Ana Bárbara
Altagracia Ugalde Motta (born January 10, 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 music.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ugalde and the second or maternal family name is Motta.
Ana Bárbara
- Singer
- songwriter
1994–present
3
- Vocals
- guitar
Fonovisa
AB Productions
Lo Busqué Productions
Sony Music Latin
She is recognized for her musical talent as well as her sex appeal. With a distinct vocal range, songwriting and producing talent, Bárbara has defined the modern Grupero performance and is one of the few regional Mexican acts to garner an international following that extends beyond México and the United States.
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.[1]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
In 1988, 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.[2]
In 1993, 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.[2] In 1994, she was noticed by record executives from Fonovisa, one of the top labels in the regional Mexican market. After signing with Fonovisa, she created artistic stage name "Ana Bárbara" and launched her self-titled debut album Ana Bárbara. The album was produced and largely written by Aníbal Pastor; it also included songwriting from fellow Mexican singer Joan Sebastian. Songs like Sacúdeme and Nada helped Bárbara establish herself as a Grupero star.[3] 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[edit]
By the summer of 1996, 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.[4] Ay, Amor offered a wider appeal to her music by offering some alternate takes on Grupero, and even some ranchero flavored ballads like No Ha Sido Facil, and Entre Ella y Yo.[4] Her attractive appearance and sensual dancing style captivated Latin America audiences during promotional tours with hit singles and music videos of No Lloraré and Ya No Te Creo Nada. In 1997 she released her first and only calendar. Coors Light beer also selected Bárbara as their Hispanic promotional figure for marketing and advertising. Later that year she returned to Miami, Florida for the annual Calle 8 Music Festival where she was crowned "Queen" of the 1997 parade. In 1998, she released her fourth studio album produced by Mexican singer-songwriter Marco Antonio Solís. The album, titled Los Besos No Se Dan En La Camisa, was largely a ballads album with only one Grupero-style song. It included a duet and background vocals by Solís, as well as a 1982 Los Bukis cover of "Como Me Haces Falta", which quickly became a popular hit. The song also dominated airwaves across Latin America, México, and the United States. Ana Bárbara kept up the momentum of her previous release as her popularity continued to grow. In 1999, she released fifth studio album Tu Decisión, produced by Aníbal Pastor. One of his two songwriting credits, "Engañada", became the album's lead single and most popular hit. Tu Decisión was also notable in songwriting terms because it marked Ana Bárbara's debut as a songwriter.[2] In the same year she also debuted as an actress, starring in the made-for-TV film Todo Contigo, via Hispanic networks Televisa and Univision. The film's song "Todo Contigo" was included in album Tu Decisión. Music videos like "Quise Olvidar" grew in popularity on television shows like Onda Max and other music video television networks. The following year Bárbara became the first solo grupero act recognized by The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences for album Tu Decisión, which received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Grupero Album.
In 2000, Bárbara took a short maternity leave when her first child, Emiliano, was born. She returned in 2001 with her sixth studio album, Te Regalo La Lluvia. The Mariachi-ballad effort was a challenge to her custom Grupero style; however, industry critics who had written off Bárbara as simply "a grupero novelty built chiefly upon sex appeal" consequently took her and her music a bit more seriously. In the fall, she received her second Latin Grammy nomination for Best Ranchero Album. She participated in "El Último Adiós (The Last Goodbye)", a song written in memory of the 9/11 attacks, which included other artists, such as Alejandro Fernández, Marco Antonio Solís, Thalía, and Ricky Martin, among others. As Bárbara promoted her album, Te Regalo La Lluvia, she began preparations for a Grupero-style album.[2]
After several years as a recording artist, Bárbara began to produce her own material. She took control of the direction of her music and began to compose, arrange, and select her own lyrics and melodies, yet followed patterns of earlier albums.
In September 2003, Te Atraparé...Bandido was released; it became one of her most successful albums to date. Soon record executives pushed for a follow-up album, and in May 2005 she produced and released Loca de Amar. She continued booking success with popular chart-topping singles like Bandido, Deja, Loca, and Lo Busqué, which dominated airwaves across South America, Mexico, and the United States, as well as on Billboard Hot Latin Tracks.
Selena tribute concert[edit]
In April 2005, she participated in Selena ¡VIVE!, an anniversary tribute concert held in honor of Latin music icon Selena. The star-studded event was held on April 7, 2005, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas and included mainstream acts, such as Thalía, Ana Gabriel, Alejandra Guzman, Olga Tañón, Pepe Aguilar, and Banda el Recodo, among others. The iconic tribute was produced by Spanish-language network Univision, and made history by becoming the most watched Spanish-language television special in the US. Bárbara produced and co-wrote a new version of "La Carcacha", which mixed Selena's original version with her Grupero signature style.
Personal life[edit]
Marriage and divorce[edit]
In June 2010, tabloid magazines and entertainment television shows speculated over divorce rumors between Ana Bárbara and Pirru, due to his infidelity.[39] On July 2, 2010, Bárbara released a statement confirming the end of their five-year marriage.[40] Months after the split, she confirmed a new relationship with wealthy business man Elias Sacal, but that also went sour several months later.[41]
2006 Cancún, pregnancy, and family life[edit]
In the Spring of 2006, Bárbara released official 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer theme Arriba Arriba, and her ninth studio album No Es Brujería. Lead single "No Es Brujería" fared well on Billboard Hot Latin Tracks in the United States, but the promotion was quickly stalled after announcing her second pregnancy.[42] Follow up single "Vete" was later released in a banda version, as well as a duet of "Con Mis Propias Manos" with Mexican singer Pablo Montero.
2010–2011 car accidents[edit]
In recent years, Bárbara remained a fixture of celebrity gossip more so because of her personal life than her talent. In July 2010, she was involved in a car accident in Cancún that left a 79-year-old woman dead; the incident sparked a media circus. Authorities arrested Bárbara's driver (bodyguard and family friend). Some eyewitnesses, however, speculated that it was Bárbara who was driving. She denied the accusations and any wrongdoing. Due to immense media pressure, 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 Bárbara and presume that it was she that was driving. Bárbara was exonerated after Mexican authorities found no evidence that could have linked her behind the wheel.[43] She faced civil charges for being the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the accident.[44][45][46] 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.[47][48] In early 2012, he was sentenced to two years in prison; he was released in 2014. On February 3, 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.[49][50]
2011 third pregnancy[edit]
After divorcing, Pirru for nearly two years, Bárbara announced in August 2011 that she was pregnant via artificial insemination. She decided to undergo the procedure after her children Emiliano and José María 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 Méxican edition of ¡Hola! magazine. Her third child was named Jerónimo and he was born in December 2011 in México City. During an exclusive interview in March 2012, Bárbara revealed the identity of Jeronimo's father to ¡Hola! magazine... none other than longtime best friend, singer-songwriter Reyli.[51][52][53]
Health concerns[edit]
After several public and tumultuous incidents in recent years, 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.[54] In July 2011, Ana Bárbara confirmed that she was moving from México and relocating to the United States.[55] She moved to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California.
Awards[edit]
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, México and Latin America."[5]
She has also been awarded four Lo Nuestro Awards for Regional Mexican Female Artist of the Year, with a total of 9 nominations since her debut. She has won the following years: 1996, 1997, 1998, and in 2006.[56]
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.[57]
In 2002, Bárbara won the a Casandra Award for Most Outstanding International Artist.[58]
In 2005, she also won My Favorite Regional Mexican Artist at Univision's Juventud Awards, and 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,[59] as well as in Atlanta, Georgia in 2014 and in San Francisco on January 1, 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."[60] 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.[61][62]
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.[63][64]
In 2015, Ana Bárbara was nominated for Regional Mexican Female Artist of the Year at Univsion's Lo Nuestro Awards.[65]
By 2015, Ana Barbara reached over 75 million combined YouTube views of her music videos and special televised performances.[66] She was scheduled to be honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in 2015.[67]