La India

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = India "La Princesa de la Salsa"

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Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Linda Viera Caballero
Alias = The Princess of Salsa
Born = Birth date and age|1970|03|09|mf=y
Died =
Origin = Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Genre = Latin freestyle
Salsa
Latin pop
House music
Occupation: Singer-Songwriter
Years_active = 1985—Present
Label = Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
RMM/MCA Records
Norte/SBMG Latin
Associated_acts = TKA
Masters at Work
Lil' Mo' Yin Yang
URL =

La India (born Linda Viera Caballero on March 9, 1970) is a noted Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer of salsa also known as the Princess of Salsa.

Early years

La India was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Her parents decided to move to New York City soon after her birth, and upon their arrival, they settled down in the South Bronx area of the city. They moved in with Caballero's grandmother, a person who is considered to have served as an important influence on her life. Caballero's grandmother was a very strong willed lady and she looked up to her. During her grade school years Caballero met and became friends with Louie Vega, who introduced her to the urban street music scene where she learned to appreciate the hip-hop styles of the day.

"India"

Caballero became known as India (Native American) among her friends because of her fine dark features and long straight black hair. In 1985, when Caballero was 14 years old, she became a back-up singer for the Latin freestyle group TKA and scored a number-one hit with "I Can't Get No Sleep." She was under the tutelage of John "Jellybean" Benitez, a Puerto Rican DJ who was once involved with—and is credited for—discovering Madonna Ciccone. She also contributed backing vocals on Jellybean's club Hit "Mirage." She later recorded her own freestyle single "Dancing on the Fire." When Caballero wasn't singing, she earned money as a part-time model.

In 1990, when she was 19 years old, Caballero married Louie Vega who then went by the name of Little Louie Vega, a DJ and record producer. Before marrying Vega, Caballero signed a record contract with Reprise Records, which planned on making her the Latin version of Madonna Ciccone. After recording the album "Breaking Night", Caballero decided that she didn't want to take that route in her career. [http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/laindia.htm]

First Salsa album

An important event in her life took place one day when accompanied her husband during a studio recording. Salsa band leader Eddie Palmieri happened to visit the studio and was impressed with Caballero when he heard her singing. In 1992, Palmieri produced Caballero's first Spanish-language salsa album "Llego la India via Eddie Palmieri" (The India has Arrived via Eddie Palmieri), which was acclaimed as one of the best salsa albums of the year.

From then on Caballero became known to all as La India. In 1994, La India together with Vega recorded an house-music single that paid tribute to Santeria (a syncretic religion based in the Caribbean) titled "Love and Happiness ('Yemaya y Ochún)." La India's involvement with Santeria bothered many people and as a result she was criticized by many. She later recorded "Dicen Que Soy" (They Say that I Am) which was a top "Billboard" chart Hit. In that song, La India stated that she didn't care what others thought of her. That year she also released the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro," a duet with Marc Anthony, which appeared on the album "Combinación Perfecta".

India The Princess of Salsa

In 1996, La India worked with Tito Puente in the production of "Jazzin", the English version of some swing classics with a Latin twist for RMM Records. That year she contributed the song "Banderas" to the album "Voces Unidas" (United Voices), a multi-artist tribute to the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also released "India:Mega Mix" that same year before divorcing Vega. La India sang a duet, "La Voz de la Experiencia" (The Voice of Experience), with Celia Cruz, "The Queen of Salsa". It was then that Cruz named La India "The Princess of Salsa".

In 1997, La India recorded "Sobre el Fuego" (Over the Fire) with Puerto Rican salsa singer Kevin Ceballo as back-up, and was nominated for the "Best Latin Tropical Performance" Grammy Award and in 1998 she won an ACE Award.

On May 31, 1998 La India had two sold out concerts at the Luis A. Ferre Performing Arts Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She returned to the United States and Cable Channel UPN aired one of her shows. La India also held concerts in New York's Madison Square Garden and in El Festival de la Calle Ocho in Miami, Florida.

On February 5, 2000, a full page ad was placed in Billboard Magazine congratulating her on her second Grammy Award nomination and on March 2000, she was featured on Vibe Magazine.

In 2003, La India released "Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón". The album's lead single, the salsa romantic tune "Sedúceme", became a hit in the Latin Charts, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks for several weeks. This was La India's first number 1 song. That song brought her a new fanbase, as well, as many awards and nominations, including two Latin Grammy nominations for Best Salsa Album and Best Tropical Song in 2003, and her third Grammy Award nomination for Best Salsa Album in 2004.

In 2005, La India participated in the musical presentation 'Selena Vive', a tribute to the late Tejano sensation 'Selena Quintanilla - Perez'.

In 2006, she released the album "Soy Diferente" and which contained two songs which became "hits", they were "Soy Diferente" and "Solamente Una Noche". The 2007 Annual Latin Billboard Awards honored India with (2) Awards, Best Tropical Album of The Year Female for "Soy Diferente" and Latin Dance Club Play track of the Year for "Just For One Night/Solamente Una Noche".

Discography

Among La India's recordings are the following:

tudio Albums (New Material):

*1989: Breaking Night
*1992: Llego La India Via Eddie Palmieri
*1994: Dicen Que Soy
*1996: Jazzin' with Tito Puente
*1997: Sobre El Fuego
*1999: Sola
*2003:
*2006: Soy Diferente

Compilations:

*Love and Happiness EP (with River Ocean) (1993)
*India Megamix (1997)
*The Best of India (2004)
*Grandes Exitos + (2005)

Contributions on other Recordings:

*With Masters At Work
** 1993 - When You Touch Me and I Can't Get No Sleep (from "The Album")
** 1998- To Be In Love (MAW Remix) (from MAW Records: The Collection Volume I)
** 1998 - Runaway (from "Nuyorican Soul")
** 2002 - Backfired (from "Our Time Is Coming")
*RMM Combinacion Perfecta
** 1994 - Vivir Lo Nuestro (duet with Marc Anthony)
*Voces Unidas: The Atlanta Olympics
** 1996 - Banderas
*With Oscar D'Leon
** 1997 - Hazme El Amor (from "Es De Nueva York")
*The Last Days of Disco Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
** 1998 - I Love the Nightlife (Disco Round)
*The 24 Hour Woman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
** 1999 - India Con Lavoe (Viva Puerto Rico)
*Empire Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
** 2003 - Empire, Imperio
*With Tito Nieves, Nicky Jam, and K-Mil
** 2004 - Ya No Queda Nada
*Tribute to Selena
** 2005 - No Debes Jugar (from "Selena Vive")
*With Marlon Fernández
** 2006 - Usted Abusó (from "Mi Sueño")
*With R.K.M. & Ken-Y, Polaco, Nicky Jam, and Carlitos Way
** 2006 - Tocarte Toda
*With Gloria Estefan
** 2007 - 90 Millas (from "90 Millas")
*With Michael Stuart
** 2007 - Un Amor Tan Grande (from "Sentimiento De Un Rumbero")

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

* [http://www.prpop.org/biografias/PR Popular Culture]