Thalía
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Ricky Martin To Thalía: 5 Latin Autobiographies You Should Read
Reading autobiographies serves as a great way to intimately learn something new about the background and career arc of your favorite celebrity. During our continued celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we've rounded up five autobiographies by Latin musicians worth looking into, spanning salsa legends, powerful entrepreneurs and Latin crossover stars.
Celia Cruz, Celia: My Life
A three-time GRAMMY and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner, Cruz's career was one for the history books. While we know the late Queen of Salsa intimately through her music, she kept the majority of her personal life story under wraps. In her 2004 memoir, Cruz finally let people in, sharing details on her childhood in Cuba, her years in exile in Mexico, and her career and life in America. The book is based on more than 500 hours of taped interviews shortly before her death in 2003 and provides a rare, intimate look into the life of one of Latin music's greatest treasures.
Emilio Estefan, The Rhythm Of Success: How An Immigrant Produced His Own American Dream
Having earned seven Latin GRAMMY Awards to date, producer Estefan knows a thing or two about success, which makes the title of his 2010 book, The Rhythm Of Success, particularly apt. Not only does the mastermind behind the Miami Sound Machine detail coming to America as a refugee from Cuba and becoming a successful entrepreneur, but he offers readers his hallmarks for creating a rich life and successful career — intuition, strong values and self-confidence.
Ricky Martin, Me
Martin started his career at age 12 in the boy band Menudo before he would go on to become one of Latin music's hottest stars, winning three Latin GRAMMYs. Despite his meteoric rise to fame circa 1999 during the Latin explosion with "Livin' La Vida Loca," Martin's personal journey offered its own challenges. Starting with his childhood in Puerto Rico through coming to terms with his identity, including his sexual orientation, and finally finding love and starting a family, 2010's Me offers fans an intimate glimpse into the pop singer's life straight from the man himself.
Rita Moreno, Rita Moreno: A Memoir
One of only a handful of artists, and the only Latin artist, to have earned the holy grail of awards achievements — earning an Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar, and Tony — Moreno certainly knows a thing or two about excellence. In her 2014 New York Times best-selling memoir, Moreno takes us behind the curtain to her childhood in Puerto Rico. The book then follows her journey through discovering singing and dancing in the Bronx, N.Y., and her struggle to break down racial and gender barriers in the industry. It all makes for an epic tale populated by characters such as Gene Kelly, Gary Cooper, Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando, and Howard Hughes.
Thalía, Growing Stronger
Mexican singer/songwriter actress Thalía may be known as the Queen of Latin Pop, but that doesn't mean she rose to her throne without hardship and hard work. Appropriately titled Growing Stronger, Thalía's 2011 memoir doesn't shy away from the most difficult experiences in her life, including the loss of her father as a child, the kidnapping of her sister and a life-altering disease. The six-time Latin GRAMMY nominee also imparts her wisdom on gratitude, joy and finding balance for a truly inspirational peek inside the life of an international superstar.
