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About Victor Manuelle

Victor Manuelle was a leading voice among the generation of New York salsa performers who rose to prominence in the mid-'90s, along with Marc Anthony and India, who were his only rivals in terms of success and popularity. Mentored by Gilberto Santa Rosa and produced by Sergio George, Manuelle regularly topped the tropical charts during his mid-'90s peak, as his albums Victor Manuelle (1996) and A Pesar de Todo (1997) spun off a nonstop parade of number one hits. The esteemed sonero continued his hitmaking in the years that followed, as every single one of his studio albums in the successive decade spun off at least one tropical chart-topper of its own. However, his impact on the Latin scene seemed to dim a touch as tropical music, including the salsa romántica style championed by Manuelle, lost some of its popularity with the rise of Latin pop and reggaeton. Manuelle responded to the changing times most notably with Decisión Unámine (2006), which he executive-produced himself, his first time doing so on any of his albums; he also assumed the role of chief songwriter here as well. The album, his first released under Sony BMG's Norte banner, included nods to the concurrent reggaeton craze, and as a whole, it showcased Manuelle's ability to remain current with the changing tides of popular Latin music. Not that his relevance had ever been questioned, for El Rey del Bajo, whose days as a storied bandleader date back to the Fania All-Stars. With Lugo at the helm and Valentín providing inspiration, Manuelle fashioned his next album, Instinto y Deseo, as relatively straightforward salsa. The throwback style of the album seemed to be a response to critics, including fans-turned-critics, with whom Manuelle had lost favor. More than anything, though, it was simply a welcome change of course for the sonero. If the critics remained cautiously skeptical, consumers certainly took well to the album: Instinto y Deseo topped the Hot Latin Albums chart and spawned a pair of number one Tropical/Salsa Airplay singles, "Me Da Lo Mismo" and "Cómo Se Lo Explico al Corazón." Manuelle followed Instinto y Deseo with Le Preguntaba a la Luna, an even further old-fashioned album again produced by Lugo. Notably, four of the album's 11 songs were written by Manuelle, who previously had relied on professional songwriters, above all the prolific Omar Alfanno, who contributed one song to Le Preguntaba a la Luna, the chart-topping album-opener, "En Nombre de los Dos." Other hits from the album included "Poco Hombre" and "El Tonto Que No Te Olvidó," the latter of which also hit number one.nWith his salsa credentials shored up in the eyes of many, Manuelle subsequently made a surprise left turn and unabashedly went for the so-called crossover. Hence the name of his next album, Travesía (Crossover in English), and the producers with whom he worked, Emelio Estefan and the Gaitán Bros. (i.e., Alberto and Ricardo Gaitán), who between the two camps had worked with everyone from Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada to Ricky Martin and Thalía. These producers also served as songwriters, penning most of the album's songs. A lot of fans and critics were put off by the pop slant of the ballads that were sprinkled across the second half of the album, but on the other hand, Travesía features a hefty serving of first-rate salsa on the first half, with a few hits standing out ("Lloré, Lloré," "Tengo Ganas," "Te Propongo"). The ballads sequenced toward the conclusion of the album are less engaging, though the pop version of "Tengo Ganas" was a sizable hit, climbing up to number 11 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. The album itself sold exceptionally well, despite the criticism; it reached number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. On the heels of Manuelle's "crossover," he performed a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on November 8, 2004, that was subsequently released the following year on CD, produced by Estefan. The concert featured a moving rendition of the recently passed away Celia Cruz's signature song, "La Vida Es un Carnaval," which Manuelle had sung a cappella at her funeral in 2003. The song was released to radio as a single and became a modest hit. Late in the year, Sony released another live album featuring Manuelle, Dos Soneros, una Historia (2005), which showcased a poorly recorded, albeit milestone, concert also featuring Santa Rosa.nManuelle executive-produced his next studio album, Decisión Unámine (2006), himself. It was his first release under the Norte banner of Sony BMG, and it was another sharp turn of direction. Rather than going for the crossover like last time, Manuelle took a purist approach, embracing his salsa roots, and included numerous collaborations, including one with reggaeton superstar Don Omar, two with fellow salsero Eddie Palmieri, and one with Mexican sensation Yuridia. Lugo was back at the production helm and Valentín is again credited with arrangement, and together they, along with the other studio hands, bring an old-fashioned salsa style to the album that goes surprisingly well with the occasional nods to contemporary styles like reggaeton. Decisión Unámine failed to reach number one on the Hot Latin Albums chart, climbing only to number six, but it was a success nonetheless, spinning off a few strong singles ("Nuestro Amor Se Ha Vuelto Ayer," "Maldita Suerte," "Nunca Había Llorado Así") and, above all, earning the praise of fans and critics. In fact, Decisión Unámine was perhaps Manuelle's most admired album since Instinto y Deseo, if not A Pesar de Todo. In the wake of the album's splash, Manuelle co-hosted the 2006 Latin Grammys and won a 2007 Premio Lo Nuestro award for Best Salsa Artist. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

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