Verónica Castro

Verónica Castro
Born	Verónica Judith Sáenz Castro [1] October 19, 1952 (1952-10-19) (age 59) Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Years active	1964–present
Children	Cristian Castro, Michelle Sáinz Castro
Awards	Silver Goddess Award (2002)

Verónica Castro (Spanish pronunciation: [beˈɾonika ˈkastɾo]) (born October 19, 1952) is a Mexican actress, singer and television host. She is the mother of singer Cristian Castro and filmmaker Michelle Sáinz Castro and the sister of actress Beatriz Castro, and telenovela producer José Alberto Castro.

She started her career as a television actress, where she met Manuel Valdez "El Loco", father of her son Cristian Castro, and in fotonovelas and telenovelas while earning her degree in international relations.

Acting and music career

Veronica's first brush with fame came appearing nude in Caballero Magazine, a men's magazine published in Mexico City, when she was only 16 years of age. She recorded her first album in 1978, a self-titled album, releasing three hit singles from it; these were "Mi Pequeño Ciclón", "Soy Celosa", and "Yo Quisiera Señor Locutor". The following year, she recorded another hit record with "Aprendí A Llorar" and famed Mexican producer, composer and singer Juan Gabriel penned the hit single, "Adios" especially for her, which became very popular.

After appearing in a series of films and telenovelas (El Edificio de Enfrente in 1974 and Barata de Primavera in 1978, among others) her career took off with Los ricos también lloran, playing a poor orphan, with Rogelio Guerra and Rocío Banquells. This telenovela became a success in Latin America, Spain, Croatia, Italy, France, Israel, Russia, China and the Philippines. The success of this story brought her new found fame with her single, "Aprendí A Llorar". The following hit was "San Francisco De Asis".

Two years later she played the main role in the telenovela version of El derecho de nacer. Because of her expanding fame as a world artist, she started recording her music in different languages and began to tour the world and perform in diverse venues.

In 1986 she performed in the Latin version of "We Are The World". She also released one of her most ambitious albums to date, "Simplemente Todo". The top selling singles were "Oye Tu", "Simplemente Todo" and "Macumba". She accompanied her singles with videos, becoming one of the pioneers of the MTV age in Latin America. She recorded the music video "Macumba". She worked in telenovelas in Argentina and Italy.

In 1987 her career got a huge boost internationally when she played the main character in Rosa salvaje alongside Guillermo Capetillo and Laura Zapata. The theme song for that telenovela, also named "Rosa salvaje", became one of her biggest hits. As her CD, "Reina de la noche", topped the charts and her soap opera became one of the world's best selling stories to date^{[citation needed]}, she released another #1 single, "Mala noche no".

In 1990 Castro participated in Mi pequeña Soledad alongside Omar Fierro and July Furlong, where she had to play both a 40-year-old victim of rape who became pregnant and later was paralyzed in a car crash, and her 20-year-old daughter, the "Soledad" of the title, who was the product of the rape. Castro recorded the hit song "Mi Pequeña Soledad" and it became a world wide phenomenon. The ballad opened new markets and became her theme song. She began the television series, "La Movida", which was sung also in Italian and English. After the success of the single a maxi-single and 12" mix were leaked to radio and clubs. In 1993, she starred in the unsucessful telenovela Valentina with Juan Ferrara and the "Queen of Salsa", Celia Cruz.

In 1997 Castro re-emerged successfully with a new CD and a new television show. The CD was produced by A.B. Quintanilla, famed for his production of all the Selena CDs. She filmed the most controversial music video in her career, "Pena De Amor Y Muerte". The video included some nudity, and the song was featured on the soundtrack of the telenovela Pueblo chico, Infierno grande. The story line, from the early nineteenth century, was based on a real life drama, the story of Leonarda Ruan. Other cast members are Juan Soler and Alma Delfina. She incorporated regional Mexican music, rancheras, pop, dance-techno, country and hip hop beats.

In 1999 Castro recorded her last pop CD, "Ave Vagabundo", by famed composer and producer Ana Gabriel. She included several dance mixes of her hit singles, "Sacudelo" and "Zumbalo". Castro toured various countries in support of CD, the biggest success included Argentina, Italy and America.

During the 1990s she began hosting variety shows, and has continued to do so since. Her son, Cristian, is a teen idol singer across Latin America and the United States, She, and Christian's father, Manuel Valdés, have never married. Castro's private life has become fodder for paparazzi photographers and gossip magazines.

In 2006 she recorded "Por Esa Puerta". For the first time it was released only in Mexico, becoming a best-seller internationally. It was only available through the Internet and importation of the CD. When the CD arrived in the United States, it became the most sought after CD in her career. Castro has never had a barrier in what musical direction she takes, and thus she has covered a wide array of styles, from pop/rock, Mexican regional country music-rancheras, boleros, banda/norteno to Spanish, English and Italian. "Por Esa Puerta" did not prove to be a disappointment to fans because it neglected some markets, but it broadened the regional Mexican country music to other pop lovers as Alejandro Fernandez or Pepe Aguilar have done successfully.

In 2008 Verónica Castro returned to the stage with Chiquita Pero Picosa, a remake of a production in which she had appeared in the 1980s. She also filmed an episode of "Mujeres Asesinas" in which she played a killer. The episode was critically acclaimed.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009 Verónica Castro went back to telenovelas, and left her native Mexico for Argentina to film the telenovela Los Exitosos Pérez. It premiered in Mexico on August 30, 2009.

For her work in television, theater, movies and in the recording industry, Castro's handprints are imbedded at the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City.

Stage credits

• 2008: Chiquita Pero Picosa
• 1995: La Mujer del Año
• 1983: Los Amores De Verónica in Argentina
• 1982: Un Dia Con Charlie in Argentina
• 1980: Chiquita Pero Picosa
• 1979: Trú Trú entre Tres
• 1978: 24 Horas contigo
• 1978: La Luna Azul
• 1977: La Idiota
• 1976: Coqueluche
• 1976: Travesuras De Media Noche
• 1975: Don Juan Tenorio
• 1971: El Juego de Jugamos
• 1970: Por eso Estamos Como Estamos
• 1970: Romeo Y Julieta

Albums

• 2009: Resurrección
• 2008: Serie Diamante
• 2005: Por esa Puerta
• 2003: 70 Años Peerless Una Historia Musical
• 2002: Imágenes
• 1999: Ave Vagabundo
• 1997: La Tocada
• 1996: De Colección
• 1995: La Mujer del Año (Theater)
• 1993: Vamonos al Dancing
• 1992: Romantica Y Calculadora
• 1992: Rap de La Movida
• 1990: Solidaridad (duets duets, charity recording)
• 1990: Mi Pequeña Soledad,
• 1990: Viva La Banda
• 1988: ¡Mamma Mia!
• 1988: Maxi Disco Rosa Salvaje
• 1987: Reina de la Noche
• 1986: Maxi Disco Macumba
• 1986: Simplemente Todo
• 1986: Esa Mujer
• 1985: Cantaré, cantarás (I Will Sing, You Will Sing) Same as (We Are the World (album), duets, charity recording)
• 1983: Tambien Romantica
• 1982: Sábado en la Noche Tiki-Tiki
• 1982: El Malas Mañas
• 1981: Cosas de Amigos (Duet with son Cristian Castro)
• 1980: Norteño
• 1979: Aprendí a Llorar
• 1978: Sensaciones
• 1974: Verónica Castro

Films

• 1990: Dios se lo pague
• 1986: Chiquita pero picosa as Florinda Benitez/Flor
• 1986: El niño y el Papa as Alicia/Guadalupe
• 1985: Nana
• 1980: Navajeros as Toñi
• 1981: Johnny Chicano
• 1977: Nobleza ranchera
• 1975: Acapulco 12-22
• 1975: Guadalajara es México
• 1974: El primer paso... de la mujer
• 1974: La recogida
• 1973: Mi mesera
• 1973: Novios y amantes
• 1973: Volveré a nacer as María
• 1972: Cuando quiero llorar no lloro
• 1972: La fuerza inútil
• 1972: El arte de engañar
• 1972: El ausente.
• 1972: Un sueño de amor
• 1972: Bikinis y rock

Telenovelas

• 2009: Los Exitosos Perez Roberta Santos
• 2006: Código Postal as Beatríz
• 1997: Pueblo chico, infierno grande as Leonarda Ruán
• 1993: Valentina as Valentina Isabel Montero/Valentina de los Ángeles
• 1990: Mi pequeña Soledad as Isadora/Soledad
• 1987: Rosa salvaje as Rosa Garcia
• 1986: Amor prohibido as Nora
• 1985: Felicidad, ¿dónde estás? as Karina
• 1984: Yolanda Luján as Yolanda Luján
• 1983: Cara a cara as Laura
• 1982: Verónica: El rostro del amor as Verónica
• 1981: El derecho de nacer as María Elena
• 1979: Los ricos también lloran as Mariana Villareal
• 1978: Pasiones Encendidas as Martha
• 1976: Mañana será otro día as Gabriela
• 1975: Barata de primavera as Karina Labrada
• 1972: El edificio de enfrente
• 1971: El amor tiene cara de mujer
• 1969: No creo en los hombres

TV shows

• 2008: Mujeres Asesinas (Emma Costurera)
• 2007: Mentiras y Verdades
• 2005: Big Brother VIP 4
• 2005: Big brother 3R
• 2004: Big Brother VIP 3
• 2003: Big Brother VIP 2
• 2002: Big Brother VIP
• 1996: La tocada
• 1995: En la Noche
• 1993: Y Vero América va!
• 1991: La movida
• 1989: Bienvenidos Aquí está
• 1988: Mala Noche... ¡No!
• 1986: Algo muy especial de Verónica Castro
• 1984: Esta noche se improvisa
• 1980: Noche a noche
• 1975: Muy agradecido
• 1972: Sábado '72
• 1972: Revista musical Nescafe
• 1971: Revista musical
• 1966: Operación Ja Ja

Sources

• Official Website Veronica Castro [1].
• Official Website Veronica Castro [2].

References

1. ^ Verónica Castro Personal Information. IMDb.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-24

External links

• Verónica Castro Official Web Site - México
• Verónica Castro at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Castro, Veronica
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 19, 1952
Place of birth	Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Date of death
Place of death