MARC ANTHONY

Born: Marco Antonio Muñiz; New York, 16 September 1969

Genre: Latin

Best-selling album since 1990: Marc Anthony (1999)

Hit songs since 1990: "Hasta Que Te Conocí," "I Need to Know," "You Sang to Me"

In a decade Marc Anthony had three careers encompassing divergent styles. He started out as a freestyle dance maniac, moved on to salsa, and became huge as a pop crooner.

Marc Anthony was raised in New York's Spanish Harlem. His father was a musician who gave him the same name as a prominent Mexican balladeer of the 1960s. In the late 1980s Marc Anthony got into freestyle music, a stripped-down style influenced by techno and hip-hop that grew out of New York's Latino community. He wrote "Boy, I've Been Told" (1988), a hit for Sa-Fire, and had a few dance-club hits of his own in 1991 with "Rebel" and "Ride on the Rhythm."

Upon hearing Mexican balladeer Juan Gabriel sing the dramatic "Hasta Que Te Conocí" on the radio, Marc Anthony was inspired to move into Spanish-language music, where brazen sentimentality is the order of the day. Many other former freestyle artists, including Sa-Fire, Brenda K. Starr, and India, made the same leap.

His Spanish-language debut, Otra Nota (1993), features a soulful, salsa version of "Hasta Que Te Conocí." Salsa is a popular Latin dance rhythm with elements of Cuban son and Latin jazz. The album was produced by Sergio George, an expert musician who likes to fuse Latin rhythms with R&B-influenced vocals.

His follow-up album, Todo a Su Tiempo (1995), is another treat for dancers, as Marc Anthony's passionate tenor adds tension to George's percolating arrangements, especially on standout cuts "Se Me Sigue Olvidando," "Te Conozco Bien," and "Nadie Como Ella." Unsure of his Spanish abilities, Marc Anthony relied on composer Omar Alfanno for much of his material. For that reason he also avoids the vocal improvisation that characterizes the coda of many salsa tunes.

Contra la Corriente (1997) continues in the same vein and earned Marc Anthony a Grammy for best tropical Latin album. That year he also starred in the Paul Simon musical The Capeman. It flopped, but Marc Anthony received good notices for his acting and went on to appear in the Martin Scorsese film Bringing Out the Dead (1999), though it, too, flopped.

Anthony returned to the English language in a big way with Marc Anthony (1999). But this time, instead of hanging out in the free-style subgenre, he aimed for mass success. He comes across as a traditional pop balladeer who adds subtle R&B and Latin elements. Producer Cory Rooney was an important contributor. Anthony said that Rooney was the first collaborator with whom he's felt chemistry—they finish each other's hooks and lyrical ideas. The single "I Need to Know," written by the pair, uses a stripped-down arrangement featuring piano and synthesized brass, borrowing from the old free-style days. But the tempo recalls classic Afro-Cuban ballroom fare. Despite sounding like nothing else on Top 40 radio, the song shot to number three on the Hot 100. The ballad "You Sang to Me" became one of the biggest recent pop hits to feature an accordion solo.

In 2000 Anthony married the former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. She gave birth to their first son, Christian, in early 2001. Marc Anthony also has a daughter Arianna, born in 1994 to his former girlfriend, Debbie Rosado, a New York City police officer.

Anthony built a home studio in order to stay closer to his new family and finally released Libre (2001), his first Spanish album in four years. A complex work co-produced by Marc Anthony and his longtime keyboardist Juanito Gonzalez, the album does not have the danceable hooks that his salsa fans wanted. However, Marc Anthony viewed the effort as a maturation, since he co-wrote all but one song.

Mended (2002) again tapped Rooney as a producer. However, the album never ignites the fire of his salsa material. The ballad "I Need You" is expertly crafted adult contemporary, with pretty synthesizers and acoustic guitar, but is weighed down by a Muzak-y blandness. "I've Got You," with its samba feel, is more energetic. But lyrics about hanging out with models and world travel do not resonate with most CD buyers. The album also includes "Tragedy," one of the strongest tracks. Columbia did not attempt to re-release the single in the United States, instead promoting a Spanish version in Latin America. Upon the album's release, Anthony said it expresses his contentment with family life. Unfortunately, a few weeks later he and Torres separated, just as he embarked on a grueling U.S. tour. However, the couple insisted they were not seeking a divorce and were trying to work things out.

Though far from a flop, Mended did not reach the heights of Marc Anthony. And the esoteric nature of Libre dimmed his star with salsa fans. However, with his singing talent, on-stage charisma, and eclectic musical tastes, Marc Anthony is likely to re-emerge with more interesting fusions and danceable concoctions.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Otra Nota (Sony, 1993); Todo a Su Tiempo (Sony, 1995); Contra la Corriente (Sony, 1997); Marc Anthony (Columbia, 1999); Libre (Sony, 2001); Mended (Columbia, 2002).

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