Charlie Zaa
Encyclopedia
Carlos Alberto Sánchez (born in Girardot
, Colombia, 1974), better known in the entertainment world as Charlie Zaa, is a Colombia
n singer who has gained fame
across Latin America
and among Hispanic
s in the United States. Zaa is the son of singer Luis Humberto Sánchez.
Zaa was a singer with two famous Colombian salsa
orchestras: "Grupo Niche
" and "Guayacán". When he launched his career
as a solo artist, he decided to switch to the bolero
rhythm. This career decision was made during the middle 1990s, and Zaa became an instant teen idol in Latin America. At that same time, he also became paparazzi
fodder, with his photos coming out in a large number of magazines. Zaa was also featured on the covers of many of these magazines.
Since becoming a solo singer, Zaa has also received much television coverage, being featured in a large number of important television shows.
On July 23, 2004, Zaa suffered a severe abdominal pain
as he was about to begin a concert in Ponce, Puerto Rico
. He could not perform that day, having to be taken to a local hospital
. Zaa was then flown to Miami, Florida
, where he remained hospitalized until he was diagnosed with having a kidney
condition. Soon after, his personal doctor
corrected the problem in a surgery
performed in his native Colombia.
Charlie Zaa has recorded over 10 CDs since launching his career as a solo artist. His CD Sentimientos
, in which he sings some past hit songs, sold over three million copies throughout Latin America and the United States. His albums Sentimientos and Un segundo sentimiento led to him winning the 1998 Artist of the Year award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards
. For his fourth album, Zaa returned to the Sonolux studios in Bogotá
, where he made his first album Sentimiento, and to his original producer, Milton Salcedo, and recorded old romantic standards, boleros and waltzes, in an attempt to replicate the success of Sentimiento. Zaa's album De Un Solo Sentimiento was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2002. In 2011, Zaa's album De Bohemia
reached the top of the Billboard Latin Albums chart.
Girardot, Cundinamarca
Girardot is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It is home to a number of recreational and vacational spots, mainly visited by people from Bogotá, as it is located at less than three hours drive from the city but enjoys a tropical climate .Girardot is the second...
, Colombia, 1974), better known in the entertainment world as Charlie Zaa, is a Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n singer who has gained fame
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
across Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and among Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
s in the United States. Zaa is the son of singer Luis Humberto Sánchez.
Zaa was a singer with two famous Colombian salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
orchestras: "Grupo Niche
Grupo Niche
Grupo Niche is a salsa group founded in 1978 in Bogotá, Colombia. Currently based in Cali, Colombia, it enjoys great popularity throughout Latin America. It was founded by Jairo Varela and Alexis Lozano. Jairo Varela has stayed with the group becoming producer, director, songwriter, vocalist and...
" and "Guayacán". When he launched his career
Career
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
as a solo artist, he decided to switch to the bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
rhythm. This career decision was made during the middle 1990s, and Zaa became an instant teen idol in Latin America. At that same time, he also became paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
fodder, with his photos coming out in a large number of magazines. Zaa was also featured on the covers of many of these magazines.
Since becoming a solo singer, Zaa has also received much television coverage, being featured in a large number of important television shows.
On July 23, 2004, Zaa suffered a severe abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
as he was about to begin a concert in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
. He could not perform that day, having to be taken to a local hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. Zaa was then flown to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, where he remained hospitalized until he was diagnosed with having a kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
condition. Soon after, his personal doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
corrected the problem in a surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
performed in his native Colombia.
Charlie Zaa has recorded over 10 CDs since launching his career as a solo artist. His CD Sentimientos
Sentimientos
-Personnel:*Milton Salcedo — arranger*Hugo Gutiérrez — director*Rafael Henriquez — engineer, mixing*Liliana Parra — violin*Jorge Ramirez — bass, piano, mixing*Sady Ramírez — percussion, programming, mixing*Luis Maria Diaz — viola*Valentin Diaz — violin...
, in which he sings some past hit songs, sold over three million copies throughout Latin America and the United States. His albums Sentimientos and Un segundo sentimiento led to him winning the 1998 Artist of the Year award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards
Billboard Latin Music Awards
The Billboard Latin Music Awards grew out of the Billboard Music Awards program from Billboard Magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The awards began in 1990...
. For his fourth album, Zaa returned to the Sonolux studios in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, where he made his first album Sentimiento, and to his original producer, Milton Salcedo, and recorded old romantic standards, boleros and waltzes, in an attempt to replicate the success of Sentimiento. Zaa's album De Un Solo Sentimiento was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2002. In 2011, Zaa's album De Bohemia
De Bohemia
-Personnel:* Jorge Hugo Alvarez — piano* Jaime Atencia — mixing* Mauricio Daltaire — maracasSource:...
reached the top of the Billboard Latin Albums chart.