Walt Disney Records:
Biography of Jon Secada
Grammy® Award-winner Jon Secada performs the bonus track "If I Never Knew You," a duet with R & B songstress Shanice, on the soundtrack to Walt Disney's 33rd full-length animated feature, Pocahontas. The single is the second release from the album, which features a score by Academy Award®-winning composer Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin) and renowned Broadway lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Godspell and Pippin). Jon's contribution to Pocahontas follows the release of his multi-platinum sophomore effort, Heart, Soul & A Voice (SBK/ERG Records), which continues the rich melodic vibe set forth on his debut album, Jon Secada. Heart, Soul & A Voice was produced at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami where Jon recorded his debut album. The studio and location might be the same, but there's one significant change. On Heart, Soul & A Voice, he emerges not only as a singer, songwriter, and arranger, but now shares the producing credit with Grammy® Award-winning producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. The album spun several top 10 hits including the international smash, "If You Go" and "Mental Picture."
His debut album, Jon Secada, sold over 8 million copies worldwide. "Just Another Day," written by Jon, emerged as one of the biggest-selling singles of 1992. It spent 11 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard's Pop Singles chart and topped the charts around the globe. Follow-up singles, "Do You Believe in Us," "Angel," and "I'm Free," solidified his enormous success as a pop artist.
Jon firmly established himself as one of Latin music's brightest lights with the simultaneous release of his Spanish-language album, Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte & Si Te Vas. Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte yielded four consecutive number-one singles on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart, became the number-one Latin album of the year, was certified multiplatinum, emerged as the longest-running album on Billboard's Latin charts, and walked away with 1992's Grammy® for Best Latin Pop Album. Heart, Soul & A Voice had a simultaneous Spanish-language release titled Si Te Vas. Jon's forthcoming Spanish-language album Amor will be released this fall and it will include "Si No Te Conociera," the Spanish version of "If I Never Knew You."
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, the city he still calls home, Jon did not discover his muse until he was well into his teens. He went on to complete a bachelor's degree in Music and a master's degree in Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami. Jon started writing and performing with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine. He co-wrote the #1 hit for Gloria Estefan, "Coming Out of the Dark."