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Yuri | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Yuri performing at theZócalo in 2019. | |
| Born | Yuridia Valenzuela Canseco (1964-01-06)6 January 1964 (age 62) Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
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Musical artist | |
YuridiaValenzuela Canseco (born 6 January 1964), knownmononymously asYuri, is a Mexican singer, actress and television presenter. She began her career as a teenager. In 1978, she released her debut album titledTú Iluminas mi Vida. She later gained recognitionrepresenting Mexico in theOTI Festival 1984, placing third with the song "Tiempos mejores".[1] In the 1980s and early 1990s, Yuri established herself as one of the most popular pop music singers in Mexico and Latin America.[2] Her vocal quality and versatility allow her to be incorporated into other musical genres, ranging frompop todance,ranchera andtropical music genres.[3]
In the mid-1990s, Yuri paused her musical career to convert toProtestantism, and for a few years she devoted herself toChristian andgospel music. In 2002, she returned to commercial music with much greater impact than her first season as a pop singer. Since the mid-2000s and during this decade, Yuri has established herself as one of the most successful recording artists of Spanish-language music.
She has released 29 studio albums and has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, making her one of thebest-selling Latin artists in history.[4] Alongside her musical career, Yuri has also ventured into acting, appearing in severaltelenovelas and films, and has served as a television presenter on several television shows in Mexico. In 2018, she received theLatin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becomingthe youngest artist to win it, at 54 years old.
Yuridia Valenzuela Canseco was born on 6 January 1964, inVeracruz, Mexico. She is the daughter of Dr. Carlos Humberto Valenzuela and Dulce Canseco. She had two siblings, Carlos (deceased) and Yamily.
During her childhood, alongside her regular schooling in Veracruz, Yuri studied classical dance. At the age of 11, she won a scholarship to the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, but her parents did not allow her to take advantage of it.[5] As a result, her mother encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer and created a musical concept called La Manzana Eléctrica.
Yuri took singing lessons in various venues, and the group debuted in 1976, performing at local events in Veracruz. Their repertoire included covers of artists such asMichael Jackson andJanis Joplin. Due to Yuri's growing popularity and charisma, the group was later renamed Yuri y La Manzana Eléctrica.
During this period, Yuri met Cuban singerCelia Cruz, as Yuri’s band often performed as a supporting act for Cruz’s shows in Veracruz. At one of their performances, Julio Jaramillo Arenas, an arranger and the director ofA&R for the GAMMA record label, recognized Yuri's potential and offered her the opportunity to record her first album. Her mother accepted the proposal and became her manager. The family then moved toMexico City, despite lacking financial support from relatives.
Under the production of Jaramillo (not to be confused with Ecuadorian singerJulio Jaramillo), Yuri recorded her debut albumTú iluminas mi vida, which included the Spanish adaptation of "You Light Up My Life," originally performed by American singerDebby Boone. The album produced her first national single but did not achieve commercial success.
In 1979, she made her acting debut in the filmMilagro en el circo [es], starring Mexican comedianCepillín, and appeared on the television programEn familia con Chabelo onTelevisa. That same year, she participated in the8th Mexican national selection for theOTI Festival with the song "Siempre habrá un mañana". The entry didn't qualify for the national final and had allegations of plagiarism, as the composition bore similarities to "MacArthur Park" popularized byDonna Summer. Nevertheless, Yuri was unanimously awarded the "Breakout Artist Award", becoming the youngest performer to receive this recognition.
In 1980, under the continued production of Julio Jaramillo Arenas, Yuri released her second studio album,Esperanzas, which marked her first major commercial success with the title track "Esperanzas". That same year, she made her television acting debut in the popular Televisa telenovelaColorina, starringLucía Méndez, and later appeared in the telenovelaVerónica alongsideChristian Bach. The album was distributed in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Singles such as "Primer amor", "Goma de mascar", and "Regresaré" reached top chart positions throughout Latin America.
In 1981, Yuri competed for the second time in the10th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival, placing third with "Deja", written byJosé María Napoleón, and receiving the Best Female Performer Award.
At the next year, she released her third studio album,Llena de dulzura, which achieved gold certification across Latin America. The album included hits such as "Mi timidez", "Llena de dulzura", "Tú y yo", "Este amor no se toca", and "Maldita primavera", a Spanish-language version of "Maledetta primavera" by Italian singerLoretta Goggi. Yuri also became the first Latin American female artist to receive a gold record in Spain. That same year, she recorded the single "El panda de Chapultepec", dedicated toTohui the first panda bear born in captivity outside China. The single sold over one million copies and was later added to a reissue ofLlena de dulzura. In 1983, Yuri released her fourth album,Sí, soy así, which featured the hit single "Yo te amo, te amo". She also starred in her second feature film,Secuestro en Acapulco, alongside the Venezuelan boy bandLos Chamos.
In 1984, she released her fifth album,Karma Kamaleón, which included a Spanish version ofCulture Club's hit "Karma Chameleon". That year, she entered for the third time in the13th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival with the song "Tiempos mejores", written bySergio Andrade [es].[6] The song won the national competition and she received the Best Female Performer Award, and went on torepresent Mexico in theOTI Festival 1984, where they placed third. Later that year, Yuri was invited to theViña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile, where she won theSilver Torch, becoming the first Mexican artist to receive this award.[7]
In 1985, Yuri departed from GAMMA and got signed withEMI, released the albumYo te pido amor, which earned her aGrammy Award nomination. The singles "Yo te pido amor", "Déjala", and "Dame un beso" became radio hits across Latin America. That same year, she appeared inPlayboy magazine in a photoshoot byPompeo Posar. Although she did not pose nude, the issue achieved high sales.
In 1986, she releasedUn corazón herido, which featured the singles "Es ella más que yo", "Hoy me he vuelto a enamorar", and "Un corazón herido". The following year, she competed for the last time in the16th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival with "La locura de vivir" but received only one jury vote and did not qualify. The performance was considered a controversial moment of her career, being described as too bold for the festival.
In 1988, Yuri releasedAire, one of her most successful albums. The singles "Cuando baja la marea", "Qué te pasa" and "Amores clandestinos" topped charts throughout Latin America. "Qué te pasa" set a record onBillboardHot Latin Tracks as thelongest-running number-one song of the 1980s, remaining at the top for 16 consecutive weeks and on the chart for a total of 33 weeks.[8]
Following this success, executives Marcos Maynard and Manuel Calderón signed Yuri toCBS (now Sony Music). Her next album,Isla del Sol, incorporated a mix of dance, rap, pop, rock, and ballads, and produced hits such as the Hot Latin Tracks number-one single "Hombres al borde de un ataque de celos", "Imposible amarte como yo", "No puedo más", and "Hola". She also received aLo Nuestro Award. Years later,Isla del Sol entered the Brazilian market. Around this time, she recorded a duet with actorDon Johnson, a Spanish version of "A Better Place". To capitalize on her popularity, her former label EMI released the compilationAlgo de mi vida, which included previously unreleased material recorded earlier in her career.
In September 1989, Yuri released the album Sui Generis, which included the singles "Embrujada" and "Me tienes que querer".
After divorcing her first husband, Yuri gave a turn to her career, and recorded under the direction of producer Mariano Pérez the albumSoy Libre, same that three months after going on the market had sold more than half a million copies and which are the singles: "Quién eres Tu", "Todo mi corazón" and "El apagón".
For the second time, Yuri appears inPlayboy and presented a show entitledSin límites, which receives the recognition of the public and critics for its outstanding quality, which led the press and her fans to compare it with the singerMadonna: the nickname "the Mexican Madonna", which sparked such controversy that even important American programs, such asHard Copy, took time to talk about this similarity.[9] In 1991, Yuri resumed her role as an actress and filmed the movieSoy libre, directed by Juan Antonio de la Riva and where she alternates withOmar Fierro and Christian Bach.
In 1992, Yuri released her twelfth album, titledObsesiones, which is again produced by Mariano Pérez. The album includes the song "Decir adiós", Spanish version of the song "As Time Goes By". The album also includes the song "Química perfecta", a duet with theSalsa singerLuis Enrique, as well as "Así es la vida" and "Poligamia".
In 1993, Yuri released the albumNueva era with the producer Alejandro Zepeda, which contains the songs "Detrás de Mi Ventana" (written byRicardo Arjona), "Amiga mía" and "Si falta el amor". Also they sound in some countries the "Celia Mix" a medley of some hits of Celia Cruz.
In 1994, Yuri returned to television but now as host of the comic-musical show¡No te muevas!. In that same year, she agreed to star in the Mexican telenovelaVolver a empezar, starring alongside the Puerto Rican singerChayanne for the Televisa network. In 1995, she performed again at Viña del Mar Festival. The pace of work devastated her health and a tumors were detected in her the vocal cords, which led her to fall into depression. In that year she released the albumEspejos del Alma, which would obtain regular success on the radio due to the few presentations by Yuri for her health problems. Yuri was received in theCatholic Church in 1987 so that she could be married through the church with her first husband, Iriarte. In 1994, Yuri left the Catholic Church and caused a stir by embracingProtestantism and adhering to theEvangelical church. As an actress, she starred in the Christian filmAltos instintos'. Yuri participated in the albumBoleros por amor y desamor, under the label of Fonovisa and in which she interprets the theme "El espejo".
In 1996, Yuri recorded the Ranchera albumMás Fuerte que la Vida, a disc that included some of her hits in the ranchera version and the Christian song that gave the album its name. During 1997 Yuri filmed the autobiographical film,Yuri, mi verdadera historia. In the film she reflects on her unhappiness despite her triumphs, fame and money. Also, she lets the audience see the frivolessneess of the stardom, causing controversy at the time of release. She witnessed to her conversion in countless forums and recorded the audio-cassette entitledMi testimonio, which is distributed only in Protestant bookstores throughout Latin America, to share her approach to God.
Following this logic, the following year she was invited by Manolo Calderón to be part of the Polygram label and recorded theGospel albumHuellas. Yuri left behind her public image of sex symbol and wrote the song "María Magdalena". The single "Hoy que estamos juntos", a duet with her second husband Rodrigo, was quickly replaced in the top ten by the version ofJennifer Lopez andMarc Anthony with very different lyrics on the lack of love, as Yuri spoke of God in her version.
Yuri's successful record career began to decline and, due to these changes, and Yuri's indifference to continue in secular music, she would lose fans and contracts. She began to dedicate herself solely to her Christian audience, and she performed concerts with songs of praise and testimony of faith. When the single "Ven y tócame" was distributed, Yuri considered retiring from the stage.
Yuri decides to return to secular music in mid-2001 convinced by her fans and makes some television appearances with new arrangements of her former successes. It was not until 2002 that Yuri returns formally with the release of her albumEnamorada, where she leaves religious themes aside and takes up the themes of love. From this album there is a single success, the bachata "Ya no vives en mí".[10] She also performs a special performance in the children's telenovelaVivan los niños.
In 2003, Yuri would sign again withSony Music and record a ranchera music album, calledYuri/A lo Mexicano, at the request of the label, which includes duets with renowned artists such asVicente Fernández,Ana Bárbara,Mijares andPandora.
In 2004, and for three consecutive seasons, Yuri became the host of the reality showObjetivo Fama, recorded in Puerto Rico, and in 2006 a cover album was released with Mijares, entitledAcompáñame, whose first single "Callados", manages to be placed in the public's taste. The album obtained platinum disc, although in the radio it does not achieve the desired success. At the same time, she started theCantar por cantar Tour, together with Mijares andRicardo Montaner. In addition, she participated as part of the jury of the reality showCantando por un sueño, from the Televisa network with Montaner, Adrián Posse andSusana Zabaleta for three seasons.
Yuri leaves Sony Music and in 2007 she presented a concert of successes at theTeatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City, which is recorded for a DVD and CD, published at the beginning of September of the same year with the titleVive la Historia, in which it includes the unreleased song "Y llegaste tú", of the albumAcompáñame, which is quickly placed in the first places, and won recognition for its high sales.
In January 2008, Manolo Calderón invited her to be part of the Televisa EMI Music label. Televisa also invites her to animate the late night showNoche de estrellas, in which the duets in which Yuri participated with her guest artists were popularized, of which the ones she performed withLupita D'Alessio,Enrique Iglesias andJuanes.
In December of the same year her newLatin pop albumMi Hijita Linda was released, where she recorded, at the request of the label, old-style cumbanchero themes that pretended to continue with the concept of "El Apagón", as well as including a duet withDJ Flex: "La mucura".
In 2009, Yuri is presented with great success in theAuditorio Nacional of Mexico City. She signed withWarner Music and on October 20 a CD-DVD of her concerts in the Auditorio Nacional, calledEl concierto, was released.
In 2010, under the production ofScott Erickson, Yuri releases the albumInusual, who got a gold record just two days after it was released.[11] This record achieves success in countries like Chile and Mexico and from it comes the single "Arrepentida" and "Estoy Cansada", as well as some covers by Argentine singerValeria Lynch. She also recorded the central theme of the Chilean TV seriesInfiltradas, entitled "Por el amor de un hombre", and was present at the Viña del Mar Festival in 2011 as a jury.
On September 27, 2011, she released the album,Mi tributo al Festival, where she pays homage to the late OTI Festival. In this album, Yuri interprets in a masterful way the winning songs of this festival. The first single is "Ay amor", by singer-songwriterAna Gabriel. Yuri released the second part of this album in 2012 using the song "El triste", popularized byJosé José, as a single. In the same year she was the host of a late night show aired on Saturdays of every month, calledUna noche con Yuri for Televisa.
In August 2014, Yuri announced her participation as coach of the fourth season of the Mexican version ofThe Voice alongsideRicky Martin,Laura Pausini andJulión Álvarez. In September of the same year, a second single titled "Duele" was released, playing alongside the Mexican bandReik. The same name album went on sale on April 14, 2015, in physical and digital record stores.
In 2016, Yuri signs a new contract with Sony Music and starts working on her new albumYuri en Primera Fila, a record recorded live with her hits and new songs. In February 2017, the first unpublished single of the disc is released, entitled "Perdón".
In 2017, Yuri became the host of the Mexican edition ofThe Voice Kids, and in the middle of the same year she repeated as coach in the sixth season of Mexican version ofThe Voice alongsideCarlos Vives,Maluma and Laura Pausini . In 2018, she served as coach inThe Voice Kids in Colombia.
In 2018, Yuri ventured intomusical theatre for the first time with the musicalCats in its Mexican version playing the character Grizabella.[12] In the same year, theLatin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences awarded Yuri theLatin Grammy Award to musical excellence in a ceremony held in Las Vegas.
In 2019, Yuri joined forces with the Mexican group Pandora to perform a musical tour.[13]
Yuri has always shown her admiration for artists likeRocío Dúrcal,Madonna,Michael Jackson,Janet Jackson,Cher andCelia Cruz, among others. Likewise, she has managed to influence musically on many artists in the Hispanic market, such as:Yuridia,María José,Alejandra Guzmán andShakira, among others, and has become an important part of the musical culture of Mexico and Latin America.[14]
Several of her songs are part of the successful musicalMentiras, based on Latin musical successes of the 1980s, similarly there is a character named Yuri in her honor.
Yuri has one of the most prodigious voices in Latin music in history, and has a wide vocal record. She is known for being one of the few Latin singers of the 1980s who are still active in the market, due to her capacity for evolution and skills as an artist. Yuri is a professional dancer, so she easily includes dances and choreographies in her concerts, which include costume changes, visual screens, dancers and set design, elements that are rare in Latin artists and much less in her generation. She has been known for including the genre pop and ballad on her albums, but throughout her career she has included various rhythms, such asrock,bolero,salsa, Ranchero, gospel and many more.
In 1988, Yuri married the publicist Fernando Iriarte (son of Mexican journalistMaxine Woodside) in a Catholic ceremony. The marriage ended in divorce in 1990.
From 1995 to date, Yuri is married to Chilean singer and Evangelical Pastor, Rodrigo Espinoza. In 2009, she announced her motherhood with the adoption of a 7-month-old girl named Camila.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Milagro en el circo | Lily | Musical comedy film |
| 1983 | Secuestro en Acapulco-Canta Chamo | Rosita | |
| 1991 | Soy libre | Mariana | Main role |
| 1995 | Altos instintos | Miriam | Main role;Christian film |
| 1997 | Yuri, mi verdadera historia | Herself | Christianbiopic |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1995 | Siempre en Domingo | Herself | Musical guest |
| 1982 | Colorina | Italia "Ita" Ferrari | Recurring role |
| 1982 | El Show de las Estrellas | Herself | Musical guest |
| 1983 | Verónica | Norma | Recurring role |
| 1994 | Volver a Empezar | Renata "Reny" Jiménez / Chaquira | Main role |
| 2002 | ¡Vivan los niños! | Regina Noriega | Recurring role |
| 2006 | La fea más bella | Herself | 1 episode |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | ||||
| 1987 | Best Latin Pop Album | Yo Te Pido Amor | Nominated | [16] |
| Latin Grammy Awards | ||||
| 2018 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Herself | Honored | [17] |
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1997
1998
2006
2007
2008
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
