Manny Manuel facts for kids

Cruz Manuel Hernández Santiago (born December 1, 1972), known as Manny Manuel, is a talented Puerto Rican musician and singer. He is famous for his music styles like merengue, bolero, and tropical sounds. Manny Manuel first became well-known as a member of the group Los Sabrosos del Merengue. Later, in 1994, he started a very successful career as a solo artist.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Manny Manuel was born in the mountain town of Orocovis, Puerto Rico. He went to elementary and high school in his hometown. From a young age, he loved music and started performing in talent shows and other musical events. He first joined a group called Tempo Merenguero. After that, he became a vocalist and choreographer for the merengue duo Mayra y Celinés.

Manny Manuel's Music Journey

After performing with Mayra y Celinés, Manny Manuel joined the popular group Los Sabrosos del Merengue. His first big hit with them was the song "Fiera Callada." Because of the song's success, the group released their first album, Sin Fronteras. Manny Manuel was a key singer on this album. It even included a cover version of Rocío Dúrcal's song "Te Amo." The group then released their second album, Haciendo Historia, which featured popular songs like "Colegiala" and "Frente a Frente."

Starting a Solo Career

After recording two successful albums with Los Sabrosos del Merengue, Manny Manuel decided to become a solo artist. He left the group in June 1994 and officially started his solo career on October 1 of the same year. A few months later, he released his first solo album, Rey de Corazones. This album was a huge hit and quickly became platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies! Because of this success, Manny Manuel performed six sold-out shows at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in November 1995.

In 1996, he released his second album, Auténtico. He followed this with concerts at the Guaynabo Performing Arts Center and the famous Roberto Clemente Coliseum. The next year, he worked with several other artists on different projects:

• He performed with Trío Los Condes, and their song "Querube" was very popular.
• He collaborated with Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo" on an album called Lo que mi Pueblo Atesora.
• He recorded a Salsa song called "Payaso" by Raphy Leavitt.
• He released an album called Manuel y el Trío Borínquen, which featured traditional boleros.
• He recorded the Spanish version of The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (titled "Dame la mano y ven") for the album Tropical Tribute to the Beatles.
• He performed several hits by Bobby Capó for the album Siempre Piel Canela, released by Banco Popular.

Music from 2000 to Today

Manny Manuel released his album Es Mi Tiempo in 1998. This album included popular songs like "Como duele," "Margarita," and a cover of Alejandro Sanz's song "Corazón partío." The album was so popular that it took him on a tour through Spain, where it also earned a gold certification. His next album, Lleno de Vida, came out before his second big concert at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. This concert was recorded and later released as a live CD.

After changing music labels and moving to the United States, Manny Manuel released the album Serenata in 2003. This album featured his versions of classic romantic songs. It sold over 100,000 copies, and he performed another concert at the Coliseum in 2004. For this album, he was also nominated for a Latin Grammy award.

In 2007, he released Tengo Tanto, which mixed merengue with other Caribbean music styles like vallenato. Manny Manuel was one of the artists chosen to perform at the "KQ Live Concert" on September 27, 2008. This event, organized by KQ 105 FM, featured many famous artists from Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries.

In December 2011, Manny Manuel was involved in a serious incident that required him to take time to recover and focus on his well-being. He later released a new album in 2014 called Serenata Vol. 2. On August 22, 2014, Manny Manuel celebrated 20 years as a singer with a special concert at "El Coliseo Bellas Artes" in Puerto Rico.

Manny Manuel's Albums

Here is a list of albums Manny Manuel has released:

• Especialmente Para Ti! (1994)
• Rey de Corazones (1995)
• Auténtico (1996)
• Es Mi Tiempo (1998)
• Lleno de Vida (1999)
• Manny Manuel (2002)
• Serenata (2003)
• Nostalgia (2004)
• Tengo Tanto (2007)
• Rayando el Sol (2010)
• Serenata Vol. 2 (2014)

See also

In Spanish: Manny Manuel para niños

• List of Puerto Ricans