Romeo Santos (born July 21, 1981), is one of the most influential Bachata stars in the world, and one of today’s most influential voices in Latin music. A former member of the group Aventura and a leading artist of the so-called Urban Bachata movement, Romeo Santos has played a major role in transforming this traditional Dominican genre into a mainstream phenomenon.

Early Years
Anthony ‘Romeo’ Santos was born in The Bronx, New York, on July 21, 1981. Thanks to his parents (Dominican father and Puerto Rican mother), Romeo Santos was exposed from a very young age to the sounds of Tropical genres, such as Salsa, Merengue and Bachata.

When he was 13 years old, Romeo Santos joined the choir of his church, an experience that allowed him to discover his unique vocal skills. As a result, he later formed a group named Los Teenagers, which was very popular among Dominican-American youth in New York City.

Aventura
In 1999, Los Teenagers signed a deal with the record label Premium Latin. At that time, the band changed its name to Grupo Aventura. That year, the newly formed group released its debut album, Generation Next.

Although the album was well received by the group’s fan base in New York, the best was yet to come for Aventura. In 2002, the band released the album We Broke the Rules, an innovative and challenging work that defied traditional Bachata by injecting it with a fusion of genres such as R&B and Hip-Hop. The album, which included the hit song “Obsesion” written by Romeo Santos, transformed Aventura into the most popular Latin boy band of that time.

Romeo Santos played a major role in the success that surrounded Aventura. Besides being the band’s lead singer, he was a talented songwriter who wrote most of the lyrics in the band’s original songs. After enjoying many successful years with Aventura, Romeo Santos decided to move on to a solo career in 2011.

‘Formula Vol. 1 & 2’ and Beyond
The Aventura years provided Romeo Santos with the popularity and experience he needed to start his own career. His solo debut album Formula Vol. 1 exceeded all expectations and became one of the most popular Latin music albums of 2011 and 2012.

Santos’ success in the studio is nearly matched by his success as a live performer. Santos sold out three consecutive nights at Madison Square Garden in 2012, leading to a live album, The King Stays King. And in 2014, Santos sold out a double show at Yankee stadium. Later that year, he released a new album, Formula Vol. 2, which became the best-selling Latin album of 2014.

In 2015, Romeo Santos made his acting debut, as a featured actor in the film Furious 7, starring Vin Diesel. After a long break, he released his single “Héroe Favorito” on February 13, 2017.