Lisette Melendez

Puerto Rican-American vocalist Lisette Melendez, born in 1967, committed herself to singing by the age of twelve. The East Harlem native sought an escape from the hazards of barrio life through the melodies of Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand; by singing along with their recordings she absorbed their methods and shaped her personal style. During high school, Lisa Lisa’s breakthrough prompted Melendez to assemble her own ensemble. Live shows by the group drew the notice of producer Carlos Berrios, who enlisted her for backing and lead parts on several club tracks, among them the 1988 release “Make Noise” issued under the name Only in the Dark.

Fever Records executives discovered her 1990 solo single “Together Forever” and offered her a contract; the resulting debut album, also titled Together Forever, reached the Top Ten on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and yielded two Hot 100 singles. Her follow-up, True to Life, arrived in 1994 and likewise earned chart placements and critical recognition, most notably in Japan, where she received the Grammy for Best New Artist. That same year saw the appearance of two further projects: the Latin-pop set Un Poco de Mi on WEA Latina and Imagination on Warlock Records, the latter featuring production from Kenny Diaz, Carlos Berrios, and Sal Abbatiello. A greatest-hits collection mixed continuously by Berrios came out in late 2000.

In 2005 Melendez teamed with fellow freestyle artist Cynthia under the name LisCyn for the single “I Can’t Change Your Mind.” Three years later she supplied vocals to one track on each installment of Berrios’ two-volume collection Don’t Look Back. She has maintained an active concert schedule, sharing stages with performers such as Lisa Lisa and Safire.