Frankie Negron

Just a few years ago, when it seemed that the tropical music movement, specifically salsa, would remain in the hands of it's old-school founders, and younger audiences were captivated by other musical genres, a young musician emerged with a distinctive sound and a willingness to court younger listeners. Frankie with an undeniable charm, and a palpable, ever-present personality, took the sentiment of tropical music to the Northeastern U.S. He added the most attractive inflections of contemporary pop music, coupled them with experiences from his Newark, New Jersey upbringing and created a unique melange of sound and lyrics that characterize his talented efforts. His blood is purely Puerto Rican, and he sings with a voice that lends itself perfectly to salsa with the expert conviction of a rising star whose sights are firmly set on his inevitable future success. It is with this same combination of talent, personality, and youth that Frankie presents his fourth album, an effort entitled Por Tu Placer, which is sure to meet with the accolades and applause of his three previous records.

A few years have passed since he released his debut record and Frankie remains a young man performing for an audience that has essentially grown up with him. In addition, he has captured the attention of the coming generation of listeners with his music, adding them to a legion of fans that spreads across an international spectrum. Although his face is drawn with features that appear more Nordic than Latin, his heart and soul belong to the Puerto Rican culture, and the pride he derives from his roots is obvious in every single performance.

Although Frankie owes his musical career to the genre of tropical music, his new album, Por Tu Placer, strays slightly from the pure salsa format Frankie Negron is celebrated for, vying for some mass market appeal by including a distinctive pop sound to his electrifying salsa groove. Por Tu Placer also offers two English tracks, "With All My Love" and "So Wonderful" which mark Frankie's first foray into American pop music, widening the range of his listeners to include Anglo audiences. "I've always wanted to write music with English lyrics," says Frankie. "After all, it is my native language, the tongue that raised me, and in English I can express many new things in a new way." The first single "Comerte A Besos", will be released in three versions salsa, pop, and bachata, which is a folkloric format of the Dominican Republic.

Frankie, who performs frequently on stages across the United States and Latin America, is also an accomplished songwriter as well as a singer. Like his father, who boasts an impressive catalog of original compositions, Frankie's ability to compose is a fluid, natural one. His talent to translate his thoughts, emotions, experiences and ideas into music seems effortless. "When I sing songs others have written," he has said, "I can't bring as much of myself as I do to music that comes from my own heart."

Frankie Negron is, by all accounts, an established and accomplished musical artist. His three previous records, Con Amor Se Gana, No Me Compares and Lo Que Llevo Adentro have sold over a million copies worldwide for WEA Latina, the record company that first signed him. His walls boast numerous Platinum Record awards, and his music dominates the airwaves of every Latin American country. He is undoubtedly one of today's most successful and celebrated Latin music stars, and his new record will stand as a testament to the vibrant voice, God-given talent and youthful persona that has earned him a place among the legends of tropical music.