Biography
Gifted singer/songwriter Inés Gaviria advanced through the music business by providing backing vocals for numerous performers until Respek Records signed her and she released her first album, A Mi Manera, in 2005. That project secured a pair of Latin Grammy nominations. Although she is Colombian and first achieved recognition in her homeland, Gaviria entered the world in New York, later made her home in Miami, and spent part of her teenage years in Chile, precisely when she started learning guitar. Frequent childhood relocations occurred because her father served as a diplomat representing the Colombian government. Her two brothers, José and Carlos, both pursue careers in entertainment. Prior to becoming a recording artist she studied law while occasionally winning talent competitions with original material. After earning her law degree she opted against her father’s diplomatic path and instead followed her brothers into music, relocating to Miami with the aim of entering the Latin industry. Entry proved slow, and she initially worked in local restaurants.
Her eventual breakthrough arrived when photographer brother Carlos brought her along to a shoot featuring Latin pop superstar Cristian Castro; Gaviria immediately performed for him yet received only a lukewarm response. Several weeks afterward she received an invitation to record backing vocals on a track, accepted without hesitation, and went on to support established acts including Ricardo Montaner, Diego Torres, Alessandra, and Victoria. Several of her compositions were also covered by name artists. Most prominently, Olga Tañón included the Gaviria-Ximena Muñoz collaboration “Una Nueva Mujer” as the title track of her 2005 album Una Nueva Mujer. Brother José had earlier supplied Tañón with “Míenteme” and “Yo por Ti,” both co-written with Muñoz and featured on the 2001 album Yo por Ti. José’s other credits encompass David Bisbal’s “Vuelvo a Ti,” his own Sony Discos release Camaleon from 1995 (produced and co-written by Luis Fernando Ochoa, known for his work with Shakira), background vocals on Shakira’s Pies Descalzos in 1996, and subsequent production work with Luis Fonsi, Santana, Natalia Oreiro, and Bisbal.
Gaviria later encountered Respek Records president Mark Eman at a songwriting gathering; impressed by her abilities, he offered a contract. Her debut A Mi Manera, released in 2006, was shaped in part by José, who co-wrote several tracks and shared production duties with Andrés Múnera, while Alih Jey de Peña, also known as Alih Jey, contributed additional songwriting. The label introduced the project with lead single “¿Que Paso?,” which received a video treatment, followed by “De Repente” and its accompanying clip. The singles performed well in Colombia, leading to two 2006 Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Album. Although Calle 13 and Shakira claimed the awards, the resulting attention aided Gaviria’s profile before she had established herself in the U.S. market.
Her eventual breakthrough arrived when photographer brother Carlos brought her along to a shoot featuring Latin pop superstar Cristian Castro; Gaviria immediately performed for him yet received only a lukewarm response. Several weeks afterward she received an invitation to record backing vocals on a track, accepted without hesitation, and went on to support established acts including Ricardo Montaner, Diego Torres, Alessandra, and Victoria. Several of her compositions were also covered by name artists. Most prominently, Olga Tañón included the Gaviria-Ximena Muñoz collaboration “Una Nueva Mujer” as the title track of her 2005 album Una Nueva Mujer. Brother José had earlier supplied Tañón with “Míenteme” and “Yo por Ti,” both co-written with Muñoz and featured on the 2001 album Yo por Ti. José’s other credits encompass David Bisbal’s “Vuelvo a Ti,” his own Sony Discos release Camaleon from 1995 (produced and co-written by Luis Fernando Ochoa, known for his work with Shakira), background vocals on Shakira’s Pies Descalzos in 1996, and subsequent production work with Luis Fonsi, Santana, Natalia Oreiro, and Bisbal.
Gaviria later encountered Respek Records president Mark Eman at a songwriting gathering; impressed by her abilities, he offered a contract. Her debut A Mi Manera, released in 2006, was shaped in part by José, who co-wrote several tracks and shared production duties with Andrés Múnera, while Alih Jey de Peña, also known as Alih Jey, contributed additional songwriting. The label introduced the project with lead single “¿Que Paso?,” which received a video treatment, followed by “De Repente” and its accompanying clip. The singles performed well in Colombia, leading to two 2006 Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Album. Although Calle 13 and Shakira claimed the awards, the resulting attention aided Gaviria’s profile before she had established herself in the U.S. market.
Albums
Singles
