La India

Her voice has found a place in the hearts of music lovers everywhere. It has conquered diverse musical markets, from dance to salsa, in English and in Spanish. That voice is unique. That voice belongs to India.

India was an integral part of the growth of dance music in New York City's discos, and in the rest of the world, during the 1980s. In the 90s, India then put everything on the line when she made her crossover, but going in the opposite direction! She began to sing in Spanish, going from disco diva to salsa diva. In this way, she would continue the legacy of some of the greatest female voices in tropical music: those of Celia Cruz and of La Lupe.

Of the latter India is said to be her legitimate successor. But she is much more than that. And that will be evident on November 26, when the New York singer of Puerto Rican heritage releases her first album on Sony Discos, Latin Song Bird: Mi Alma y Corazón.

After a three-year absence from the music scene, India is back stronger than ever. Now, as a priority for Sony Discos, the album that marks her return is nothing short of a super production.

If ever there was a time when India felt she did not have the support she needed, those days are over. In Latin Song Bird: Mi Alma y Corazón, some of Latin music's most renowned producers lend their talent: Emilio Estefan, K.C. Porter, Isidro Infante and José Gazmey.

India's impressive vocal prowess is ideal for a wide variety of musical genres and, in Latin Song Bird: Mi Alma y Corazón, she makes good use of that talent. For that reason, not only is there salsa on the album, but bachata songs and pop ballads as well.

Perhaps this is also the album India finds herself closest to because in it she returns to song writing. In fact, one of her songs, Sedúceme, a salsa song that India describes as "very passionate," is the first single, and it is featured in both tropical and pop versions.

"Very passionate" is also an apt way to describe an artist who's spent the past decade traveling the world, recording, and performing live. And, no matter what the obstacle, she has always managed to pick herself up and move on.

That assuredness is something Linda Caballero has had ever since she was a child. Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, and brought up in New York's South Bronx, it was her grandmother who nicknamed her India, in honor of her Taíno Indian ancestors. At age seven, she was training her voice as a lyrical singer, and by age 14, she was modeling.

But what really inspired her was music. India began her career as a singer with TKA, one of the pioneering groups in New York's Latin hip-hop scene. She then went on to work with famous music producer Jellybean Benítez, who signed her to his independent label and under whose direction she released the single Dancing on the Fire, which quickly set dance floors aflame. Her next single, The Lover Who Rocks Me, entered the top five spots on the dance music charts, and paved the way for her first album, Breaking Night, which would make her a star to be reckoned with in the dance music world.

Her professional path changed however when she met legendary Latin jazz pianist, producer and composer Eddie Palmieri, who shot her to stardom within Latin music with the album Llegó La India via Eddie Palmieri.

Throughout the 1990s, India became one of salsa's most imposing names, singing with stars such as Marc Anthony, Tito Nieves, and Oscar D' León, giants in the genre. The one and only Tito Puente would even call her "salsa's princess," and record with her an acclaimed Latin jazz album, Jazzin'.

India's last two albums before joining Sony Discos, Sobre el Fuego and Sola (in which she pays tribute to La Lupe), were nominated for Grammy awards. All her solo albums have been certified with gold and platinum discs by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her album Dicen Que Soy, produced by famous Sergio George, was certified four-times platinum.

But the best is yet to come. For India, many good things happen when she devotes herself body and soul to her music. And that is precisely what she has done in Latin Song Bird: Mi Alma y Corazón.