Vicente Fernández, the King of Mexican Music, Seduces American Audiences in 2007

Mexican singer Vicente Fernández has had a great year in 2007. His new studio album Para Siempre (FOREVER) was released September 25, 2007. And in just eight weeks, the CD has gone Platinum, as certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. This is in recognition of U.S. and Puerto Rico sales in excess of 200,000 units. The CD is also nominated for a 2008 Grammy in th category “Best Mexican/Mexican American Album”. In addition to receiving three Latin Grammys for previous recordings, Fernández also achieved the Latin Grammy’s highest level of recognition in 2003 when he was named “Person of the Year.”
 
 At a point when many artists would be content to coast along on retrospectives, Vicente Fernández is recording some of the most powerful new material of his career. Para Siempre is his 79th album, but it’s selling as if it was the breakout debut of a hot new artist, debuting at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. The CD’s first single, a brassy, breezy ranchera “Estos Celos” (“This Jealousy”) caught on immediately – not only with fans of Vicente Fernández, but among millions of Mexican-music lovers. When “Estos Celos” reached No. 1 on U.S. and Mexico airplay charts during Hispanic Heritage Month, it was a fitting achievement for this larger-than-life icon of Mexican culture. And even better, “Estos Celos” remained at No. 1 for nine consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Hot Latin Airplay chart, making it not only one of 2007’s biggest hits, but a true all-time smash in the career of this living legend. Para Siempre is the first collaboration between Vicente Fernández and one of Mexico’s greatest country-roots composers, Joan Sebastian. Sebastian wrote and produced all twelve tracks on the album. The title track to the CD will be reaching national TV audiences each week in 2008, having been chosen as the theme song for a new Mexican telenovela.
 
 The Mexican legend’s 40th anniversary U.S. tour was his biggest ever, starting at San Francisco’s Cow Palace in May, crisscrossing the U.S. and wrapping up with an extraordinary eight nights at L.A.’s 6,000-seat Gibson Amphitheatre (topping his own record of seven nights in 2006). His first concert at the new Stockton Arena in California sold out so rapidly that stunned presenters rushed to lock in future dates with the singer.
 
 In addition to a second radio single from Para Siempre, the New Year will bring also include a feature profile on Vicente, Mexico’s ultimate charro, in the glossy monthly Cowboys and Indians magazine as well as a segment on nationalgeographic.com that will be available as an audio podcast.
 
 Vicente Fernández – Recent Discography
 Para Siempre (Forever) – September 25th,, 2007
 La tragedia del Vaquero (The Cowboy’s Tragedy) – November 21, 2006
 The Living Legend (3-CD box set) – June 27, 2006