La India 1342972 225545094 2008-07-14T06:37:16Z MuzikJunky 4018503 {{Copyedit|date=April 2008}} {{Infobox musical artist 2 |Name = India "La Princesa de la Salsa" |Img = Replace this image female.svg |Img_capt = |Background = solo_singer |Birth_name = Linda Viera Caballero |Alias = The Princess of Salsa |Born = {{Birth date and age|1970|03|09|mf=y}} |Died = |Origin = [[Río Piedras]], [[Puerto Rico]] |Genre = [[Freestyle music|Latin freestyle]]<br>[[Salsa music|Salsa]]<br>[[Latin pop]]<br>[[House music]] |Occupation: [[Singer-Songwriter]] |Years_active = 1985—Present |Label = [[Reprise Records|Reprise]]/[[Warner Bros. Records]]<br>[[RMM Records|RMM]]/[[MCA Records]]<br>Norte/[[Sony BMG Music Entertainment|SBMG Latin]] |Associated_acts = [[TKA]]<br>[[Masters at Work]]<br>[[Lil' Mo' Yin Yang]] |URL = }} '''La India''' (born '''Linda Viera Caballero''' on [[March 9]], [[1970]]) is a noted [[Grammy Award]]- and [[Latin Grammy Award]]-nominated [[singer]] of [[Salsa music|salsa]] also known as the Princess of Salsa. ==Early years== La India was born in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico]]. Her parents decided to move to [[New York City]] soon after her birth, and upon their arrival, they settled down in the [[Bronx|South Bronx]] area of the city. They moved in with Caballero's grandmother, a person who is considered to have served as an important influence on her life. Caballero's grandmother was a very strong willed lady and she looked up to her. During her grade school years Caballero met and became friends with [[Louie Vega]], who introduced her to the urban street music scene where she learned to appreciate the [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] styles of the day. =="India"== Caballero became known as India (Native American) among her friends because of her fine dark features and long straight black hair. In [[1985]], when Caballero was 14 years old, she became a back-up singer for the [[Freestyle music|Latin freestyle]] group [[TKA]] and scored a number-one hit with "I Can't Get No Sleep." She was under the tutelage of [[John Benitez|John "Jellybean" Benitez]], a [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] [[DJ]] who was once involved with—and is credited for—discovering [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna Ciccone]]. She also contributed backing vocals on Jellybean's club Hit "Mirage." She later recorded her own freestyle single "Dancing on the Fire." When Caballero wasn't singing, she earned money as a part-time model. In [[1990]], when she was 19 years old, Caballero married Louie Vega who then went by the name of [[Little Louie Vega]], a DJ and record producer. Before marrying Vega, Caballero signed a record contract with [[Reprise Records]], which planned on making her the Latin version of [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna Ciccone]]. After recording the album ''Breaking Night'', Caballero decided that she didn't want to take that route in her career.[http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/chh/bio/laindia.htm] ==First Salsa album== An important event in her life took place one day when accompanied her husband during a studio recording. Salsa band leader [[Eddie Palmieri]] happened to visit the studio and was impressed with Caballero when he heard her singing. In [[1992]], Palmieri produced Caballero's first [[Spanish language|Spanish]]-language salsa album "Llego la India via Eddie Palmieri" (The India has Arrived via Eddie Palmieri), which was acclaimed as one of the best salsa albums of the year. From then on Caballero became known to all as La India. In [[1994]], La India together with Vega recorded an house-music single that paid tribute to [[Santeria]] (a syncretic [[religion]] based in the Caribbean) titled "Love and Happiness ('Yemaya y Ochún)." La India's involvement with [[Santeria]] bothered many people and as a result she was criticized by many. She later recorded ''Dicen Que Soy'' (They Say that I Am) which was a top ''Billboard'' chart Hit. In that song, La India stated that she didn't care what others thought of her. That year she also released the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro," a duet with [[Marc Anthony]], which appeared on the album ''Combinación Perfecta''. ==India The Princess of Salsa== In [[1996]], La India worked with [[Tito Puente]] in the production of "''Jazzin''", the [[English language|English]] version of some [[Swing music|swing]] classics with a Latin twist for [[RMM Records]]. That year she sang "''Voces Unidas''" (United Voices) a duet with [[Marc Anthony]]. She also released "''India:Mega Mix''" that same year before divorcing Vega. La India sang a duet, "''La Voz de la Experiencia''" (The Voice of Experience), with [[Celia Cruz]], "The Queen of Salsa". It was then that Cruz named La India "''The Princess of Salsa''". In [[1997]], La India recorded "''Sobre el Fuego''" (Over the Fire) with Puerto Rican salsa singer [[Kevin Ceballo]] as back-up, and was nominated for the "Best Latin Tropical Performance" [[Grammy Award]] and in [[1998]] she won an ACE Award. On [[May 31]], 1998 La India had two sold out concerts at the [[Luis A. Ferre]] Center of Beautiful Arts in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She returned to the [[United States]] and Cable Channel [[UPN]] aired one of her shows. La India also held concerts in New York's [[Madison Square Garden]] and in El Festival de la Calle Ocho in [[Miami, Florida]]. On [[February 5]], [[2000]], a full page ad was placed in [[Billboard Magazine]] congratulating her on her second [[Grammy Award]] nomination and on March 2000, she was featured on [[Vibe Magazine]]. In [[2003]], La India released "''Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón''". The album's lead single, the salsa romantic tune "''Sedúceme''", became a hit in the Latin Charts, topping the U.S. Billboard [[Hot Latin Tracks]] for several weeks. This was La India's first number 1 song. That song brought her a new fanbase, as well, as many awards and nominations, including two [[Latin Grammy]] nominations for Best Salsa Album and Best Tropical Song in [[2003]], and her third [[Grammy Award]] nomination for Best Salsa Album in [[2004]]. In 2005, La India participated in the musical presentation 'Selena Vive', a tribute to the late Tejano sensation '[[Selena]] Quintanilla - Perez'. In [[2006]], she released the album "''Soy Diferente''" and which contained two songs which became "hits", they were "''Soy Diferente''" and "Solamente Una Noche". The 2007 Annual Latin [[Billboard]] Awards honored India with (2) Awards, Best Tropical Album of The Year Female for "[[Soy Diferente]]" and Latin Dance Club Play track of the Year for "Just For One Night/Solamente Una Noche". ==Discography== Among La India's recordings are the following: ===Studio Albums (New Material):=== *1989: [[Breaking Night (album)|Breaking Night]] *1992: Llego La India Via [[Eddie Palmieri]] *1994: [[Dicen Que Soy]] *1996: Jazzin' with [[Tito Puente]] *1997: [[Sobre El Fuego]] *1999: [[Sola]] *2003: [[Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón]] *2006: [[Soy Diferente]] ===Compilations:=== *Love and Happiness EP (with River Ocean) ([[1993]]) *India Megamix ([[1997]]) *The Best of India ([[2004]]) *Grandes Exitos + ([[2005]]) ===Contributions on other Recordings:=== *With [[Masters At Work]] ** [[1993]] - When You Touch Me and I Can't Get No Sleep (from "The Album") ** [[1998]]- To Be In Love (MAW Remix) (from MAW Records: The Collection Volume I) ** [[1998]] - Runaway (from "Nuyorican Soul") ** [[2002]] - Backfired (from "Our Time Is Coming") *[[RMM Combinacion Perfecta]] ** [[1994]] - Vivir Lo Nuestro (duet with [[Marc Anthony]]) *With [[Oscar D'Leon]] ** [[1997]] - Hazme El Amor (from "Es De Nueva York") *[[The Last Days of Disco]] Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ** [[1998]] - [[I Love the Nightlife]] (Disco Round) *[[The 24 Hour Woman]] Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ** [[1999]] - India Con Lavoe (Viva Puerto Rico) *[[Voces Unidas]]: The [[Atlanta Olympics]] ** [[1999]] - Banderas *[[Empire (2002 film)|Empire]] Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ** [[2003]] - Empire, Imperio *With [[Tito Nieves]], [[Nicky Jam]], and [[K-Mil]] ** [[2004]] - Ya No Queda Nada *Tribute to [[Selena]] ** [[2005]] - No Debes Jugar (from "Selena Vive") *With [[Marlon Fernández]] ** [[2006]] - Usted Abusó (from "Mi Sueño") *With [[R.K.M. & Ken-Y]], [[Polaco]], [[Nicky Jam]], and [[Carlitos Way]] ** [[2006]] - Tocarte Toda *With [[Gloria Estefan]] ** [[2007]] - 90 Millas (from ''[[90 Millas]]'') *With [[Michael Stuart]] ** [[2007]] - Un Amor Tan Grande (from ''[[Sentimiento De Un Rumbero]]'') ==See also== {{portal|Puerto Rico}} *[[List of famous Puerto Ricans]] ==External links== *[http://www.prpop.org/biografias/PR Popular Culture] [[Category:1970 births|India, La]] [[Category:Living people|India, La]] [[Category:Puerto Rican singers|India, La]] [[Category:Puerto Rican female singers|India, La]] [[Category:Salsa musicians|India, La]] [[Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico|India, La]] [[Category:Freestyle musicians|India, La]] [[bg:La India]] [[es:La India (cantante)]] [[fr:La India]] [[it:La India]]