Ana Gabriel - Biography
By J Poet
Ana Gabriel is a singer, songwriter and producer, the most successful female ranchera singer in Mexico. She has consistently undermined the macho traditions of ranchera by writing songs about strong, dynamic women who live their lives in a world of men with courage and determination. She is one of the few ranchera singers who writes her own material, and one of the few female record producers in Mexico. She has also includes pop, folkloric, reggae, rock en Español, world and dance music on her albums, constantly challenging her audience and herself with a far ranging artistic vision.
Maria Guadalupe Araujo Yong was born in Guamuchil, a town in Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1958. She sang from an early age and appeared at a local talent show belting out José Alfredo Jiménez’s “Regalo A Dios” when she was only six. The family moved to Tijuana where she went to school days and sang as Ana Gabriel nights. She made a few unsuccessful records while competing in local talent shows, eventually taking the top spot in the OTI (Iberoamerican Television Organization) song festival in 1986. She was signed by Sony Mexico and sent to Portugal to represent Mexico in the OTI Festival of 1987.
Her early albums Tierra de Nadie (1988 Sony Discos) and Pecado Original (1989 Sony Discos) introduced her husky, sensual voice and her revolutionary songs about strong women, but it was the gold Quien Como Tu (1990 Sony Discos) that made her a star. The album included pop, reggae, and Brazilian influences and the title track, a powerful pop ballad, was a huge hit. En Vivo (1990 Sony Discos) followed up with a live recording featuring a rock band and Mariachi musicians backing the powerful vocalist; the record introduced three more hits, the lambada “Hice Bien Quererte,” the traditional sounding ranchera “Propuesta,” and the pop standard “Solamente un Vez.”
Mi Mexico (1991 Sony Discos) was a unique pairing of acoustic pop and Mariachi music, with songs that featured songs about strong, dynamic women. “Cosas del Amor,” a one off duet with Mexican-American pop singer Vicki Carr won Billboard Magazine’s recognition as Latin Song of the Year in 1992. It’s included on the double disc hits compilation Para Ti (2009 Sony Discos).
After the traditional sounding Ayer y hoy (1994 Sony Discos) she made the pop hit Vivencias (1996 Sony Discos) and followed up with a solid collection of self-penned rancheras Con un mismo corazón (1997 Sony Discos), which featured a duet with ranchera superstar Vicente Fernandez. Gabriel went to Miami to cut the gold album Soy como soy (1999 Sony Discos) with producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. The album included club friendly pop flamenco on “No a pedir perdon” and “Claro de Luna,” ranchera pop on “Se me faltaras” and straightforward Latin dance music on “Me haces falta.” The album won Gabriel the Ritmo Latino Music Award for Female Pop Artist of the Year.
After the traditional sounding Eternamente (2000 Sony Discos), Gabriel made Huelo a Soledad (2002 Sony Discos), which included an international club hit “Amigo Amante.” She continued to mix tradition and pop impulses on Dulce y salado (2003 Sony Discos) and Historia de una Reina (2005 Sony Discos), delivering the pure ranchera outing Tradicional (2004 Sony Discos) in between. For Arpeggios de amour (2007 EMI International) Gabriel strapped on an electric guitar for a rock en Españole outing that included reggae, club beats and a few old fashion ballads. The same year she began collaborating with Mexican pop star Juan Gabriel, who is no relation. They’ve made two albums of duets Los Gabriels …Simplemente Amigos (2007 Sony BMG Latino) named after her first hit song, and Los Gabriels Cantan a Mexico (2008 Sony BMG Latino.) The two-disc set 30 Grandes Exitos (2000 Sony Latino) contains most of Gabriel’s greatest hits.
