Beatriz Luengo González (born 23 December 1982) is a Spanish musician, composer, actress, dancer, singer and entrepreneur based in Miami. She gained international recognition by portraying Lola Fernández in the Antena 3 series One Step Forward (Spanish: Un paso adelante) and its spin–off musical group UPA Dance. Consisting of Luengo, Pablo Puyol, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, Mónica Cruz and Silvia Marty, UPA Dance released one studio album, UPA Dance, which reached number one at the Spanish Albums Chart and sold over 1.1 million units in Spain and France.

Beatriz Luengo
Born
Beatriz Luengo González

(1982-12-23) 23 December 1982 (age 41)
Madrid, Spain
Occupations
  • Musician
  • actress
  • dancer
  • singer
  • entrepreneur
Years active1993–present
Spouse
(m. 2008)
Children2
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, piano
Labels
Websitewww.beatrizluengooficial.com

Following the ending of Un paso adelante, Luengo launched a solo career and released her debut studio album Mi generación in 2005, followed by BL (2006), Carrousel (2008) and Bela y sus moskitas muertas (2011). She also co–wrote the song "Más fuerte" for Cucu Diamantes and earned a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Song in 2009. In 2007 Beatriz Luengo won an EBBA Award.

Early life and career

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Beatriz Luengo was born in Madrid in December 1982. The daughter of Angelines and Juan, she grew up and lived in the district of Hortaleza. In her free time, she played on the district basketball team.

When she was six years old she began to be interested in show business, after seeing a TV broadcast of the musical film Cabaret starring Liza Minnelli, who became a role model. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dance, where she studied ballet, jazz dance, Funky and flamenco.

When she was ten, she formed a musical group called Tatu with two childhood friends. They recorded a CD but the record label went out of business and their debut album was not released. Disappointed, Luengo gave up attending casting calls. After months, she successfully auditioned as a dancer for the Rita and Miliki Circus.

She danced on different TV spots for Televisión Española and was the singer in the TV program Esto Me Suena. She performed in musicals such as La Magia de Broadway I and II, Annie, Jekyll & Hyde, Hermanos de Sangre, and Peter Pan. During her stage performances she had the chance to work with Luis Ramirez, musical directors Alberto Quintero and Cesar Belda, and choreographer Luka Yesi.

Music career

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Mi generación and BL: 2005–07

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In 2005 she released her debut solo album, Mi Generación, on the Universal Music label. It was recorded in Spain, Belgium, and the United States. The album is an R&B and pop album, mixing some flamenco beats.

In early 2005, she released the first single from the album, "Mi Generación", but it failed to make an impact on the Spanish charts, despite peaking at #4 on the Airplay chart.

The second single from the album was "Go Away", a song written by American Pop star Justin Timberlake, and peaked at #1 on the Spanish Singles Chart. The third and final single was "Hit Lerele", an R&B song which peaked at #4 in Spain.

The album peaked at #20 in Spain and sold in excess of 30,000 copies, a commercial failure for Luengo and her label. Mi Generación had an exclusive release in France via FNAC stores, and peaked at #4 on the FNAC Top 20 without any form of promotion.

She won the prize "Better Musical Future", and she was chosen by the Spanish audience to represent Spain at the "Wanadoo Discoveries" in Nice, where she placed second. She was nominated to the MTV European Music Awards celebrated in Lisbon. She was invited in 2005 to the Grammy Awards and in 2006 to Cannes Festival.

In 2006, after the success of "Un Paso Adelante" in France, Universal released an edition of Mi Generación there, called BL. The lead single was "Hit Lerele", which peaked at #14 in France with sales of more than 90,000 copies. The second single was "Escape", and did also well on the charts, peaking at #14, selling 90,000 copies.

The album was released in mid-2006, and peaked at #7, selling 130,000 copies and being certified as Gold. The third and final single from BL was the R&B song "May Yo Lo", featuring Ruzzo from Orishas. However, this was only a promo single for French music stations; it did well on some radio stations.

The album peaked at #58 on the European Top 100 Albums Chart, and the single "Hit Lerele" was a Top 50 hit on the European Hot 100 Singles Chart.

Carrousel and Bela y sus moskitas muertas: 2008–present

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After three years outside the music scene, Luengo recorded a new album, Carrousel, in France in early 2008.

The album was produced by Yotuel Romero and Andres Levin, and Luengo wrote all the lyrics. The album is a mixture of various rhythms, from flamenco to R&B, adult contemporary and pop. The album was released on May 4, 2008, via Universal Music Spain.

Despite the success of the lead single, "Pretendo Hablarte", which peaked at #4 on the Spanish Singles Chart, the album only peaked at #25 on the Spanish Top 100 Albums Chart.

On September 20, 2011, Beatriz released Bela y Sus Moskitas Muertas. The album was released in Europe, USA, and Latin America. The album received rave reviews and was highlighted in the New York Times as "a whimsical and sensual mix of soft reggae-minded rock". Her first single from the album "Como Tú No Hay 2" reached the top of radio charts in the United States, Spain, and Argentina. The video for the single was nominated for Music Video of the Year at Univision's Premio Lo Nuestro Awards.

Bela y Sus Moskitas Muertas earned a nomination for the 2012 Latin Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album.

Other work

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Television and film

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Luengo had her first appearance in a feature film in Pasión Adolescente in 2000.

In television, she appeared in episodes of Spanish soap operas such as Robles Investigador Privado, Policías, Periodistas, and El Comisario. In 2001, Luengo starred in the TV series Un paso adelante, which made her well known in Spain, Europe, and some South American countries; it was here that the musical group Upa Dance was born. Upa Dance sold more than 600,000 copies of their first record.

In October, 2016 she became one of the contestants of the Spanish musical impersonation show Tu cara me suena.[1]

Entrepreneurship

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Luengo owns a dance school in her native Madrid, The Beatriz Luengo School, where alumni are taught modern dance, classical dance and Spanish dance.[2]

Personal life

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Luengo is good friends with her Un paso adelante fellow Miguel Ángel Muñoz.[3]

She has been dating Cuban musician and actor Yotuel Romero since September 2003 - she met him on the set of One Step Forward TV show. They married on 6 November 2008.[4] Yotuel Romero has a son, born in 1999 or 2000, from a previous relationship. On 20 August 2015, Luengo gave birth to her son, named Angelo .[5]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Album Charts Certification
SP FRA EU
2005 Mi generación
20[6]
2006 BL
  • Released: 17 April 2006
  • Label: Universal Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download
7[7]
58
FRA: Gold
2008 Carrousel
  • Released: 20 May 2008
  • Label: Universal Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download
25[8]
SP: 3× Platinum (digital)
2011 Bela y sus moskitas muertas
  • Released: 20 September 2011
  • Label: Universal Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download
37[9]
2018 Cuerpo y alma
  • Released: 18 May 2018
  • Label: Sony Music
  • Formats: CD, digital download

Singles

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Single Year Album Charts Certification
SP FRA ARG EU US
Latin
[11]
US
Latin
Pop
"Mi generación" 2005 Mi generación
9
"Go Away"
1*
"Hit Lerele" 2006 BL
14[12]
47
"Pretendo hablarte" 2008 Carrousel
4
84
SP: Platinum[13]
"Dime" 2009
10[14]
38
SP: Gold
"Y solo fui"
"Se llama amistad" Non-album single
6
"Como tú no hay 2" (featuring Yotuel) 2011 Bela y sus moskitas muertas
36
5
34
18
"Ley de Newton" (featuring Jesús Navarro) 2012
46
17
"Lengua" (featuring Shaggy)
"Más que suerte" (featuring Jesús Navarro) 2016 Non-album single
21
SP:Gold
MX:Gold
"Caprichosa" (featuring Mala Rodríguez) 2018
57
[15]
SP:Gold

Filmography

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Title Title Translation Year Format Role Notes
El circo de Rita y Miliki The Circus of Rita And Miliki 1993-1995 TV show Herself -
Periodistas Journalists 2000 TV series Candela 1 episode
Policías, en el corazón de la calle Policemen, Of the Street by Heart 2000 TV series Toñi 1 episode
Pasión adolescente Adolescent Passion 2001 TV film Mónica
El comisario The Commissioner 2001 TV series Girl 2 episodes
Robles, investigador Robles, Investigator 2001 TV series Girl 1 episode
Un paso adelante One Step Forward 2001-2005 TV series Dolores "Lola" Fernández 84 episodes
La hora de José Mota The Hour of José Mota 2009 TV series Girl 1 episode
Tu cara me suena Your Face Sounds Familiar 2016 Contest Contestant
UPA Next UPA Next 2022-2023 TV series Dolores "Lola" Fernández 8 episodes

Stage credits

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Title Year Production Notes
Grease 1999 Lope de Vega Theatre, Madrid
Peter Pan 1999 Lope de Vega Theatre, Madrid
Nuevo Apolo Theatre, Madrid
1999–2000
The Magic of Broadway I 1999 Lara Theatre, Madrid
Jekyll & Hyde 2000 Lope de Vega Theatre, Madrid
Blood Brothers 2000 Lope de Vega Theatre, Madrid
The Magic of Broadway II 2000 Lara Theatre, Madrid

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Category Nominated Work Result
Latin Grammy Awards 2012 Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album "Bela y sus Moskitas Muertas" Nominated
Cadena Dial Awards 2008 Best Spanish Artist Won
Latin Grammy Awards 2009 Best Alternative Song "Más fuerte" Nominated
Lo Nuestro Awards 2011 Music Video of the Year "Como tú no hay 2" Nominated
Los 40 Principales Awards 2008 Best New Artist Nominated
Best Video "Pretendo hablarte" Nominated
Max Awards 1999 Best Theatre Debut Peter Pan Won
MTV Europe Music Awards 2005 Best Spanish Act Nominated
2007 Nominated
2008 Nominated
Orgullosamente Latino Awards 2010 Best Female Latin Artist Nominated
Pentagrama Awards 2008 Achievement in Culture Won
Spanish Music Awards 2005 Best New Act Won

References

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  1. ^ http://www.formulatv.com/noticias/60091/beatriz-luengo-ganadora-primera-gala-tu-cara-me-suena-5/ Beatriz Luengo es la ganadora en la primera gala de 'Tu cara me suena' in formulatv.com
  2. ^ "Escuela de baile y danza Beatriz Luengo". escuelabeatrizluengo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. ^ Blánquez, Javier (11 February 2009). "Beatriz Luengo: 'De pequeña ya era muy coplera'". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  4. ^ "Biography". beatrizluengooficial.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Beatriz Luengo y Yotuel ya son padres - Informalia.es".
  6. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Mi generación". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – BL". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Carrousel". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Bela y sus moskitas muertas". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Cuerpo y alma". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Beatríz Luengo - Chart History: Hot Latin Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  12. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Hit lerele". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  13. ^ "Spanish digital single certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 17 June 2022. Select Canciones under "Categoría", select 2008 under "Año". Select 40 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
  14. ^ "Beatriz Luengo – Dime". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  15. ^ "Top 100 Canciones – Semana 18: del 27.4.2018 al 3.5.2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
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