Cristian Castro

Castro was born in Mexico City, Mexico on 8 December 1974 to a family of performers. Castro was involved in the entertainment before he even began talking. His father Manuel “El Loco” Valdes is a comedian and his mother Veronica Castro is an actress/singer. Before his singing career he made several appearances on screen with his mother, such as the telenovela “El Derecho de Nacer” and also acted in the Mexican rendition of the play “Mame”.

Castro’s music career started in 1992, the year in which he released “Agua Nueva”. This album was a huge success in Mexico and earned him a grammy nomination for best Latin album. His next release “Un Segundo en el Tiempo” saw him expanding his appeal to a wider audience, specifically targeting Puerto Rico (the 8th track is named after and dedicated to this country). Though the album’s sales were only moderate it boasted the hit single “Nunca Voy a Olvidarte”, which rose to No.1 on Hot Latin Tracks. Castro toured in support for this record and gradually built up his teen idol persona. His 3rd studio album “El Camino del Alma” came out in 1994 and featured the stand out track “Mañana” as well as the Stevie Wonder cover “Mi Querido Amor (My Cherie Amour)”.

A year later he released the No. 2 charting hit “Vuelveme a Querer”, which found its way on the compilation album “Boleros: Por Amor y Desamor” in addition to his 2nd LP. Castro put out three more albums before the close of the 90s, which included “El Deseo de Oir Tu Voz” (1996), Lo Mejor de Mi” (1997), and “MiVida Sin Tu Amor” (1999). His 1997 release featured the acclaimed pianist Raul di Blasio and also scored him another nomination for “Best Latin Pop Album of the Year”. His 1999 full length performed exceptionally well on the market, producing four singles all charting in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks.

His 2001 album “Azul” finally won him the accolade for “Best Pop Album of the Year” and its title track topped the Latin charts. His next album “Amar Es” stood out from his other releases in regards to its diverse use of foreign languages. For instance the track “Why” featured English lyrics, while”No Hace Falta” was a fusion of Japanese and Latin pop.

“Dias Felices” was released in 2005 and was his 1st recording to be distributed through the Universal Music Latino label. In 2007 his album “El Indomable” saw him switching styles, taking on the style of mariachi. Castro continued to play with his audience’s expectation and in 2010 released the Jose Jose tribute album “Viva el Principe”. Castro’s follow up album “Mi Amigo El Princiepe” still exuded a stylistic dedication to his hero (Jose Jose;) however, his live album “Primera Fila” indicated a return to form.