Jennifer Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Peña
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jennifer Marcella Peña |
| Born | September 17, 1983 |
| Origin | San Antonio, Texas U.S. |
| Genres | Tejano, Latin, pop, CCM |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | EMI Latin (1995–2000) Univision Music Group (2002–2008) Universal (2008) |
Jennifer Marcella Peña is a famous singer from Texas. She was born on September 17, 1983. People know her as "The Princess of Tejano music." Tejano music is a popular style from Texas.
Jennifer has sold over 10 million records around the world! She was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her parents are Jaime and Mary Peña. She has two older sisters, Janet and Jackie. Jennifer's family is of Mexican descent.
Contents
Jennifer Peña's Music Journey
Starting with Los Jetz
Jennifer Peña first became known in 1995. She sang at a special concert for Selena Quintanilla in Houston, Texas. This was Jennifer's first big show. She sang Selena's hit song "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom."
At that time, Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., helped manage Jennifer's music career. Jennifer's first album was called Dulzura. It came out in May 1996. She was only 12 years old. The album was released as part of Jennifer y Los Jetz.
Songs like "Dulzura" and "Ven a mí" (which means 'Come to me') became very popular. The album sold well and earned a gold award. It also won several Tejano Music Awards. Tejano music was very popular back then. Jennifer became a new young star in this music style.
In 1997, she released her second album, Jennifer Y Los Jetz. Songs like "Tu Castigo" ('your punishment') and "Yo Te Vi" ('I saw you') were big hits. This album also earned a gold award. The musicians in Los Jetz are still active in music today.
Becoming "The Princess of Tejano"
In 1998, Jennifer released Mariposa. The main song, "Tengo Miedo" ('I’m scared'), was another hit. This album also went gold in Mexico. By the year 2000, Jennifer Peña was the most famous female Tejano singer. People called her "La Princesa de la Música Tejana" (the princess of Tejano music).
Her most successful album during this time was Abrázame y Bésame (which means "hug me and kiss me"). It came out in 2000. Jennifer was listed as a solo artist, but she still performed with Los Jetz. This album was produced by A.B. Quintanilla.
The album showed a more grown-up sound for Jennifer. The song "Abrázame y Bésame" was a duet with DJ Kane. It became the most popular song from the album. Other songs like "Si Tú Te Vas" ('if you go') were also very popular. This album earned Jennifer a Grammy nomination in 2001. She also won many Tejano Music Awards.
Moving to Latin Pop Music
After working with Q Productions for several years, Jennifer Peña signed with a new music company called Univision Music Group.
In 2002, Jennifer released the album Libre (meaning 'Free'). This album was produced by famous musicians Rudy Pérez and Kike Santander. Rudy Pérez wrote two of the album's biggest hits. One was "Vamos al Mundial," which was the song for the 2002 FIFA World Cup on Univision. The other was "El Dolor de Tu Presencia." This song made Jennifer even more popular. It was #1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks for eight weeks!
Libre sold over 300,000 copies. In 2003, Libre was nominated for a Grammy Award.
..... Rudy Pérez also produced this album. He helped create another #1 hit song, "Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel." This album also sold over 300,000 copies.
Jennifer performed for a huge crowd of over 61,000 fans in 2004. This was at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. She also recorded a live album there. Jennifer has performed for former U.S. President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. She also helps with campaigns to raise awareness about health topics.
Acting and Recent Music
Jennifer Peña has also acted in movies. She appeared in MTV's All You've Got in 2006. She was also in the movie Amexicano in 2007.
On February 27, 2007, her album Dicen que el tiempo was released. It reached #16 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The first song promoted was "Como Entender." The second song, "Tuya," reached #5 on Billboard charts in September 2007. This album was praised by critics and fans. It was also nominated for a Grammy in December 2007.
Personal Life
In April 2007, Jennifer Peña announced she was engaged to singer-songwriter Obie Bermúdez. They were also expecting their first child. They got married in Texas on June 3, 2007. Their son was born in November 2007. They later had a daughter and a third child in 2019.
Jennifer and Obie separated in 2023, and their divorce was finalized in 2024. This has led Jennifer to return to music after a long break. Before her divorce, Jennifer was part of Church Unlimited's Praise & Worship team. In 2024, Jennifer started a tour called "Casate Conmigo" with Grupo Siggno. She also released a song called “Nunca Niegues Que Te Amo” with Los Inquietos del Vallenato in 2024. Jennifer Peña currently lives in Texas.
Music Albums
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As Jennifer y Los Jetz
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As Jennifer Peña
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Awards and Recognitions
Jennifer Peña has won many awards for her music.
Grammy Awards and Latin Grammy Awards
- 1999: Nominated for Best Tejano Performance for "Mariposa"
- 2002: Nominated for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album for "Libre"
- 2003: Nominated for Best Grupero Album for "Libre" at the Latin Grammy Awards
- 2007: Nominated for Best Latin Pop Album for "Dicen Que El Tiempo"
Latin Billboard Awards
- 2003: Won Regional Mexican Album of the Year for "Libre"
- She was also nominated for several other awards in 2003, 2005, and 2006.
Premios Lo Nuestro
- 2004: Won Best Female Artist in Mexican Music
Tejano Music Awards
- 1997: Won Female Entertainer of the Year
- 1998: Won Most Promising Band of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year
- 1999: Won Female Vocalist of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year
- 2001: Won Female Vocalist of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year
- 2003: Won Female Vocalist of the Year and Female Entertainer of the Year
South Texas Music Awards
- 2002, 2003: Won Female Vocalist of the Year
- 2002, 2003: Won Female Entertainer of the Year
Film and TV Appearances
- All You've Got (2006)
- Amexicano (2007)
- Top Chef VIP (2022) - Reality Show
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Peña para niños
