Zayra Alvarez
Encyclopedia
Zayra Enid Alvarez Dones is a Puerto Rican
born singer and musician
, currently based in Texas
. She was born to Luis Alvarez Cruz and Ana Dones Torres and grew up in the coastal town of Arroyo
. From a young age, she took part in talent shows and school plays, and at age 14 she started playing in different bands. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
.
After graduation, Alvarez visited a friend in Texas, where she discovered the Deep Ellum music scene in Dallas. She became active in the local club scene and signed a record deal with Brando Records. She recorded her debut album Ruleta
in Spanish with producer Javier Willis. She wrote and performed all the songs on the album. A few months later, Kevin Lawrie at Sony
Norte heard the tracks and signed her to the Miami-based label. Alvarez continued to work in the Latin music scene, getting airplay for her debut single "Hoy" on stations throughout Puerto Rico and the US. Picky Talarico directed the video for "Hoy", which was shot on location in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The program director for Entravision Communications
"Super Estrella" network happened upon her while she was performing at the Grove in Los Angeles. The following week "Hoy" was added to the playlist for all of the "Super Estrella" network across the US. This led Sony Norte to release a second single "Cada Momento". The video was directed by Nory Niven.
While touring and performing in Texas, Alvarez became close friends with her Brando Records label mates Blue October
, who invited her to sing on two songs: "Come in Closer" off of their album History for Sale
and "Into the Ocean
" from their platinum-selling album Foiled
.
Alvarez also starred in the independent film "Lycanthrope". The movie features one of her original songs, "This Is Love", which can be found on the re-release of her album "Ruleta".
Alvarez landed a spot on the CBS
TV show Rockstar: Supernova in 2006. Her outrageous costumes and creative spin on the songs she performed were both praised and derided by the media. Los Angeles Times
pop music critic Ann Powers
stated that "Rockstar's most intriguing contestant, the Puerto Rican punk chanteuse Zayra Alvarez" while her hometown paper, the Dallas Observer
, referred to her "serious, possibly fatal, pitch deficiency". During her tenure, she covered many well-known songs, including "Call Me
", "867-5309/Jenny
", and "Everybody Hurts
". On week 7, Alvarez took a huge risk by singing her own original song, ""Lluvia de Mar,"" in Spanish on Prime Time TV, and while Supernova (Tommy Lee
, Gilby Clarke
and Jason Newstead) could not help but like it they still wanted her to sing a more traditional rock song. She was eliminated from the show on August 16. Shortly after her departure from Rockstar:Supernova, the Los Angeles Times ran a feature article on her. In it, the writer Josh Kun
stated, "Zayra Alvarez, an aspiring arena goddess born and raised in Puerto Rico, makes it deep into the prime-time CBS-TV competition of "Rock Star: Supernova." She prances around ... in peekaboo cosmic blue cat suits like she's Ziggy Stardust's long lost Caribbean cousin."
After the show Alvarez returned to Texas and moved to Austin. She decided it was time for her to record her songs in English in a style that took her far beyond traditional Latin music. She also dropped her last name and became known simply as Zayra. Her latest album, Baby Likes To Bang
, was released on September 14, 2010 by Brando Records. This album represents Zayra's transition into dance music, featuring remixes by top DJs from around the world. Two singles have been released from the album, "V.I.P." and "Baby Likes To Bang."
"V.I.P.", the first single from the album and a Top 5 Billboard
Dance Club Hit, was remixed by Dave Aude
, Mike Rizzo
, DJ Paulo & Alain Jackinsky, Steph Seroussi, and Adrian Benavides. After the release of the single, the blogger Arjan wrote “every summer needs a dance queen and Zayra is turning out to be this season’s club royalty.”
The second single "Baby Likes To Bang" was released November 8, 2010. It was declared the #1 Dance Breakout by Billboard
and was the #3 most added song by DJ's behind Katy Perry
and Rihanna
. The single features remixes from DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio, Razor N Guido, Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda and Steph Seroussi & Nam.
Zayra has been performing around the country in support of the record, including Austin Fashion Week, Atlanta Pride 2010, TigerHeat
, and multiple performances in Los Angeles and New York.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
born singer and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, currently based in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. She was born to Luis Alvarez Cruz and Ana Dones Torres and grew up in the coastal town of Arroyo
Arroyo, Puerto Rico
Arroyo is a municipality located along the southern coast of Puerto Rico and bordered by the Caribbean Sea, east of the municipality of Guayama and northwest of the municipality of Patillas. Arroyo is spread over 5 wards and Arroyo Pueblo...
. From a young age, she took part in talent shows and school plays, and at age 14 she started playing in different bands. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez in Spanish , is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
.
After graduation, Alvarez visited a friend in Texas, where she discovered the Deep Ellum music scene in Dallas. She became active in the local club scene and signed a record deal with Brando Records. She recorded her debut album Ruleta
Ruleta
Ruleta is the second album from singer Zayra Alvarez. It was first released in 2004 by Brando Records and distributed by Sony International. This version contained only Spanish language songs....
in Spanish with producer Javier Willis. She wrote and performed all the songs on the album. A few months later, Kevin Lawrie at Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Norte heard the tracks and signed her to the Miami-based label. Alvarez continued to work in the Latin music scene, getting airplay for her debut single "Hoy" on stations throughout Puerto Rico and the US. Picky Talarico directed the video for "Hoy", which was shot on location in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The program director for Entravision Communications
Entravision Communications
Entravision Communications Corporation is a media company based in Santa Monica, California. Entravision primarily caters to the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community and owns television and radio stations and outdoor media, in several of the top Hispanic markets. They are the largest affiliate...
"Super Estrella" network happened upon her while she was performing at the Grove in Los Angeles. The following week "Hoy" was added to the playlist for all of the "Super Estrella" network across the US. This led Sony Norte to release a second single "Cada Momento". The video was directed by Nory Niven.
While touring and performing in Texas, Alvarez became close friends with her Brando Records label mates Blue October
Blue October
Blue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
, who invited her to sing on two songs: "Come in Closer" off of their album History for Sale
History for Sale
History for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
and "Into the Ocean
Into the Ocean
"Into the Ocean" is the second single from Blue October's fifth album, Foiled. The song peaked at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the music video for the song, directed by Zach Merck, reached number one on the VH1 V-Spot countdown...
" from their platinum-selling album Foiled
Foiled
Foiled is the fourth album by Blue October. The album was certified gold in the United States on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified platinum. The album is also popular in Canada where it has also achieved platinum status....
.
Alvarez also starred in the independent film "Lycanthrope". The movie features one of her original songs, "This Is Love", which can be found on the re-release of her album "Ruleta".
Alvarez landed a spot on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV show Rockstar: Supernova in 2006. Her outrageous costumes and creative spin on the songs she performed were both praised and derided by the media. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
pop music critic Ann Powers
Ann Powers
Ann Powers is an American writer and pop music critic.Powers has been writing about popular music and society since the early 1980s...
stated that "Rockstar's most intriguing contestant, the Puerto Rican punk chanteuse Zayra Alvarez" while her hometown paper, the Dallas Observer
Dallas Observer
The Dallas Observer is a free alternative weekly newspaper distributed around the Dallas, Texas . At its inception, it was conceived as a weekly local arts and cinema review publication, with the credo "Advocate for Excellence in the Arts" on the cover. For a time during the early years, the paper...
, referred to her "serious, possibly fatal, pitch deficiency". During her tenure, she covered many well-known songs, including "Call Me
Call Me (Blondie song)
"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....
", "867-5309/Jenny
867-5309/Jenny
"867-5309/Jenny" is a song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone that was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2, on the Columbia Records label. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in 1982...
", and "Everybody Hurts
Everybody Hurts
"Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by...
". On week 7, Alvarez took a huge risk by singing her own original song, ""Lluvia de Mar,"" in Spanish on Prime Time TV, and while Supernova (Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
, Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...
and Jason Newstead) could not help but like it they still wanted her to sing a more traditional rock song. She was eliminated from the show on August 16. Shortly after her departure from Rockstar:Supernova, the Los Angeles Times ran a feature article on her. In it, the writer Josh Kun
Josh Kun
Josh Kun is an American author, academic and music critic. Kun is an Associate Professor of Communication in the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California.He also holds a joint appointment at USC's Department of American Studies and Ethnicity...
stated, "Zayra Alvarez, an aspiring arena goddess born and raised in Puerto Rico, makes it deep into the prime-time CBS-TV competition of "Rock Star: Supernova." She prances around ... in peekaboo cosmic blue cat suits like she's Ziggy Stardust's long lost Caribbean cousin."
After the show Alvarez returned to Texas and moved to Austin. She decided it was time for her to record her songs in English in a style that took her far beyond traditional Latin music. She also dropped her last name and became known simply as Zayra. Her latest album, Baby Likes To Bang
Baby Likes to Bang
Baby Likes To Bang is the latest album from the singer Zayra released on September 14, 2010 by Brando Records. This album represents Zayra's transition into dance music, featuring remixes by top DJs from around the world...
, was released on September 14, 2010 by Brando Records. This album represents Zayra's transition into dance music, featuring remixes by top DJs from around the world. Two singles have been released from the album, "V.I.P." and "Baby Likes To Bang."
"V.I.P.", the first single from the album and a Top 5 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Dance Club Hit, was remixed by Dave Aude
Dave Audé
Dave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
, Mike Rizzo
Mike Rizzo
Michael "Mike" Rizzo, is an American DJ/remixer from New York City since the early 1990s. He is well known for working with various artists such as Jennifer Green and Sun, all of whom scored hits on both Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts.He also achieved success on both...
, DJ Paulo & Alain Jackinsky, Steph Seroussi, and Adrian Benavides. After the release of the single, the blogger Arjan wrote “every summer needs a dance queen and Zayra is turning out to be this season’s club royalty.”
The second single "Baby Likes To Bang" was released November 8, 2010. It was declared the #1 Dance Breakout by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
and was the #3 most added song by DJ's behind Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
and Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
. The single features remixes from DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio, Razor N Guido, Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda and Steph Seroussi & Nam.
Zayra has been performing around the country in support of the record, including Austin Fashion Week, Atlanta Pride 2010, TigerHeat
TigerHeat
TigerHeat is an American promotional group specializing in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender club events in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
, and multiple performances in Los Angeles and New York.
Contributions to other albums
- Blue OctoberBlue OctoberBlue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
- History for SaleHistory for SaleHistory for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
, guest vocals on "Come in Closer" - Blue OctoberBlue OctoberBlue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
- Argue With a TreeArgue with a TreeArgue with a Tree... is the fourth album by Blue October. The title of the album is a lyric in the song "Weight of the World". The album was recorded live on June 4, 2004, at Lakewood Theater in Dallas, Texas, and released as a double CD and DVD in the United States in 2004 by Brando/Universal...
, guest vocals on "Come in Closer" - Blue OctoberBlue OctoberBlue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
- FoiledFoiledFoiled is the fourth album by Blue October. The album was certified gold in the United States on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified platinum. The album is also popular in Canada where it has also achieved platinum status....
, backing vocals on "Into the Ocean" - Stormaid: The ConcertStormaid: The ConcertStormaid: The Concert is a double album of live music recorded at the Gypsy Ballroom in Dallas, Texas on September 18, 2005. The concert featured prominent Texas musicians performing acoustic sets. Two songs from each artist were included on the album, which was available for sale immediately...