Frankie Negron
Encyclopedia
Frankie Negrón is a singer of Salsa music
of Puerto Rican
descent. He is among a group of notable young tropical singers and soneros who have woven a blend of pop
, rock
, gospel music
, R&B, hip-hop, and reggaetón
elements into their salsa, a group that includes Huey Dunbar
, Charlie Cruz
, Kevin Ceballo
, and Obie Bermudez
. Siblings include a younger sister, Jaqueline Negrón
(Jackie Negrón), who is also a singer and dancer, and a brother, David Negrón.
Frankie attended Newark Arts High School
in the early 90s gaining notoriety as part of an R&B singing group called Base Harmony (the other members at this time were Sean Pulley, Dionte Sutton, Kwhan Jarmond, and Bobby Bright). As part of Base Harmony, Frankie sang for audiences in the New Jersey Senate
, Newark City Hall, The United in Group Harmony Association, and various clubs and venues around the tri-state area. It was during this period with Base Harmony that Frankie reinforced his already great vocal talents with an understanding of soul singing, complex group harmony, and stage performance that he'd draw from later in his musical career.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Frankie was raised in New Jersey primarily as an English speaker, but developed his initial love of salsa from his father's record collection. He sings almost exclusively in Spanish, but converses and jokes with his audiences in both languages. The first of his seven studio albums to date, Con Amor Se Gana (roughly translatable as "Love Conquers All"), was released in May 1997. His last salsa release, Mejor Que Nunca ("Better than Never"), was released in August 2006.
Frankie Negrón also has tried his hand at acting. Paul Simon
, conducting an audition of Base Harmony for the ill-fated Broadway
musical The Capeman
, immediately recognized Frankie as someone worth watching and gave him a supporting role in the play. Frankie and members of Base Harmony also participated in the recording of the play's soundtrack CD "Songs From The Capeman
". Also, in 2000 Frankie starred as a struggling artist in the South Bronx
in Val Lik's independent film, Boricua's Bond http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217287/.
His singing career has been far more successful, evidenced by two Gold Album awards, for Con Amor Se Gana and No Me Compares ("Don't Compare Me"), and nine Billboard Top 40 Hot Latin Tracks to date. Frankie has also earned Grammy Award nominations, Billboard Award nods and two Premio Lo Nuestro Awards for Song of the Year. In an All Music Guide review, Frankie is referred to as "the genre's next definitive voice."
Negrón appeared on the American soap opera
One Life to Live
on August 5, 2009 to perform music from his then upcoming album Independence Day. on Airgo Music. The Jimmy Greco produced Independence Day was released in September, 2009 as the singer's first crossover into the English market.
Negrón’s CD got enthusiastic reviews, with Jon Pareles of the “New York Times” highlighting the CD in his Fall record release roundup. Airgo are currently in the process of re-releasing Independence Day with Negrón’s performance of the Kara DioGuardi
/David Cook
penned song “No Reply,” mixed by Tom Lord-Alge
.
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2003
2005
2006
2009
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
descent. He is among a group of notable young tropical singers and soneros who have woven a blend of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, R&B, hip-hop, and reggaetón
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
elements into their salsa, a group that includes Huey Dunbar
Huey Dunbar
Huey Dunbar, , is the former singer of Dark Latin Groove. Born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Jamaican father, he was exposed to music since his earliest years due to his parents' musical careers...
, Charlie Cruz
Charlie Cruz
Charlie Cruz is one of the new stars of the salsa music genre. His start was well received by the Puerto Rican recording industry. Born in 1975 in Puerto Rico Cruz was the oldest of seven siblings. He lived his adolescent years in Paterson, New Jersey, in the United States, where he grew to love...
, Kevin Ceballo
Kevin Ceballo
Kevin Ceballo is a singer of Salsa music of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Ceballo's parents immigrated from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan where Ceballo was born. His parents are Seventh-Day Adventists. Ceballo was exposed to and enjoyed the gospel singing at his House of Worship...
, and Obie Bermudez
Obie Bermúdez
Obie Bermúdez , is a Puerto Rican-American R&B/Salsa singer and composer.-Early years:Bermúdez was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico into a family who loved music. His father and grandfather were both musicians. He received his primary education in the town of Aibonito, however in 1992 the family...
. Siblings include a younger sister, Jaqueline Negrón
Jaqueline Negron
Jaqueline Negrón is an up and coming singer of Puerto Rican descent. Her styles include blends of pop, R&B, hip-hop, and reggaetón. Siblings include David Negrón, and salsa superstar, Frankie Negrón...
(Jackie Negrón), who is also a singer and dancer, and a brother, David Negrón.
Frankie attended Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School
Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in grades 9 through 12 in Newark, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. In 2010, the 6th graders of William Brown Academy is housed there as its venue is currently being built...
in the early 90s gaining notoriety as part of an R&B singing group called Base Harmony (the other members at this time were Sean Pulley, Dionte Sutton, Kwhan Jarmond, and Bobby Bright). As part of Base Harmony, Frankie sang for audiences in the New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
, Newark City Hall, The United in Group Harmony Association, and various clubs and venues around the tri-state area. It was during this period with Base Harmony that Frankie reinforced his already great vocal talents with an understanding of soul singing, complex group harmony, and stage performance that he'd draw from later in his musical career.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Frankie was raised in New Jersey primarily as an English speaker, but developed his initial love of salsa from his father's record collection. He sings almost exclusively in Spanish, but converses and jokes with his audiences in both languages. The first of his seven studio albums to date, Con Amor Se Gana (roughly translatable as "Love Conquers All"), was released in May 1997. His last salsa release, Mejor Que Nunca ("Better than Never"), was released in August 2006.
Frankie Negrón also has tried his hand at acting. Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, conducting an audition of Base Harmony for the ill-fated Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical The Capeman
The Capeman
The Capeman is a musical play written by Paul Simon and Derek Walcott based on the life of Salvador Agrón. The play opened at the Marquis Theatre in 1998 to poor reviews and had an initial run of only 68 performances....
, immediately recognized Frankie as someone worth watching and gave him a supporting role in the play. Frankie and members of Base Harmony also participated in the recording of the play's soundtrack CD "Songs From The Capeman
Songs From the Capeman
Songs From The Capeman is the ninth studio album by Paul Simon, released in 1997. It contains Simon's own performances of songs from the Broadway musical he wrote and produced called The Capeman augmented by members of the original cast. A departure musically from his earlier work, the album...
". Also, in 2000 Frankie starred as a struggling artist in the South Bronx
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of The Bronx. The neighborhoods of Tremont, University Heights, Highbridge, Morrisania, Soundview, Hunts Point, and Castle Hill are sometimes considered part of the South Bronx....
in Val Lik's independent film, Boricua's Bond http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217287/.
His singing career has been far more successful, evidenced by two Gold Album awards, for Con Amor Se Gana and No Me Compares ("Don't Compare Me"), and nine Billboard Top 40 Hot Latin Tracks to date. Frankie has also earned Grammy Award nominations, Billboard Award nods and two Premio Lo Nuestro Awards for Song of the Year. In an All Music Guide review, Frankie is referred to as "the genre's next definitive voice."
Negrón appeared on the American soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
on August 5, 2009 to perform music from his then upcoming album Independence Day. on Airgo Music. The Jimmy Greco produced Independence Day was released in September, 2009 as the singer's first crossover into the English market.
Negrón’s CD got enthusiastic reviews, with Jon Pareles of the “New York Times” highlighting the CD in his Fall record release roundup. Airgo are currently in the process of re-releasing Independence Day with Negrón’s performance of the Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
/David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
penned song “No Reply,” mixed by Tom Lord-Alge
Tom Lord-Alge
Tom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
.
Studio albums
- Con Amor Se GanaCon Amor Se GanaCon Amor Se Gana is the title of the debut album by American salsa singer Frankie Negrón released on May 20, 1997.-Tracklisting:This information adapted from Allmusic.-Chart performance:-Certification:...
(1997) - No Me ComparesNo Me ComparesNo Me Compares is the title of the second studio album by American salsa singer Frankie Negrón released on September 28, 1998.-Tracklisting:This information adapted from Allmusic.-Chart performance:-Certification:...
(1998) - Lo Que Llevo Por Dentro (1999)
- Por Tu Placer (2001)
- Inesperado (2003)
- Amanecer Contigo (2005) (nomitaded at Lo Nuestro 2006 for the tropical album of the year)
- Mejor Que Nunca (2006) - produced by Sergio GeorgeSergio GeorgeSergio George is a pianist and record producer, known for working with many famous performers of salsa music, although he has worked in other genres as well...
& Diego Galé - No Vuelvo Contigo (2007)
Singles
Sourcle: Allmusic1997
- Inolvidable (Hot Latin Tracks #20, Latin Tropical Airplay #1)
- Hoy Me Vuelto a Enamorar (Hot Latin Tracks #5, Latin Tropical Airplay #1)
- Una Gota de Lluvia (Latin Tropical Airplay #14)
1998
- Agua Pasada (Hot Latin Tracks #3, Latin Tropical Airplay #1)
- Princesa (Hot Latin Tracks #8, Latin Tropical Airplay #2)
1999
- No Me Compares (Latin Tropical Airpaly #18)
2000
- Remolino (Hot Latin Tracks #28, Latin Tropical Airplay #6)
- Enamorado de Ti (Hot Latin Tracks #12, Latin Tropical Airplay #3)
2001
- Comerte a Besos (Hot Latin Tracks #25, Latin Tropical Airplay #2)
- Por Tu Placer (Hot Latin Tracks #30, Latin Tropical Airplay #5)
2003
- Mi Mulata (Latin Tropical Airplay #23)
- Hasta Que Te Enamores (Latin Tropical Airplay #13)
2005
- Lento (Latin Tropical Airplay #17)
- Todo Es Mentira (Latin Tropical Airplay #6)
2006
- No Vuelvo Contigo (Latin Tropical Airplay #24)
2009
- Holding on to Love/Adicto a Tu Piel (Latin Tropical Airplay #3)