Luis Figueroa Discovered by Marc Anthony’s Label After Twitter Mistake
In 1992, thanks to Tito Puente, Marc Anthony took off as an artist. A year later, his version of Juan Gabriel’s “Hasta que te conocí” crowned him as El Rey de la Salsa.
Now, the Puerto Rican-American singer is ready to pass the baton and crown his heir apparent, Luis Figueroa.
Born in 1989 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Figueroa grew up in a Puerto Rican home filled with music. He began playing guitar, drums, and piano at an early age and started singing. But social media would make him take flight as an artist.
A blessed accident on Twitter
Luis Figueroa met Marc Anthony thanks to a Twitter mishap.
“Someone from Marc’s label tweeted a message about his song ‘Flor Pálida,'” Figueroa told mitú. “But instead of posting it with a link to his video, they mistakenly used the YouTube link to a version I had made of the song.”
“I never knew who did it, but I’ll be grateful for that mistake for the rest of my life. My video got a lot of views because of it. One of them was Marc’s,” he later learned.
A mutual friend introduced them a few months later, and Marc Anthony recognized him immediately.
“He told me, ‘You’re the one in the video. I love your voice,'” recalled Figueroa, who claims to have been speechless.
“I still can’t believe he knew who I was,” he added.
When the love of salsa brings two generations closer together
The two artists bonded over their love of salsa and shared experiences as U.S.-born Latinos of Puerto Rican parents.
Thus, in 2016, Luis Figueroa became the first artist signed by Marc Anthony under his then-new management company, Magnus Media.
Figueroa joined a roster that includes Venezuelan duo Mau y Ricky, Colombian singer-songwriter Fonseca, Cuban duo Gente de Zona, and many more artists and a large group of athletes.
His national television debut was at Premios Juventud 2016 when he sang none other than “Flor Pálida” as a duet with Marc.
“I still don’t know how that came out so well. Even the hair on my head was shaking,” he remembers.
However, Luis Figueroa is not shaking anymore
After his leap to stardom, Luis Figueroa is ready to take the next step in his career.
“I still look up to Marc, of course, but I feel comfortable when I’m mentioned in the same sentence as him,” he says.
That self-confidence includes embracing the title of Marc Anthony’s musical heir.
“I’ve worked very hard. I’ve prepared myself, studied, and practiced a lot. I’ve earned it,” he adds.
So far, the young singer has earned five Premio Lo Nuestro and two Latin Grammy nominations, thanks to his first two studio albums.
This month, the Philadelphia native released his third album, “Voy A Ti,” which he describes as “a very complete musical proposal.”
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished. The songs are a reflection of what excites me about salsa today,” Figueroa says. “There are fusions with urban elements and nods to traditional styles and sounds. It’s a very complete musical proposal, not only for salsa lovers but also for those who are curious about how far we can take the genre.”
The album’s five tracks represent a powerful display of Figueroa’s musical talent. The lead single, “La Luz,” currently holds the top spot on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart.
The other tracks, “Vuelve,” “Por Tu Amor,” and “Bandido,” complete the album and showcase Figueroa’s dynamic range as a vocalist.
Finally, the album also demonstrates that Marc Anthony is more than just a glorious salsa singer; he also knows talent when he sees it and has chosen his successor well.
