Born on March 15, 1986, in Huamantla, Tlaxcala, Mexican pop singer and stage performer Carlos Rivera first gained widespread notice by securing the top prize on the reality series La Academia in 2004. A subsequent recording agreement with Sony-BMG led to his self-titled debut full-length project in 2006, which contained the singles “Te Me Vas” and “Y Si Tu Supieras”—the latter drawn from the film Mar de Sueños—plus “Eres Total,” the theme from the telenovela Amor sin Condiciones.
The same year also saw him step onto the stage in Besame Mucho, Orgasmos la Comedia, Beauty and the Beast, and Mamma Mia. His sophomore effort, Mexicano, arrived in 2010 and presented fresh takes on classic Mexican songs, spawning the singles “La Malageña” and “Amar y Vivir.” A career milestone came in 2011 when he assumed the role of Simba in Spain’s production of Disney’s The Lion King, an achievement that earned him Broadway World Spain’s Best Newcomer award.
The 2013 album El Hubiera No Existe carried his sound into additional Spanish-speaking markets beyond Mexico, after which a live collection assembled his major hits to date. In 2015 he revisited the part of Simba for Mexico’s own mounting of The Lion King, and the following year he issued his fourth studio album, Yo Creo, which entered the charts at number one and fueled a completely sold-out national tour.
