- Sa-Fire
Sa-Fire was born Wilma Cosmé,
1967 , in San Juan,Puerto Rico . She grew up mostly inEast Harlem and began her singing career as a session vocalist.Music career
Sa-Fire was discovered at an audition for Cutting Records. While she did not have massive pop chart success, she is nevertheless considered an important part of the success of Latin freestyle and remains one of the most recognizable names in that genre. Her debut single, "Don't Break My Heart" (1986), remains well regarded by freestyle music and Club/Dance fans. "Let Me be the One" (1987), her follow-up single, proved to be a bigger hit than her debut. "Boy, I've Been Told" the first single of her self-titled debut
album crossed over to popradio and became her first pop hit reaching #48 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart. Thesong was the #1 selling single in New York for twelve straight weeks and the #1 song on the oldHot 97 radio station in 1988. The song topped the charts in all of the major radio stations throughout theUnited States .Sa-Fire scored her most commercially successful hit with the
ballad "Thinking of You" in 1989, when hit peaked at #4 on theAdult Contemporary chart and at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was translated into Spanish (as "El Recuerdo de Ti") by the singer/actor ,Ruben Blades .In 1989, Sa-Fire and "Thinking of You" were featured in a
public service announcement commercial forAIDS awareness. The commercial was seen on Spanish language TV across the U.S. andLatin America . She also sang the song on an episode of the 1989 revival of "The Mickey Mouse Club ".Those hits and others helped her debut album remain a strong seller for years, although it is currently out-of-print. The album peaked at #84 on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at #79 on theBillboard Hot 200 . Other singles of hers that charted on theBillboard Hot 100 include "Gonna Make It" and "Made Up My Mind." She was fortunate to have a majorrecord label , Mercury/PolyGram, behind her to push her career forward.Sa-Fire has been featured in various magazines, such as "U.S. Magazine", "Billboard", "Vogue", "
Elle " and was the first Latina to grace the cover of "Spin Magazine ." She has also appeared on television programs such as "American Bandstand ", "Pat Sajak Show ", "Joan Rivers Show", "Latin Connection", "MTV International", "Party Machine", "PM Magazine", and "Entertainment Tonight ". Sa-Fire has performed throughout the United States,Japan ,Europe ,Caribbean andSouth America . She has won numerous awards, including six New York Music Awards, three Desi Awards, and an ASCAP award for writing "Thinking of You," which was cited as one of the most-played songs on radio.Sa-Fire was given a lifetime achievement award at radio station
WKTU 's "Freestyle free 4 all"concert inAtlantic City in 2007.The 1990s
In 1990, she remade "I Will Survive" for the
soundtrack of thefilm "She-Devil ", incorporating a house and hip-hop element into the 1970sdisco hit.In 1991 Sa-Fire was featured in "A Christmas Message" with Mercury/PolyGram labelmates
Vanessa L. Williams andBrian McKnight , with her rendition of theChristmas classic "Joy to the World ."Although Freestyle music waned in mainstream popularity in the early 1990s, Sa-Fire counteracted this by releasing the house song "Taste the Bass" as a single from her second album, "I Wasn't Born Yesterday". "Taste the Bass" peaked at #6 on the
Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The lead single, "Made up My Mind," was an immediate success within the dance music and urban music communities, peaking at #9 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play. However, the song stalled at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100.During the mid 1990s, after a short hiatus, Sa-Fire returned with a Spanish language album, "Atrevida". However, this first try at a salsa album was not commercially successful.
The 2000's
After another hiatus, Sa-Fire announced the release of her new album "Bringing back the Groove" in 2001. The album featured a cover of the
New Edition hit "Can You Stand the Rain," featuring Cynthia. The single sparked moderate dance and urban format radio airplay.The album's second single, "Don't Break My Heart 2002," peaked at #3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play.As of 2007 , Sa-Fire continues to tour, as well as produce and write for other artists. She also plans to release two singles and is currently putting the finishing touches on a dance album and a Latino rock album. Sa-Fire is also working on a 2008 calendar and a documentary.2008 - Her new single, "Exotique," is expected to be released overseas in October 2008 and in the USA in January 2009.
Discography
Albums
*"Sa-Fire" (1988) Cutting/Mercury/
PolyGram Records
*"I Wasn't Born Yesterday" (1991) Mercury/PolyGram Records
*"Atrevida" (1996)Sony Discos
*"Bringing Back the Groove" (2001) Globestaringles
1986 "Don't Break My Heart" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #31 1987 "Let Me be the One" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #26 1988 "Boy, I've Been Told" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #13 1988 "Boy, I've Been Told" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #3 1988 "Boy, I've Been Told" The Billboard Hot 100 #48 1989 "Gonna Make It" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #31 1989 "Gonna Make It" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #20 1989 "Gonna Make It" The Billboard Hot 100 #71 1989 "Love is on Her Mind" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #29 1989 "Love is on Her Mind" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #18 1989 "Thinking of You" Adult Contemporary #3 1989 "Thinking of You" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #26 1989 "Thinking of You" The Billboard Hot 100 #12 1990 "I Will Survive" The Billboard Hot 100 #53 1989 "I Will Survive" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #30 1989 "I Will Survive" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #37 1991 "Made up My Mind" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #36 1991 "Made up My Mind" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #7 1991 "Made up My Mind" The Billboard Hot 100 #82 1991 "Made up My Mind" Hot 100 Airplay #60 1991 "Taste the Bass" Hot Dance Music/Club Play #6 1991 "Taste the Bass" Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales #4 2001 "Can You Stand the Rain" 2008 "Exotique"
External links
* [http://www.myspace.com/safiresofficialpage Sa-Fire @ MySpace]
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