Lisette Melendez
Encyclopedia
Lisette Melendez is an American freestyle
/Latin pop
/dance-pop
singer. She is best known for her 1991 hits "Together Forever" and "A Day In My Life (Without You)". These song
s propelled her debut album Together Forever to gold
status with over 700,000 copies sold. Both songs were such big dance music
hits that they are credited as helping renew interest in Freestyle music
in the early 90s, which had been fading in popularity due to the rise of mainstream pop music
and grunge
at the time.
by emulating Barbra Streisand
and Bette Midler
. In high school
she became a fan
of Puerto Rican
freestyle music singer Lisa Lisa who had many dance hits. Melendez, also of Puerto Rican
descent, was inspired by Lisa Lisa's success.
Carlos Berrios, who had also worked with Sweet Sensation
and Samantha Fox
. A few years of dance club touring eventually led to the recording of the single "Together Forever" with Berrios, and soon after a full album
with Fever/Columbia Records
.
hit "Goody Goody" (#53) and "Will You Ever Save Me" which charted on the Rhythmic Top 40 at #38. The album did extremely well in Japan
, both commercially and critically, where she won a "Best New Artist" Grammy Award
. In 1998, she released her third album, Un Poco De Mi in 1998, a salsa
album sung in Spanish. It scored a hit with "Algo de Mi" which peaked at #8 on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay chart and #23 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Her fourth album released later in 1998 is titled, "Imagination." The lead single from "Imagination" was "Time Passes By." It did not gain mass radio airplay and success like her previous singles, but it became a moderate hit nonetheless.
, Liscyn. She continues to tour as of 2006.
In 2008 Melendez teamed up with famed music producer Carlos "After Dark" Berrios and performed two new tracks "I Need a Lover" and "Don't Ever Say" on albums Don't Look Back Sessions One & Two.
Compilation albums
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
/Latin pop
Latin pop
Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...
/dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
singer. She is best known for her 1991 hits "Together Forever" and "A Day In My Life (Without You)". These song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s propelled her debut album Together Forever to gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status with over 700,000 copies sold. Both songs were such big dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
hits that they are credited as helping renew interest in Freestyle music
Freestyle music
Freestyle or Latin freestyle, sometimes referred to as Latin hip hop, is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 1980s. Mostly popular during the mid 80s to the early 90s...
in the early 90s, which had been fading in popularity due to the rise of mainstream pop music
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...
and grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
at the time.
Early life
Melendez was born and raised in East Harlem. Some sources cite Melendez' birthdate as 1976. Melendez' childhood inspirations include her mother and aunt, who sang in a church choir and community theater. As a teenager she honed her singing voiceHuman voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
by emulating Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
. In high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
she became a fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
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...
freestyle music singer Lisa Lisa who had many dance hits. Melendez, also 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, was inspired by Lisa Lisa's success.
Career
In 1988 she got her break and sang backing vocals for a track by dance music record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Carlos Berrios, who had also worked with Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation was a Puerto Rican female freestyle-dance music trio from The Bronx, New York.-History:Formed in 1986, In The Bronx . The original group members were Betty LeBron and sisters Margie and Mari Fernandez. Originally on Next Plateau Records, in 1988 they were picked up by Atco and...
and Samantha Fox
Samantha Fox
Samantha Karen "Sam" Fox is an English dance-pop singer, actress, and former glamour model. In 1983, at the age of 16, she began her topless modeling career on Page Three of The Sun, and went on to become a popular pin-up girl...
. A few years of dance club touring eventually led to the recording of the single "Together Forever" with Berrios, and soon after a full album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
with Fever/Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
1990s
Four more albums followed, including her second album True To Life in 1994 which spawned the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit "Goody Goody" (#53) and "Will You Ever Save Me" which charted on the Rhythmic Top 40 at #38. The album did extremely well in 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...
, both commercially and critically, where she won a "Best New Artist" Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. In 1998, she released her third album, Un Poco De Mi in 1998, a salsa
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...
album sung in Spanish. It scored a hit with "Algo de Mi" which peaked at #8 on the Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay chart and #23 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. Her fourth album released later in 1998 is titled, "Imagination." The lead single from "Imagination" was "Time Passes By." It did not gain mass radio airplay and success like her previous singles, but it became a moderate hit nonetheless.
2000s
In 2005 Melendez teamed up with fellow Freestyle artist Cynthia and released the single "I Can't Change Your Mind" as the duoDuet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, Liscyn. She continues to tour as of 2006.
In 2008 Melendez teamed up with famed music producer Carlos "After Dark" Berrios and performed two new tracks "I Need a Lover" and "Don't Ever Say" on albums Don't Look Back Sessions One & Two.
Discography
Studio albums- 1991: Together ForeverTogether Forever (Lisette Melendez album)-Track listing:-Charts:Album - Billboard Singles - Billboard...
- 1994: True to Life
- 1998: Un Poco De MiUn Poco De MiUn Poco De Mi, Lisette Melendez third album, features her strong vocal presence in a richly Latin musical setting. Salsa, dance and R&B combine on the album's eight songs, such as "Algo De Mi" and "Tocar El Cielo," for a soulful and danceable experience....
- 1998: ImaginationImagination (Lisette Melendez album)Imagination is an album by Lisette Melendez. Tracks include the singles "Time Passes By" and "Make the Way," as well as the catchy "I Like What You're Doing to Me" and "Ecstasy."1.Time Passes By2.Make the Way3.I Like What You're Doing...
Compilation albums
- 2000: Greatest Hits
Singles
- "Together Forever" #35 US
- "A Day In My Life (Without You)" #49 US
- "Never Say Never"
- "Goody Goody" #53 US
- "Will You Ever Save Me"
- "Algo de Mi"
- "Time Passes By"
- "I Can't Change Your Mind"