Correspondent
There
really is no way to prepare for a phone call from Julio Iglesias.
Suddenly
this reporter felt like the envy of all the women in the world. "Si, si,"
I stammered. "Buenas
tardes, Senor Iglesias."
"Que
va, guapa. Solamente es Julio."
I
was put at ease by that casual introduction: "Just call me Julio."
Audiences
can expect to be similarly seduced when the muy guapo international
singer brings his "Noche de Cuatro Lunas" ("Night of Four
Moons") tour to Red Bank today and Atlantic City tomorrow.
Iglesias
poured on the charm during a telephone interview conducted in both English and
Spanish from Punta Canta, Dominican Republic, where he was in the midst of
recording a new album, one he promises will have his "fingerprints all
over."
"Sometimes
you might have to give up a certain amount of control on a project so you're not
as happy with the result," the oh-so-suave Spaniard said. "That won't
happen on this one."
Iglesias
obviously likes to be in control: This interview quickly became more of a
conversation, as the singer asked as many questions as he answered.
Iglesias
said he detected a Puerto Rican accent on the other end of the line.
"Mi
madre es puertorriquena,",/i> he said.
Iglesias
also wanted to know about his interviewer's musical interests (piano; he plays
guitar.) Before long he even requested a long-distance rendition of one of his
songs, "Por el amor de una mujer" ("For the Love of a
Woman.")
As
for his own unmistakable voice, Iglesias immodestly admitted he's never sounded
better. "This is the best time for me to perform, because my brains and my
heart are in harmony," he said.
A
good part of Iglesias' success has been his ability to translate the sentiment
of songs through a variety of genres -- tango, salsa, rumba, bolero and American
pop -- with his own unique vocal style. Always dressed elegantly, Iglesias oozes
a classy demeanor onstage, inviting fans to enter his exotic world.
Originally
a soccer goalie for the professional Real Madrid team, Iglesias' sports career
was derailed when he was temporarily paralyzed as a result of a car accident.
His alternate career as a romantic singer took off when he won an award at a
prestigious song festival in Spain, the Benidorm, for his composition "La
Vida Sigue Igual" ("Life Goes On").
Thus
began Iglesias' love affair with music, which resulted in a succession of
passionate love songs and a 34-year career.
"My
ability to get feelings across vocally is very important," said Iglesias.
"It is one thing to know how something is done, but if you do it and no one
really understands your message then it is meaningless, and you must try another
technique."
Iglesias'
international career credits include 2,600 platinum and gold records. His 1983
first English release, "1100 Bel Air Place," immediately went
multi-platinum, opening the door for the singer to work with popular American
artists eager to sing with the international recording star.
Although
only two of his recordings ever entered the Billboard Top 40 -- "To All the
Girls I've Loved Before," recorded with Willie Nelson, and "All of
You," recorded with Diana Ross -- Iglesias has been credited with selling
more records in more languages than any other musical artist in history. (He has
the only Diamond Record Award ever given to a performer by the publishers of the
Guinness Book of World Records to prove it.)
In
addition to Nelson and Ross, Iglesias has recorded duets with Dolly Parton,
Stevie Wonder and Sting, to name a few. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame in 1985.
While
he's performed duets with many artists, don't expect Iglesias to work with one
particular young pop singer, his son, pop idol Enrique Iglesias -- at least not
in the near future.
"He's
not yet an experienced performer," said Iglesias before adding, in a more
serious tone, "As a parent you give your child advice, and they always want
to do things their way. So as a child, you hold their hand to help them walk,
but when they want to run, they have to run. And they do that very well."
Iglesias
knows all about the pains of inexperience. As a boy, he was cut from choir in
high school. As a result, he said, he still makes it a point never to stop
learning how to improve his singing abilities. He will record and re-record
single phrases until he is satisfied.
Iglesias
said he is looking forward to his break from recording this weekend.
"Performing
keeps the blood pumping through my veins. It's invigorating and just plain
fun," he said, before adding:
"Lo
siento, Lisette, pero tengo que colgar la linea. Ciao!",
("Sorry,
but I have to hang up, now.")
"Ciao Julio! Besitos!"
("Kiss,
kiss!")