VICTOR MANUELLE

Over the past decade, Victor Manuelle has become one of the most talented performers on the tropical music scene. He possesses all that is necessary: image, a marvelous voice, and a love and passion for the music that is demonstrated by the fact that he writes the majority of his recording material. Now with the release of his new album “Travesia,” (Crossing) Victor is poised to conquer the rest of the universe of Latin pop music.

This album greatly expands Victor's appeal from his dedicated and firm fan base. “Travesia”—an ambitious album that contains 12-track collaboration with producer Emilio Estefan recorded in the Cresent Moon Studios—is a landmark triumph for this artist. “We were trying to look for a way to reach other markets without forgetting the people who know and support my music all this time”, comments this performer. “I belileve my music shouldn't be limited only to a segment of Latin America, I think that it is important that it is listened to equally in other markets in the international sphere.
”Travesia” is the most recent of his successful albums by Sony in the last 11 years. Works like “Justo a Tiempo” (Just in Time) (1993),” Solo Contigo” (Only With You ) (1994), “Victor Manuelle” (1996), “A Pesar de Todo” (1997) (In Spite of Everything),

“Ironias (Ironies) (1998), “Inconfundible” (Unmistakable) (1999), “Instinto y Deseo” (2001)(Instinct and Desire), and the last year's “le Preguntaba a la Luna” (I ask the Moon) were instrumental in preserving the integrity of the genre that on many occasions hasn't aged gracefully. The resurgence of Puerto Rican singers in this genre in the 90s demonstrated that the fans of salsa wanted more than a pretty face—they wanted quality, passion and originality. A protégé of one of the genre's great voices of Puerto Rico, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Manuelle took the opportunity to perfect his craft in collaborating with artists like Domingo Quinones, Cheo Feliciano, Rey Ruiz, Pupy Santiago and Tito Allen.

His dedication to learning and mastering of his gifts of sonero (a lead vocalist of a salsa orchestra who must not only deliver the songs' verses with precision, but also improvise on the main theme in the coro section) were and continue to be his greatest attributes. His improvisations, done in the traditional decima format, are legendary in his live appearances. They are what separates him from the run of the mill salsero.