King Africa
Encyclopedia
Alan Duffy better known by his stage name
King África (born October 31, 1971) is an Argentine
recording artist of American descent. He is well known in Latin America
and Spain
for his dance music and unique, intense voice.
in 1971. His first appearance on record was August 1992 in the album DJ Dero - Volume 1 with the track "EOE". This was followed in Summer 1993 with "Pontel Pónselo". that quickly became a club favorite introducing King África. The debut album was El Africano went on sale in mid-1993, reaching platinum status in Argentina and Chile
, and featured the single "Salta", that topped the charts across Latin America.
Then King África focused on preparing a live CD, from his tour performances in 1993 and early 1994 taking him to the remotest corners of South America, achieving unprecedented success. The release in late 1994 of the much-anticipated sophomore work, Al Palo had great impact. Title single "Al Palo" and also "Mamá Yo Quiero" quickly climbed the charts in all of Latin America.
In Chile, where King África had a particularly high rating, was invited to the 1995 International Song Festival of Viña del Mar
, where he played together with a large band and won the sympathy of the public, as well as critical acclaim. His act spread quickly across the continent after the Viña del Mar
event. He also performed in Africa
.
Then he recorded what would be his next success the album Remix with new versions of their earlier hits and some new songs. The album included the single "Cachete, pechito y ombligo" produced by Sandy & Papo and released in Summer 1996, after which King África returned back to his touring organized in many Latin American countries by MTV Latino. He also performed in the Acapulco
Festival (Mexico
), in Miami, and Sweden
.
After Remix, the band saw great changes in the composition and image. The next release was in 1997 with the album Animal another big success throughout Latin America. In 1998 he started a new Latin American tour, also traveling to Europe, most notably in Spain. He took part in the Carnival of Tenerife where his hit "The Chameleon" was chosen as the number one tune for the carnival.
Efforts to gain truly international fame came with the mega-hit "La Bomba
" and with the European launch of the Greatest Hits album La Bomba (Grandes éxitos), reaching the top of the Spanish top 40. "La Bomba" King África's cover version of the song by the Bolivian group Azul Azul
) became "Song of the Summer", top selling single and top radio play. Seeing great success in European charts, he toured with 150 concerts in Spain, Portugal
, France
, Italy
, Germany
, Belgium
, Switzerland
, Romania
and the Netherlands
. La Bomba (Grandes éxitos) became a gold disc in Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
Early in 2001 King África launched "Carnavalito EP" (in advance of his album "Pachanga"), with four songs most notably the song "El Humahuaqueño". In April 2001 he released his new album Pachanga that included topics such as "Comadre Compadre," "El Humahuaqueño" and "Salta" (2001 remix). The latter was used for the advertisement of Pringles
potato chips with high global impact. The US and Puerto Rico version of the album "Pachanga" contained a special reggaeton remix of "El Humahuaqueño". The same version went gold in Spain. Billboard
magazine nominated King África as "Best Pop Artist revelation to Billboard Latin Awards and album Pachanga as Latin "Album of the Year".
Also in 2001, he was invited to take part in "Son Latino" festival in Tenerife
's scenic Playa de las Vistas singing before 250,000 people to a standing ovation. His tour was extended to the United States
and Canada
, where he was invited to participate in the election of Miss Hawaiian Tropic World held in Las Vegas. The event was broadcast live on television worldwide.
In 2002 the artist released Energía, an album that included songs like "Mete-mete" and "Vitorino", the latter duo with Los del Río
(known best for "La Macarena"). In France, he attained gold status with the CD single for "La Bomba (remix)" exceeding sales of 250,000 copies.
In 2003 published the album: "Buena Onda" which contains songs such as: butter, you look good, and hit Tesouro do Pirata (Onda Onda). In July this year went to Japan
to support a number of presentations on radio and television in the cities of Kyoto
, Osaka
, Kobe
, Yokohama
and Tokyo
, his album "King Africa - Greatest Hits," released in that country, and because that his version of the item: La Bomba is one of the three most popular songs from the chart of the Japanese radios do several concerts with great success.
In 2004 went on sale: "Reggaeton Mix," containing items such as: "My grandmother made the next great Puerto Rican Wilfred" (Wilfred singer and Ganga, a group famous in the 90s), and the hit, "Golosa." That same year King traveled to Africa for the first time Costa Rica for several concerts.
At the beginning of 2005 participated in the television program "Big Brother VIP 2" of Spain, and immediately left the competition when it introduced the album: "VIP Party". King Africa, on this record, released a great compilation of 21 songs that have become famous throughout the world, including the mega-hit: "The Chocolate Makers Paquito" (a "paso doble" based on the 1937 work by the Spaniard composer Gustavo Pascual Falcó).
In the year 2006 published in the compilation "Caribbean 2006" (Vale Music) Song: "Saturday Night" (Di Di La La La), a classic of the 90s, and in 2007 hits the market in the compilation "Caribbean 2007 "(Universal - Vale Music) with his version: "Blossom" (Blossom Murderer) (Caribbean Remix), a song that triumph throughout Latin America.
In December 2007, Vale Music celebrates its 10th Anniversary launched the album: "Vale Music: 10 years in our own way", which includes 17 big hits version 17 of its great artists. As it could not be less, as a veteran artist of Vale Music, King Africa was invited to participate in this great celebration of the group performing a version O-Zone, the song is the big hit: "Dragostea Din Tei."
In May 2008, Vale Music distributed his successful album "Caribbean 2008," including a new summer song (track 1, on CD2), called: "Chispum." In early June, Vale Music editing compiled "Disco Estrella 2008" which includes a composition by Rodolfo Chikilicuatre
. King África: "Dance the chiki chiki," a version they made together for Andreu Buenafuente
's program.
His compilation contributed to the success of 10th Annual Latino Dance Vale Music Festival (Spain), in May 2009, and King África contributed to Caribbean 2009: The summer is blue with a new composition: "Tiki and Taka."
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
King África (born October 31, 1971) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
recording artist of American descent. He is well known in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
for his dance music and unique, intense voice.
Biography
King África was born Alan Duffy in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1971. His first appearance on record was August 1992 in the album DJ Dero - Volume 1 with the track "EOE". This was followed in Summer 1993 with "Pontel Pónselo". that quickly became a club favorite introducing King África. The debut album was El Africano went on sale in mid-1993, reaching platinum status in Argentina and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and featured the single "Salta", that topped the charts across Latin America.
Then King África focused on preparing a live CD, from his tour performances in 1993 and early 1994 taking him to the remotest corners of South America, achieving unprecedented success. The release in late 1994 of the much-anticipated sophomore work, Al Palo had great impact. Title single "Al Palo" and also "Mamá Yo Quiero" quickly climbed the charts in all of Latin America.
In Chile, where King África had a particularly high rating, was invited to the 1995 International Song Festival of Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is a music festival held annually during February since 1960 in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is considered the most important musical event in Latin America....
, where he played together with a large band and won the sympathy of the public, as well as critical acclaim. His act spread quickly across the continent after the Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar , is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Its long stretches of white sandy beaches are a major attraction for national and international tourists. The city is Chile's main tourist attraction. Known as "La Ciudad Jardín" , Viña del Mar is a Chilean Municipality located...
event. He also performed in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Then he recorded what would be his next success the album Remix with new versions of their earlier hits and some new songs. The album included the single "Cachete, pechito y ombligo" produced by Sandy & Papo and released in Summer 1996, after which King África returned back to his touring organized in many Latin American countries by MTV Latino. He also performed in the Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
Festival (Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), in Miami, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
After Remix, the band saw great changes in the composition and image. The next release was in 1997 with the album Animal another big success throughout Latin America. In 1998 he started a new Latin American tour, also traveling to Europe, most notably in Spain. He took part in the Carnival of Tenerife where his hit "The Chameleon" was chosen as the number one tune for the carnival.
Efforts to gain truly international fame came with the mega-hit "La Bomba
La Bomba (King Africa song)
"La Bomba" is the debut single released by Bolivian band Azul Azul. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs and Billboard Tropical Songs charts...
" and with the European launch of the Greatest Hits album La Bomba (Grandes éxitos), reaching the top of the Spanish top 40. "La Bomba" King África's cover version of the song by the Bolivian group Azul Azul
Azul azul
Azul Azul is a Bolivian pop-rock-dance group formed in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in early 1990s. Azul Azul had its mayor breakthrough in 1995 with a song called El Huevo...
) became "Song of the Summer", top selling single and top radio play. Seeing great success in European charts, he toured with 150 concerts in Spain, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. La Bomba (Grandes éxitos) became a gold disc in Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
Early in 2001 King África launched "Carnavalito EP" (in advance of his album "Pachanga"), with four songs most notably the song "El Humahuaqueño". In April 2001 he released his new album Pachanga that included topics such as "Comadre Compadre," "El Humahuaqueño" and "Salta" (2001 remix). The latter was used for the advertisement of Pringles
Pringles
Pringles is a brand of potato and wheat based snacks originally developed by Procter & Gamble. Pringles are sold in more than 140 countries and have yearly sales of more than...
potato chips with high global impact. The US and Puerto Rico version of the album "Pachanga" contained a special reggaeton remix of "El Humahuaqueño". The same version went gold in Spain. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine nominated King África as "Best Pop Artist revelation to Billboard Latin Awards and album Pachanga as Latin "Album of the Year".
Also in 2001, he was invited to take part in "Son Latino" festival in Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
's scenic Playa de las Vistas singing before 250,000 people to a standing ovation. His tour was extended to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he was invited to participate in the election of Miss Hawaiian Tropic World held in Las Vegas. The event was broadcast live on television worldwide.
In 2002 the artist released Energía, an album that included songs like "Mete-mete" and "Vitorino", the latter duo with Los del Río
Los del Río
Los Del Rio, also known as "The Del Rios," was a Spanish Latin dance group formed in 1992 and broke up in mid-2007. They were best known by their smash-hit and hot dance single Macarena originally released in early 1994. The song peaked at the Hot Dance Singles and Billboard 200 by mid-1994. The...
(known best for "La Macarena"). In France, he attained gold status with the CD single for "La Bomba (remix)" exceeding sales of 250,000 copies.
In 2003 published the album: "Buena Onda" which contains songs such as: butter, you look good, and hit Tesouro do Pirata (Onda Onda). In July this year went to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to support a number of presentations on radio and television in the cities of Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, his album "King Africa - Greatest Hits," released in that country, and because that his version of the item: La Bomba is one of the three most popular songs from the chart of the Japanese radios do several concerts with great success.
In 2004 went on sale: "Reggaeton Mix," containing items such as: "My grandmother made the next great Puerto Rican Wilfred" (Wilfred singer and Ganga, a group famous in the 90s), and the hit, "Golosa." That same year King traveled to Africa for the first time Costa Rica for several concerts.
At the beginning of 2005 participated in the television program "Big Brother VIP 2" of Spain, and immediately left the competition when it introduced the album: "VIP Party". King Africa, on this record, released a great compilation of 21 songs that have become famous throughout the world, including the mega-hit: "The Chocolate Makers Paquito" (a "paso doble" based on the 1937 work by the Spaniard composer Gustavo Pascual Falcó).
In the year 2006 published in the compilation "Caribbean 2006" (Vale Music) Song: "Saturday Night" (Di Di La La La), a classic of the 90s, and in 2007 hits the market in the compilation "Caribbean 2007 "(Universal - Vale Music) with his version: "Blossom" (Blossom Murderer) (Caribbean Remix), a song that triumph throughout Latin America.
In December 2007, Vale Music celebrates its 10th Anniversary launched the album: "Vale Music: 10 years in our own way", which includes 17 big hits version 17 of its great artists. As it could not be less, as a veteran artist of Vale Music, King Africa was invited to participate in this great celebration of the group performing a version O-Zone, the song is the big hit: "Dragostea Din Tei."
In May 2008, Vale Music distributed his successful album "Caribbean 2008," including a new summer song (track 1, on CD2), called: "Chispum." In early June, Vale Music editing compiled "Disco Estrella 2008" which includes a composition by Rodolfo Chikilicuatre
Rodolfo Chikilicuatre
Rodolfo Chikilicuatre ; is a Spanish comedic character played by David Fernández Ortiz and first introduced in the Spanish late night show Buenafuente as an improvisational act. Rodolfo was interviewed as the inventor of the vibrator-guitar...
. King África: "Dance the chiki chiki," a version they made together for Andreu Buenafuente
Andreu Buenafuente
Andreu Buenafuente is a Spanish late night show host and founder of the group El Terrat. He has worked in TV3, Antena 3 and La Sexta...
's program.
His compilation contributed to the success of 10th Annual Latino Dance Vale Music Festival (Spain), in May 2009, and King África contributed to Caribbean 2009: The summer is blue with a new composition: "Tiki and Taka."
Discography
- 1993 El Africano
- 1994 Al Palo
- 1996 Remix
- 1998 Animal
- 2000 La Bomba (Grandes éxitos)
- 2001 Carnavalito EP
- 2001 Pachanga
- 2002 Energía
- 2003 Buena onda
- 2004 Reggaetón Mix
- 2005 Fiesta VIP