Born Víctor Manuel Ruiz on September 27, 1970, in New York, NY, Manuelle was raised mainly in Isabela, Puerto Rico. A famous incident jump-started hi... (more)

Born Víctor Manuel Ruiz on September 27, 1970, in New York, NY, Manuelle was raised mainly in Isabela, Puerto Rico. A famous incident jump-started his professional singing career: Gilberto Santa Rosa was scheduled to perform at the graduation party of Manuelle's high school, and the salsa legend invited the teenage sonero to join him on-stage during the performance. Santa Rosa was so impressed by Manuelle's talent, he subsequently referred the young man to bandleader Don Perignon, who proceeded to hire him as a backup singer. Manuelle obtained priceless experience and industry contacts during his stint with Perignon, and ultimately, he was awarded a solo recording contract with the Sony Tropical division of Sony Discos. Santa Rosa produced Manuelle's debut for the label, Justo a Tiempo... (1993), and a couple modest hits resulted ("Me Dará el Consentimiento," "Estás Tocando Fuego"). Manuelle's recording career was off to a respectable start, and his second album, Sólo Contigo, furthered his initial success. It racked up three charting singles ("Apiádate de Mí," "Voy a Prometerme," "Por Ejemplo"), the first of which climbed all the way to number three on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay chart. Manuelle executive-produced his next studio album, Decisión Unámine (2006), himself. It was his first release under the Norte banner of Sony BMG, and it was another sharp turn of direction. Rather than going for the crossover like last time, Manuelle took a purist approach, embracing his salsa roots, and included numerous collaborations, including one with reggaeton superstar Don Omar, two with fellow salsero Eddie Palmieri, and one with Mexican sensation Yuridia. Lugo was back at the production helm and Valentín is again credited with arrangement, and together they, along with the other studio hands, bring an old-fashioned salsa style to the album that goes surprisingly well with the occasional nods to contemporary styles like reggaeton. Decisión Unámine failed to reach number one on the Hot Latin Albums chart, climbing only to number six, but it was a success nonetheless, spinning off a few strong singles ("Nuestro Amor Se Ha Vuelto Ayer," "Maldita Suerte," "Nunca Había Llorado Así") and, above all, earning the praise of fans and critics. In fact, Decisión Unámine was perhaps Manuelle's most admired album since Instinto y Deseo, if not A Pesar de Todo. In the wake of the album's splash, Manuelle co-hosted the 2006 Latin Grammys and won a 2007 Premio Lo Nuestro award for Best Salsa Artist. (less)