Enrique Iglesias
reaches for the stars
with his feet
on the ground


Enrique Iglesias
is the boy next door,
someone who grew up
doing things quietly,
but effectively.

Dreaming of
becoming a pop star
since he can remember,
he started writing songs
when he was very small.
But he didn't want
his talented family
to know about it.

"I was working hard
to show my friends
and the world
that I had the talent
for songwriting and singing,"
he says.

In his teens,
when he finally outgrew
his shyness,
he went with a supportive
cadre of close friends
to present his music
to various record labels.

The story has it
he was rejected
by a lot of people in the industry -
none of whom knew
that he was the son
of the famous
Spanish heartthrob
Julio Iglesias.

"I felt bad, you know,
but at the same time
I said, "Good, if I make it,
it will be because of my music
and not because of my last name."

Of course he did make it.

With such Spanish-language albums
like Enrique Iglesias,
Vivir,
and Cosas del amor,
as well as
his English-language smash hit,
Enrique,
the son of Julio
has been leading
a bilingual pop revolution.

More than 18 million albums
sold worldwide
and a historic
recording contract
with the record label Interscope
have turned the boy next door
into a true phenomenon.

He's weathered rumor
and controversy
with aplomb
and set off debates
on what pop singing
is all about;
he somehow even managed
to charm
the notoriously rude
Howard Stern.



-By now you must be used
to the questions
about your talent.
How do you respond
when people ask,
"Can Enrique Iglesias sing?"

Enrique Iglesias:
-Well, yes,
I have to say I'm used to it.
You know,
there are times
when I just feel like
answering the first thing
that comes to my mind,
but then I say no,
I respect the opinion
of both - my fans
and the people who don't believe
in what I do.

I want to be clear
on this subject, though:
I'm not an expert
on pop singing,
and don't pretend to be one.
When I go onstage,
I don't have
any special technique,
I just let the passion
and my love for the music show.
That's my secret,
if you want to call it [that].

You can have talent
for anything in life,
but if passion and commitment
doesn't show,
it's useless.
I think passion,
love, and commitment are very,
very important in the work
of an artist.
Don't you think?

-Can you talk about
the incident where Howard Stern
challenged you to prove
that you sang
your own material?

-Like I said before,
the only thing I can say
is that I have to take it
as part of this career.
At the end,
I just had fun
with the whole affair.
I think we both had fun.
Howard [Stern] is a nice guy.
Very smart, very intelligent.
I went to the program
so he could see - and hear - for himself
if I could sing or not.

-In other interviews,
you've said that you're proud
of your songwriting skills.
If could choose
between singing and writing,
which would you choose?

-Don't take this the wrong way,
but it's like asking me
if I want to choose
between breathing or eating food.
You understand?
You can't choose from one or the other.
Singing, performing, and writing songs
goes hand in hand.
They can't be separated.
True, I do enjoy writing songs,
because it is like,
I don't know, giving birth.
You can't imagine the pleasure,
this great sensation
of putting words down on paper,
shaping a story so you can communicate
what's only a vague idea
in your head.
It's wonderful.

-What is a perfect song?

-Wow, we're getting deep here [laughs].
Some songs, I guess,
are better than others.
But even those that might not
have a strong appeal,
you can always say,
"There is something here ..."

-Love is the subject
of most of your songs ...

-Love is what really moves the world.
So why write about any other thing?
Well, no, there are
many other beautiful things in life -
the smile of child, the beach,
friendship, family ...
But you see,
all these and many other things
are based on love.
So love, really,
is a universal language.
Of course,
I'm not saying anything new.
But if you think about it,
so much has been written
about love
that is past beyond being a hard
or a difficult subject
to write about.
I take it as a challenge.
Plus, every human being
has a personal conception
of what love is.
I just try to get
across my own view of love
through my songs.

-Girlfriends and women you've known
are often the inspirations
of your songs.
Care to talk about them?

-No. Would you like to know
who was the person who inspired,
I don't know,
a character of any in a novel?
I think the magic of a book
is to get involved in the story,
to make it your own,
wanting to know,
but really not knowing
who inspires what.
The same thing happens
with a song.
When I hear a Billy Joel song
I enjoy it;
it moves me,
but I don't really want
that magical sensation
of words and music
to go away.
His songs give a personal message,
which may not be
the message that Billy Joel
wanted to communicate.
So I guess you'll have to do
the same thing with my songs [laughs].
You have to take the stories
and make them yours.

-Lets talk about the concept
of crossover.
Are you comfortable with the term?

-I still don't know
what it means [laughs].
I mean, I do,
but I think is just a tag.
I don't like the word, really.
Crossover ...
What does it mean?
I grew up listening
to English pop and rock,
and I feel comfortable
singing in the English language.
It's not a problem for me.
I love the sound,
the nuance of the language,
the rhythm.
I think many Latino artists
feel the same way.
We grew up listening
to Prince, Madonna, REO Speedwagon,
Michael Jackson.
In my case,
my personal heroes are
Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel,
Madonna, Whitney Houston,
Lionel Richie, among others.

-Your English-language album
has been a smash hit in the U.S.
and many other countries,
but this doesn't mean
you will abandon
your Spanish-speaking audience.

-Please, no.
Not in million years.
How could I?
They ask me the same question
in almost every interview.
But, really,
how could I?
You know, Latino fans
are extremely loyal and caring.
I can't tell how much.
Singing both in English and Spanish
is like having the best
of two worlds.
I can do both perfectly.
No, I won't stop
writing and singing in Spanish.
I owe a lot to my Hispanic fans.

-Is there any difference
between the two?
Is there much more feeling
in Spanish?

-Language is who you are,
I guess.
And Spanish is passionate,
which doesn't mean
you can't find passion
in the English language.
I listen to Bruce Springsteen,
and I start shivering.
But I can get the same reaction
listening to a Spanish-language singer.
The same thing happens
when I listen to a Portuguese singer.
It's all about music.
Of course, there are differences,
but what I'm trying to say
is that I think when
the songs are good, w
hen the performer is able
to show his feeling through
his art,
and if you're sensitive,
you'll be able to feel
that shivering
I was talking about.

-But you have more influence
from English-language music?

-Yes.
I grew up listening
to American music.
I went to school in Miami,
and much of the time my friends
and I were listening
to American rock and pop.

-Any Spanish influence?

-Not much.
It doesn't mean
I don't listen to Spanish music.
I enjoy it;
I love it,
but musically,
I grew up
with the American sounds.

-You have done tons of interviews
in the English-language media.
Do people in the United States
understand what being Latino
is all about?

-There is a great interest
in trying to understand
the Latino culture.
Sure,
I have to explain that
Latin music is not one style,
but many, a
nd that you can't compare
Argentina with Spain,
or Mexico with Puerto Rico.
I have to explain also
that in Hispanic music
you have merengue, flamenco,
tango, ranchera, samba,
bossa nova, and many, many other genres.
You also have genres like rock,
hip-hop and,
of course, pop music.

-Can we talk about your father?

-Sure, why not?

-How is your relationship with him?
Are you bothered
with the constant comparisons?

-My father is a wonderful man.
Period.
He's a great father,
a great friend,
and wonderful human being.
Now, about the comparisons,
what can I tell you?
We're from different generations,
so there is no comparison
whatsoever.

-There are never a
ny conflicts
between you and him?

-Not at all.
I don't know where people
get that from.
I love my family.
My family is very important to me;
it's my support.
True, I wish I had more time
to be with my family,
but everyone understands
that this is my career,
and I have to work
as hard as I can.

-Any plans for a duet
with Julio?

-No.

-Why not?

-What we do
is very different.
That's all I can say.

-Are you venturing
into other territories
of the show business?
There's been rumors of a musical
or something like that.

-Yes, I'm producing a musical play
at an off-Broadway theater
[the Blue Angel Theater in Manhattan].
It's called
"Four Guys Named Jose ...
And Una Mujer Named Maria";
it is a story about
the Latino culture,
the differences and the things
we have in common.
I'm working with so many
talented people.
The play explains the story
of the Latino culture
through music -
from Carmen Miranda
to Ricky Martin.

-But, of course,
you want to be remembered
for your music.

-Totally.
This is what I always wanted,
and I hope I can do it
for the rest of my life.

-Any thoughts on the Latin Grammys?

-I hope they open
many more doors for Latino artists.
The awards are not
only to show that we have
a long musical history,
but that Latinos are going to continue
making great music.
I'm grateful to be part of it.