Elvis Martinez

Elvis Martínez, known to fans as El Camarón, rose quickly to prominence as a bachata artist in the final years of the 1990s. Born in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, he performs not only as a vocalist but also as a songwriter and guitarist. In the middle of the decade he entered the roster of Premium Latin Music, the bachata imprint that likewise represented Aventura, and delivered his first full-length solo album, Todo Se Paga, in 1998. The project earned both strong sales and critical recognition, claiming an ACE Award for Revelacion del Año from La Asociación de Cronistas de Espectáculos de Nueva York, also known as the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics.

Four further releases followed on the same label—Directo al Corazón (1999), Tres Palabras (2002), Así Te Amo (2003), and Descontrolado (2004)—each extending his reach. Among these successes, “Así Te Amo” received a Casandra Award for Best Song of the Year in 2004, while Martínez earned a nomination for Best Traditional Tropical Artist at the 2004 Premio Lo Nuestro awards. After parting ways with Premium Latin Music, which issued the retrospective La Historia de Elvis Martínez in 2005, he moved to Univision Records for the 2005 album Yo Soy Más Grande Que El. His strongest commercial seller to date, the record contained the hit singles “Tu Traicion” and “Yo No Naci Para Amar.”

That arrangement with Univision ended quickly, leading him to Universal Music Group and the 2007 release La Luz de Mis Ojos, which produced the hit single “Lento y Suave.”