Ana Bárbara - WikiHQ

Altagracia Ugalde Motta (born 10 January 1971), better known as Ana Bárbara, is a Mexican singer. She has become a prominent figure within Latin entertainment since her professional debut in 1994 and is one of the leading female figures in regional Mexican and Grupera music.

In the past two decades, Bárbara has released eleven studio albums, eighteen compilation albums, over thirty music videos, and four music video DVDs. She has sold over 6 million records in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the United States; she is also the recipient of Latin music's most prestigious accolades.

Career

Early career

In 1988, Ana Bárbara entered the local Miss Universe-sponsored Miss Mexico beauty pageant representing her native state of San Luis Potosí and won; however, she lost at the national level. By then, an unknown Altagracia Ugalde moved forward and began to seize any opportunity to sing at local talent shows, and at times professionally at variety of music events and festivals. In the 1990s she had the opportunity to tour overseas in Colombia and represent Mexico's mariachi music.

In 1993, Ana Bárbara was proclaimed the Ambassador of Ranchera Music. She also earned the El Rostro Bonito de El Heraldo de México ("The Heraldo's Beautiful Face") award. As a result, she was invited to perform for Pope John Paul II during a Mass at The Vatican. When Mass neared its close; however, she still hadn't been given an opportunity to sing, so she interrupted the proceedings, commanded the attention of the Pope, and began to sing. After mass Pope John Paul II approached her, blessed her, and wished her luck in her career. Songs like Sacúdeme and Nada helped Bárbara establish herself as a Grupero star. Bárbara released her second album titled La Trampa in July 1995, also produced by Aníbal Pastor. La Trampa catapulted her popularity and immediately became a commercial and radio hit. Bárbara received industry accolades as well as invitations to tour and open for some of the biggest regional Mexican artists, such as Vicente Fernandez and Los Tigres del Norte. She has appeared on important Latin American television shows such as Sabado Gigante and Siempre en Domingo. Consecutive hits and popular music videos, such as Me Asusta Pero Me Gusta and La Trampa, topped Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and established her as La Reina Grupera (The Queen of Grupero Music).

International stardom

By the summer of 1996, Ana Bárbara broke through to mainstream international success with third album Ay, Amor. The album solidified her as a successful Latin recording artist and also became her best album debut on the Latin Billboard charts. Ay, Amor offered a wider appeal to her music by offering some alternate takes on Grupero, and even some ranchero flavoured ballads like No Ha Sido Facil, and Entre Ella y Yo. This was also Bárbara's Grammy ceremony debut where she performed a medley of Lo Busqué and Loca.

When her career was in its peak popularity she put her career on hold for several years in order to dedicate time to her new family.

In April 2009, she was featured on the cover of People en Español on the "Los 50 Más Bellos" list.

Return to recording and Fonovisa departure

Several compilation albums and DVDs were released during her time off, such as Una Mujer, Un Sueño and Para Ti, Mi Historia. Compilation albums featuring peers such as Alicia Villarreal, Jennifer Pena, and Selena, were also released by record label Fonovisa. After taking nearly five years off from recording, Ana Bárbara remained a favourite in the music industry. AllMusic.com said: "She has not only dominated the Grupero movement, but Ana Bárbara is one of the driving forces behind the Grupero-style realization." The music video for Rompiendo Cadenas was filmed in La Habana, Cuba and quickly reached over four million views on YouTube. Rompiendo Cadenas debuted at number 39 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs on 12 November 2009. Two alternate versions of the song "Rompiendo Cadenas" premiered on iTunes, one in banda and another in acoustic. Bárbara introduced her Latin pop album Rompiendo Cadenas in January 2010. During its press conference, she described the departure with label Fonovisa Records. Not only did the album Rompiendo Cadenas reveal a completely different genre, but she was also sole songwriter of the 10-track album, a challenge she had never experimented with. Furthermore, Fonovisa Records request to reconsider and change the music style or terminate the contract. Ana Bárbara left Fonovisa after increasing problems and immediately launched Rompiendo Cadenas on her own record label AB Productions / (Lo Busqué Productions).

In 2010 she hosted a series of events for Hispanic networks Univision and TeleFutura. She and Puerto Rican singer Víctor Manuelle hosted the 2010 Lo Nuestro Awards live from Miami, Florida. Bárbara was voted finalist for most elegant dressed celebrity. The following day she participated in a star-studded Spanish remake of Michael Jackson's We Are the World, titled Somos El Mundo alongside Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Thalía, Shakira, Pitbull, Gloria Estefan, Jenni Rivera, and Luis Miguel. In the same month, she hosted a televised music special in honour of fallen Latin icon Selena. She also participated as judge for a special Selena contest titled Buscando la doble de Selena, alongside Hollywood producer Moctesuma Esparza, and Merengue music singer Milly Quezada. In March 2010, the second single from Rompiendo Cadenas premiered to mixed reviews. While the lead track "Rompiendo Cadenas" became the album's most notable hit, Latin rock single "Que Ironía" signalled that her patented formula was beginning to run out of steam. The track was also featured in a pop version, but neither sparked much interest in radio or the general public. Bárbara later explained that the song was originally written and intended for Mexican pop singer Gloria Trevi, but when her eldest son Emiliano reassured her confidence, she decided to take a new challenge, record the track, and make it her own. A music video premiered the following month and reached over a million views. Although album Rompiendo Cadenas did not fare well in sale comparison to previous efforts, it did win Ana Bárbara critical acclaim and was well received by fans. In May 2010, she announced two new additional Latin pop songs. The first track was "Ahora Tengo", a duet featuring Mexican singer-songwriter Reyli; its music video was filmed in New York and premiered in June 2010. The next song was "Alma Perdida", a powerful ballad composed specifically for Univision's mini-series Mujeres Asesinas 3.

In 2011 projects included an appearance in Univision's soap opera Una Familia Con Suerte; the cameo role became her official debut as an actress in a soap opera. Ana Bárbara also sang Suerte, which was included in the soap opera soundtrack. In the fall, she released yet another Latin pop bonus track and music video titled "Refugio Para el Amor", but like several recent releases since 2009's "Rompiendo Cadenas", they too garnered a lukewarm reception.

2012 relocation, music, television show, and Hollywood

After an unsuccessful period, Ana Bárbara began writing and producing tracks for a new regional Mexican album recorded for the first time in banda. In 2012, she revealed career projects that included a new single and filming a television show. She migrated to the United States, Los Angeles area with her three children. She released stand-alone banda single "Tu Ingratitud", a 1993 Los Bukis cover composed by Marco Antonio Solís. A music video was released in July 2012 and quickly reached over three millions of views on YouTube. "Tu Ingratitud" peaked at number one in Mexico and top 20 in United States and South America. The record soon reached international popularity and became Bárbara's return to music charts and touring. She also collaborated with peers such as María José, Anahí, and La Original Banda El Limon in each of their new albums. In July 2012, she became the newest judge on Estrella TV's music and reality contest Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento,. She replaced fellow regional Mexican singer Jenni Rivera for the seventh season after Rivera left to judge La Voz Mexico. In October 2012, "Dos Abrazos", a song written by Ana Bárbara from her multi-Grammy nominated album No Es Brujería, appeared in Sharon Stone's 2012 Hollywood motion picture, Border Run. A banda version of "Dos Abrazos" was later re-released in her eleventh studio album. The motion picture went straight to DVD and was released in February 2013. On 8 December 2012, Ana Bárbara sang Mexico's national anthem during the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez IV fight live from Las Vegas, Nevada.

2013 television show and music

In April 2013, Ana Bárbara hosted the 2013 Latin Billboard Music Awards live from Miami, Florida via the Telemundo network; however, her best highlight was an impromptu "a capella" serenade to Latin music icon Jose Jose. In July, she returned to small television soap operas. She had a singing performance cameo in Televisa and Univision soap opera Amores verdaderos grand finale where she sang the popular Franco de Vita ballad "Tu De Que Vas". In August, she became the voice of "Yo Soy la Mujer", the theme song to Telemundo's soap opera Marido En Alquiler. She premiered "Yo Soy la Mujer" in a banda version on La Voz Kids grand finale. She participated in the 2013 Premios de la Radio's tribute in honour of Mexican singer Jenni Rivera; she performed one of Rivera's most popular hits, "Inolvidable". She continued filming small television during the 8th and 9th season of Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento,. During the reality show finale in November, she premiered heartbreak track "Yo Ya No Estoy". After a long layoff to concentrate on family and filming small television, she released "Yo Soy La Mujer" on 3 December 2013. Although she had produced and composed banda for over a decade, her eleventh studio album became her first full banda album. During a press interview at The Congo Room, she stated, "Yo Soy La Mujer" is sentimental, but fun; it has a blend of traditional and modern banda elements and sounds that pay tribute to my heritage and childhood." The 10-track album included songwriting from fellow Mexican artists Joan Sebastian ("Los Cazahuates"), Marco Antonio Solís ("Tu Ingratitud"), José Alfredo Jiménez ("Te Vas o Te Quedas"), and Reyli ("Yo Ya No Estoy"). The album peaked at No. 11 on Top Latin Albums in the United States and yielded her best studio album debut on the charts in over a decade. A music video for lead single "Ahora Me Toca A Mí" premiered on her official Vevo account, along with a Latin pop version.

2014 20 Year Celebration and Yo Soy La Mujer projects

Yo Soy La Mujer was released in Mexico in February 2014; a limited edition included two previously unreleased tracks: "Al Pie de un Árbol" and "Como Quieras Quiero". In January 2014, Bárbara announced the Yo Soy La Mujer: Celebrando 20 Años de Trayectoria tour in honour of her 20-year musical career, she stated that the tour symbolized the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in her professional life. The tour kicked off internationally in La Paz, Bolivia. The tour made its way through Peru, Chile and other countries in South America and Central America, as well as big cities in the United States. In April, she premiered second single "A Donde Crees Que Vas" on CNN en Español. Not only did she become a self-proclaimed "advocate of woman empowerment," but her music videos and wardrobe ensembles also revealed a stronger sex-appeal than ever before. She announced a duet with K'ala Marka for "Niña de mis Ojos".

Ana Bárbara celebrated two decades in the music business on 12 April 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. She performed popular songs from her repertoire, medleys of her beginnings, and classics from icons Juan Gabriel, Lola Beltran, and José Alfredo Jiménez. The intimate show was full of surprises, including the unexpected appearance by Marco Antonio Solís, who was on hand to personally congratulate her and perform a duet. Singers such as Pepe Aguilar, Cristian Castro, and Enrique Iglesias also sent words of love and support during the show. The two-hour special aired in October 2014 via Estrella TV. She ended the Yo Soy La Mujer tour in Guatemala among a crowd of over eighteen thousand people.

2015 tour and album

Ana Bárbara made an eleven-city tour of America, beginning in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 2015. The tour included Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago and Houston. She was also one of the collaborators on Compass, Toy Selectah & Camilo Lara's album.

Personal life

Ana Bárbara got engaged to José Maria Fernández (Pirru) in 2005.

In June 2010 there was speculation over divorce rumours between Ana Bárbara and Pirru, due to his infidelity. On 2 July 2010, Bárbara released a statement confirming the end of their five-year marriage. Months after the split, she confirmed a new relationship with wealthy business man Elias Sacal, but that also went sour several months later.

In 2006, Ana Bárbara released the official 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer anthem Arriba Arriba, and her ninth studio album No Es Brujería.

2010–2011 car accidents

In July 2010, Ana Bárbara was involved in a car accident in Cancún that left a 79-year-old woman dead; the incident sparked a media circus. Authorities arrested Ana Bárbara's driver (bodyguard and family friend). Some eyewitnesses, however, speculated that it was Ana Bárbara who was driving. She denied the accusations and any wrongdoing. Due to immense media pressure, Ana Bárbara granted network Televisa an exclusive interview where she broke down in tears and offered the victim's family an apology about the accident. She also stated that on-scene police authorities allowed her to leave the scene because they had apprehended her driver. To add fuel to the fire, the victim's daughter used several media outlets to blast Ana Bárbara and presume that it was she that was driving. Ana Bárbara was exonerated after Mexican authorities found no evidence that could have linked her behind the wheel. She faced civil charges for being the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the accident. In December 2010, Mexico's CNDH (Human Rights National Committee) recommended that the governor and Municipal President of Quintana Roo review the case after a petition was filed by the victim's family claiming investigative fallacies. During the appeal, Bárbara was called to re-testify, but was found innocent of any wrongdoing. Munguía (driver) was free on bail while the case was pending, but in October 2011 he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. In early 2012, he was sentenced to two years in prison; he was released in 2014. On 3 February 2011, Bárbara was involved in another car accident in Cancún, Quintana Roo. Officials in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo say the singer was driving a Porsche Cayenne that hit the back of another vehicle at a stop light. Traffic officer Abraham Coutino said "no one was injured" and "the singer's insurance covered all damages." Bárbara was highly criticized by the media once again, but asked the general public not to believe the exaggerated reports over the minor fender bender accident.

2011 third pregnancy

After divorcing Ana Bárbara announced in August 2011 that she was pregnant via artificial insemination. She decided to undergo the procedure after her children suggested they wanted a bigger family. She said she expected to be criticized for deciding to have a child without a father, but she would not let the criticism bother her. "I felt my puzzle was missing a piece and now it's complete," she told the Mexican edition of ¡Hola! magazine. Her third child was born in December 2011 in Mexico City. In March 2012, Ana Bárbara revealed the identity of Jeronimo's father to ¡Hola! magazine as longtime best friend, singer-songwriter Reyli.

Health concerns

After several public and tumultuous incidents in recent years, Ana Bárbara experienced depression and anorexia. She confirmed via Twitter in March 2011 that she had "an illness" and was receiving treatment in Spain to improve her overall well-being. In July 2011, Ana Bárbara confirmed that she was moving from Mexico and relocating to the United States.

She moved to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California.

Awards

Ana Bárbara is the recipient Latin Grammy's, Lo Nuestro Awards, Juventud Awards, and Oye Awards.

Her former record label Fonovisa said, "These recognitions are milestone accomplishments in [her] career that has spanned for more than a decade of uninterrupted success in the United States, Mexico and Latin America."

She has received seven Premio Furia Musical Awards, as well three Premio El Heraldo trophies: one for Best New Artist in 1994 and two Best Female Singer in 1997 and 2000.

In 2002, Ana Bárbara won the a Casandra Award for Most Outstanding International Artist.

In 2005, she won My Favorite Regional Mexican Artist at Univision's Juventud Awards and a singer-songwriter award at the Latin Grammy Awards.

She was 2006's Best Female Performer at Mexico's Oye! Awards (Mexico's version of the Grammy Awards).

In September 2012, she was crowned queen of the LGBT community in Los Angeles, California, as well as in Atlanta, Georgia in 2014 and in San Francisco on 1 January 2015.

By the fall of 2012, she was honored for her 20-year music trajectory from Regional Mexican Music award show Premios de la Radio. In a career spanning over 20 years, she has sold over 8 million albums, singles, and videos worldwide, making her one of the few female interpreters of Regional Mexican music to garner an international following that extends beyond México and the United States." To celebrate her first career recognition, Bárbara performed a medley of signature songs: "Lo Busque," "Como Me Haces Falta," "Tu Ingratitud," and "Bandido". She also celebrated the special ceremony by performing a duet of "Te Voy Olvidar" with Jenni Rivera (only one month before Rivera's death).

In 2013, she was nominated for Female Artist of the Year at Premios de la Radio and the Mexican Billboard Music Awards.

In 2014, she was nominated for Female Artist of the Year at Lo Nuestro Awards, Premios de la Radio, and People En Español's Entertainment Awards.

In 2015, Ana Bárbara was nominated for Regional Mexican Female Artist of the Year at Univsion's Lo Nuestro Awards.

By 2015, Ana Barbara reached over 75 million combined YouTube views of her music videos and special televised performances. She was scheduled to be honoured by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in 2015.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Films

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

| 2002 || Todo contigo || Ana Bárbara || Television film

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|+Television

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes

| 2001 || Mujer, casos de la vida real || Unknown role || Episode: "Canto de sirena"

| 2004 || La escuelita VIP || Ana Bárbara || Episode: "Bienvenida a Ana Bárbara" (Season 1, Episode 16)

| 2011 || Una familia con suerte || Laura Torrés de López || Special appearance

| rowspan="2"|2013 || Amores verdaderos || Herself || Musical guest

| Marido en alquiler || Herself || Musical guest<br />Song: "Yo soy la mujer"

Discography

Ana Bárbara (1994)
La Trampa (1995)
Ay, amor (1996)
Los besos no se dan en la camisa (1997)
Tu decisión (1999)
Te regalo la lluvia (2001)
Te atraparé... Bandido (2003)
Loca de amar (2004)
No es brujería (2006)
Rompiendo cadenas (2009)
Yo soy la mujer (2014)
Bordado A Mano (2023)

References

External links

Ana Bárbara's official website
Search: Ana Bárbara - AllMusic.com
Ana Bárbara's Acceso Total performance and interview