The childhood of Luis Fonsi (47) was that of a Puerto Rican boy who emigrated with his parents to the United States when he was only 10 years old. They faced economic difficulties. They didn't speak English. Decades later, Fonsi made the whole world sing in Spanish with his hit Despacito.
Tonight, he will attend El Hormiguero to present his new musical projects, which he will reveal tonight to Pablo Motos.
But let's rewind. Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero was born in 1978 in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. He is the oldest of three siblings. From a very young age, Fonsi was part of the children's choir in the city.
After arriving in Orlando (Florida), where his family settled, the artist formed a music group with some classmates from his high school, Dr. Phillips High School. The band was called Big Guys and started performing at local parties singing a cappella versions of other artists' songs. A curious fact is that he performed with his childhood friend, Joey Fatone. Who would later become part of the boy bandNSYNC. Fonsi and Fatone remain very good friends to this day.
During his college years, Fonsi chose to study music theory, solfeggio, singing, composition and other music-related subjects. He also toured the United States with the university choir.
Once graduated, Fonsi made his mark on the music market in 1998 with his album Comenzaré.His album was very well received among the Hispanic community, and Billboard magazine nominated him as the breakthrough artist of that year. Songs like Dime como, Perdóname or Si tú quisieras started playing on radios in the United States and Latin America.
His popularity grew, and two years later he sang in front of Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, as part of the celebration of the Jubilee of 2000. He started releasing practically one album every year, and in his personal life everything seemed to be going well for him.
In 2001, he fell in love with Puerto Rican actress Adamari López, whom he met in Mexico when she was still dating Mexican actor Mauricio Islas. A year later, she went to see him at a concert in the United States, and Fonsi, upon learning that she was in the audience, invited her to his dressing room. They became good friends, and after seeing each other several times, they started dating as a couple in 2002.
Two years later, they got engaged, however, shortly after Adamari López announced that she had breast cancer. They got married in 2006, while she was ill. Although Fonsi supported her through the tough process of chemotherapy and surgeries, the couple had several tensions and separated after five years of relationship. In 2009, they announced their breakup through a joint statement in the press.
After his divorce, Fonsi met the Cordoban model Águeda López, with whom he became a father of a girl in 2011. They got married in 2014 and in 2016 had their second child. The couple resides between Madrid and Miami.
In an interview with Yo Dona, the international top model stated that her husband refers to her as "the boss" and that they both share household chores.
"He travels a lot, and with two children, you have to have order and organization, rules that he also has to follow," she said. "The only thing I do slowly is sleep. Because I'm always running, even if I don't need to," she added with humor.
In 2008, Fonsi triumphed with what is considered his first major international success: No me doy por vencido. But nothing compared to Despacito, the song he released in 2017 with Daddy Yankee which became the first song in history to surpass 5 billion views on YouTube.