Henry Santos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Santos
Henry Santos in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Henry Santos
Born	(1979-12-15) December 15, 1979 (age 45) Moca, Dominican Republic
Genres	Bachata R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actor record producer
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Premium Latin Hustle Hard Siente Universal Latin
Associated acts	Aventura

Henry Santos Jeter, born Henry Vicente Santos Taveras on December 15, 1979, is a talented singer, songwriter, and producer from the Dominican Republic. He is most famous for being a singer and songwriter in the bachata group Aventura. While with Aventura, he helped create and sing lead on songs like "9:15," "Déjà Vu," "Voy Malacostumbrado," and "Princesita." He also sang backup on many other 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 five studio albums and one 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.

Henry Santos' Early Life

Henry Santos was born in 1979 in Moca, Dominican Republic. When he was 13, he moved with his family to the Bronx, New York. In 1994, he helped start a group called Los Tinellers with his cousin, Romeo Santos. This group later became the famous band Aventura. When Henry was 17, he became an American citizen. He then changed his last name to Jeter because he was a big fan of the baseball player Derek Jeter from the New York Yankees.

Henry Santos' Music Journey

Starting with Los Tinellers and Aventura (1994–2011)

Santos in 2011 with Aventura

Henry was a singer, songwriter, and producer for the group Aventura. He formed the band in 1994 with his cousin Romeo Santos, and friends Lenny Santos and Max Santos. They first called themselves Los Tinellers. In 1998, they signed with Premium Latin Music and changed their name to Aventura.

Aventura released their first album, Generation Next, in 1999. They wanted to mix traditional bachata music with hip hop and R&B. Their song "Cuándo Volverás" became one of their most well-known hits. In 2002, their song "Obsesión" became a huge success. It reached the top of music charts in many countries, including France, Germany, and Italy. This song was part of their second album, We Broke the Rules. Aventura released several more albums and had many international hits. Henry often sang backup and danced on stage. He was the lead singer for songs like "9:15," "Deja Vu," "Voy Mal Acostumbrado," and "Princesita." After breaking many records and selling out big venues, the group decided to take a break in 2011. This gave Henry a chance to start his own projects.

Becoming a Solo Artist (2011–2014)

Santos in Accesso Total in 2011

In 2011, Henry Santos began 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". This song was the main single for his first solo album. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.

On October 4, 2011, Henry released his first solo album, Introducing Henry Santos. It quickly reached number 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums Chart. Songs like "Poquito A Poquito", "Por Amor (Mi Fiel Fanatica)", and "Por Nada" were very popular. "Por Nada" reached number 16 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.

On January 9, 2013, he released "My Way", the first song from his second album. This song became Henry's first number 1 hit on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. In May 2013, he released "Bésame Siempre", which reached number 11 on the same chart. His second album, My Way, came out on June 25, 2013. It included songs with other artists like Bobby Pulido and Natti Natasha. On April 14, 2014, TR3S showed Henry Santos' music video for "La Vida". This song, made with producer Maffio, also reached number 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. On July 12, 2014, Henry joined his old bandmates Lenny, Max, and Romeo for a surprise Aventura reunion. They performed at Romeo's sold-out concert at Yankee Stadium.

Independent Music and Aventura Reunions (2015–2018)

In 2015, Henry Santos started his own record label, HustleHard Entertainment LLC. He continued to release music as an independent artist. On August 25, 2015, he released "Y Eres Tan Bella", the first song from his third album. It reached number 23 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.

On December 1, 2015, Aventura announced they would reunite for concerts in February 2016. Their first show was on February 4, 2016, to a sold-out crowd. During this reunion, Henry released "Quédate" on February 11, 2016. It reached number 22 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart. Aventura's reunion concerts ended on February 28, 2016. Two months later, on April 8, 2016, Henry released his third album, Henry The Third Deluxe. It featured collaborations with artists like Leoni Torres and Gente De Zona.

On February 24, 2017, Henry 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 several singles like "Descarados" and "Tu Ego" before his fourth studio album, Shut Up & Listen, came out on June 1, 2018.

New Albums and Aventura Tours (2019–2021)

On February 8, 2019, Henry released a karaoke album called Reto: Canta Con Henry Santos Vol.1. On April 5, 2019, Aventura released their first new song since 2009, "Inmortal". This song was part of Romeo's solo album. It was very successful, reaching number 1 on both the Latin and Tropical Airplay charts. Henry also started releasing songs for his fifth solo album in 2019. On May 3, 2019, he released "Don Juan & Cupido" with Antony Santos.

On September 21, 2019, Henry joined Aventura again for a concert at MetLife Stadium. Later that year, Aventura announced their Inmortal Tour. On January 24, 2020, Henry released his second karaoke album. Aventura toured the United States in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused shows to be canceled. Henry continued working on his album. He released more singles in 2020 and 2021, including "Como Abeja A La Flor" with Alexandra.

On May 7, 2021, Henry released his fifth studio album, Friends & Legends. This album featured many bachata artists, both new and legendary, like Antony Santos and Luis Vargas. It also included a salsa song, "Mambo", which reached number 10 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart.

In June 2021, Aventura announced the return of the Inmortal Tour. They played in large stadiums and arenas. Before the tour, the group released the song Volví on August 3, 2021, featuring Bad Bunny. The tour started on August 14 in Miami, Florida, at Hard Rock Stadium, which Aventura was the first Latin act to sell out. The tour ended on October 9, 2021, at Metlife Stadium. Their last two shows together were in December 2021 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, both selling out.

New Music and Final Aventura Reunion (2022–Present)

After the Inmortal Tour, Henry continued his solo career and started working on his sixth album. On February 4, 2022, he released "Te Di" with Pavel Núñez. On May 20, 2022, he released "Cuando Te Toco" with JFab and Paola Fabre.

In 2023, Henry Santos began creating a new style of music called Urban Bolero. On March 17, 2023, he released "Me Dejó," the first song in this new style. He released more songs in this genre, including "Nesesitaba Decirlo" and "La Excepción." On October 6, 2023, he released the bachata song "No Soy Nada Sin Ti" with Frank Reyes. The music videos for "La Excepción" and "No Soy Nada Sin Ti" tell a story about romance and boxing. On February 27, 2024, he released the merengue song "Dominicano" with Urbanda, celebrating Dominican Independence Day.

On February 25, 2024, Romeo Santos hinted at a new Aventura project. The next day, Henry and the other band members posted a video confirming their return. They then announced dates for their tour, Cerrando Ciclos, which is planned as the group's final tour. On April 2, 2024, they released "Brindo Con Agua". This is Aventura's first bachata song since 2019 and the fifth song where Henry is the lead singer. This song is also the lead single for Henry's upcoming sixth solo album, 2.0, which is set to be released on May 31, 2024.

Henry Santos 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. Henry was the host of a pretend radio station called San Juan Sounds in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV's expansion, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony. He is also the main actor in Por Nada, A Musical Film, a short film connected to his song "Por Nada."

Henry Santos on Mira Quien Baila

In September 2012, Henry Santos became the first dancer from the Dominican Republic to compete on 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 did very well each week, performing dances like Hip-Hop, Salsa, Tango, and Quickstep. His charm made the show's third season the most watched ever. Henry reached the finale without ever being nominated for elimination, which was a new record for the show. The finale 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, receiving over 41% of the votes.

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Adamari Lopez	Mira Quien Baila winner 2012	Succeeded by Johnny Lozada

Henry Santos' Community Work

When Henry Santos competed on Mira Quien Baila, he supported the National Latino Children's Institute. This was one of his many contributions to community work.

On May 6, 2014, Henry worked with NYC Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University to fight child obesity in the United States. They had a program called "Vive Tu Vida" (Live Your Life) by CHALK. This program helped restaurants offer healthy food choices and taught Latinos about healthy portion sizes and the benefits of exercise. Henry also represented his foundation on the Telemundo cooking show Top Chef Estrellas to share this important message.

On May 14, 2014, Henry Santos was named the "Padrino" (Godfather) of the Latino Commission on AIDS in the United States. He helped spread awareness among Latin people about fighting this illness. His voice and image were also used in a campaign by the CDC and Tr3s called "Una Conversation A La Vez" (One Conversation at a Time). This campaign educated Latin people on how to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Henry Santos' 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)

Singles