Beatriz Luengo

Beatríz Luengo first captured widespread attention through her co-starring role in the Spanish telenovela Un Paso Adelante before achieving broader crossover appeal via her debut pop album Mi Generación, issued in 2005. She entered the world in Madrid on December 23, 1982, and by the age of six had already encountered the work of American singer, actress, and dancer Liza Minnelli, instantly adopting the performer as her idol. Luengo went on to train in ballet at Madrid’s Royal Academy of Dance; at ten she joined two friends in the teen pop trio Tatu, which cut an LP that has never seen release. A string of advertising spots, stage musicals, and minor television appearances preceded her first screen role in the 2000 feature Pasión Adolescente, after which she accumulated further telenovela credits on Robles Investigador Privado and El Comisario. In 2002 she was chosen to portray Dolores “Lola” Fernandez in Un Paso Adelante, the series centered on a circle of young performers striving to succeed as dancers and singers. The program’s strong commercial performance prompted producers to assemble Luengo and several fellow cast members into the group UPA Dance, whose album ultimately moved more than a million units throughout Europe. Even with those accomplishments, Luengo sensed artistic limitations and departed the series in 2005 to pursue independent work. Mi Generación appeared later that year, its title track reaching the Top Ten in France, Italy, and Portugal. BL arrived the next year and earned gold certification in France, while digital sales of 2008’s Carrousel attained triple-platinum status in Spain. Luengo issued her fourth solo album, Bela y Sus Moskitas Muertas, in 2011.