It also included a salsa song with David Kada.
In June 2021, Aventura announced the return of their "Inmortal Tour." They played in large stadiums, selling out places like Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. They even released a new song, Volví, with Bad Bunny. The tour ended in October 2021.
New Sounds and Aventura's Final Tour
After the "Inmortal Tour," Henry went back to his solo career. In February 2022, he released a bachata version of "Te Di" with Pavel Núñez. In May 2022, he released "Cuando Te Toco" with JFab and Paola Fabre. Its music video has millions of views on YouTube.
In 2023, Henry started creating a new style called Urban Bolero. It mixes traditional Bolero music with a modern, urban feel. He released songs like "Me Dejó" and "Nesesitaba Decirlo" in this style. He also released "No Soy Nada Sin Ti" with Frank Reyes.
On February 25, 2024, Aventura announced their final tour, called "Cerrando Ciclos" (Closing Cycles). On April 2, 2024, they released a new song, "Brindo Con Agua". This is the fifth Aventura song where Henry is the main singer. This song is also part of Henry's upcoming sixth solo album, 2.0, which is set to be released on May 31, 2024.
Henry as an Actor
Henry Santos has appeared in two Dominican movies: Sanky Panky and La Soga. He also helped with the music for La Soga. He even voiced a radio station host in the video game Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony. Henry was the main actor in a short film called Por Nada, A Musical Film, which was linked to his song "Por Nada."
Dancing to Victory: Mira Quien Baila
In September 2012, Henry Santos joined the third season of Mira Quien Baila. This is a Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars on Univision. He competed to support the National Latino Children's Institute.
Henry was very good at dancing, performing styles from Hip-Hop and Salsa to Tango and Quickstep. His charm made him very popular with fans. He made it to the finale without ever being nominated for elimination, which was a new record for the show.
The finale of Mira Quien Baila aired on November 18, 2012, and was watched by over seven million people. Henry Santos was crowned "El Rey de la Pista" (King of the Dance Floor) by the fans, winning with over 41% of the votes.
| Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by Adamari Lopez |
Mira Quien Baila winner 2012 |
Succeeded by Johnny Lozada |
Helping Others: Community Work
When Henry competed on Mira Quien Baila, he supported the National Latino Children's Institute. But he has done even more to help his community.
In May 2014, Henry worked with NYC Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University. They fought against child obesity in the United States through their "Vive Tu Vida" program. This program helped educate Latino families about healthy eating and exercise. Henry also appeared on the cooking show Top Chef Estrellas to share this important message.
Also in May 2014, Henry was named the "Padrino" (Godfather) of the Latino Commission on AIDS in the United States. He helped spread awareness about fighting this illness among Latin people. His voice and image were used in a campaign by the CDC and MTV to teach people about preventing HIV/AIDS.
Henry's Music Albums
Studio albums
- Introducing Henry Santos (2011)
- My Way (2013)
- The Third (2016)
- Shut Up & Listen (2018)
- Friends & Legends (2021)
- 2.0 (2024)
Live albums
- The Live Album: Sólo Éxitos (2017)
Karaoke albums
- Reto: Canta Con Henry Santos, Vol.1 (2019)
- Reto: Canta Con Henry Santos, Vol.2 (Los Clásicos) (2020)
