With more than forty-five albums released since 1985 Joan Sebastian is held as one of the most famous and influential songwriters and singers in modern Mexico. His lyrics have been performed by others as well as himself since 1969 and encompass Norteno, Tejano, Ranchera, Traditional Mexican and Latin pop styles of music that is enjoyed by fans throughout the Americas.

Joan Sebastian - A Man Full Of Music

"He's a soft-hearted singing cowboy." Robert Leaver

With more than forty-five albums released since 1985 Joan Sebastian is held as one of the most famous and influential songwriters and singers in modern Mexico. His lyrics have been performed by others as well as himself since 1969 and encompass Norteno, Tejano, Ranchera, Traditional Mexican and Latin pop styles of music that is enjoyed by fans throughout the Americas.

Joan Sebastian - No stranger to hardship

Jose Manuel Figueroa was born in 1951 in Juliantla, Mexico. His earliest years were spent moving around the country with his family. When he turned eight Jose was sent to Guanajuato to attend school and at fourteen enrolled in the Seminario Conciliar de San Jose in Cuernavaca, Morelos to become a priest. At the age of eleven Jose had begun composing songs and by the time he reached seventeen he realized his calling was music not ministry so he left the seminary to pursue a career as a singer and songwriter.

In 1968 Jose was working in management of a resort in Oaxtepec, Morelos to meet his financial needs but in the course of his day he would sing songs he'd written to the guests over the loudspeaker and when the well known Mexican actress Angelica Maria heard him she provided him with the contact information for music producer Eduardo Magallanes with encouragement to record his songs.

Jose immediately moved to Mexico City and petitioned every music producer he could find for an audition. Finally Chucho Rincon of Discos Capitals listened and agreed to make a recording of the song Descartada. Jose's first record quickly sold twelve thousand records in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico which was an impressive beginning for an unknown singer.

Although Jose Manuel Figueroa continued to work as a singer it was not until 1977, at age twenty-six, when he took on the stage name of Joan Sebastian and signed with the Musart label that he began to enjoy wide spread success. Sales of El Camino del Amor exceeded one hundred and twenty-seven thousand copies and sold in both North and South America. Since then each album released has been successively better selling with his 2000 release of Secreto de Amor breaking the one million mark.

The first Billboard single for Sebastian reached the charts in 1985. Rumores peaked at #1 on the Regional Mexican chart and #16 on the Latin Pop chart. Singles ranked on the charts almost annually until 1993. After a six year dry spell Sebastian hit the Regional Mexican and Top Latin Albums charts with Rey del Jaripeo and has maintained a presence on the charts every year since. In 2001 Live: From Plaza El Progreso in Guadalajara (En Vivo:Desde la Plaza El Progrado en Guadalajara) was released and became Sebastian's first #1 album on the Billboard Top Latin Albums.

International recognition

Recognition for the vast musical contribution he has made over thirty years first came in 2000 when he was given The Silver Pen Award and named El Jefe. In February of 2001 Joan won the celebrated award Premio Lo Nuestro a la Musica Latina. He has received the Songwriter of the Universe Award twice at the Annual El Premio ASCAP.

Grammy awards started rolling in for the Latin artist in 2002 when he won the Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Award for Lo Dijo el Corazon. The very next year the Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album Award was also given to Sebastian for his album Afortunado. His third Grammy came in 2006 for A Mas Alla del Sol which took the Best Banda Album award. The 2008 Best Banda Album award was won by his No Es De Madera Album.

Branching out in to acting in 1996 Joan Sebastian was an immediate success in the Latin TV series Tu y Yo. His role as a leading man with his former wife, Maribel Guardia, was short lived but well received by Mexican soap opera fans.

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