HUEY DUNBAR

Huey Dunbar can't imagine being anything but a musician. "I have many interests," says the 26-year-old New Yorker, "but no matter what I'm doing, my mind always drifts back to music and the stage." It's this deep love of music that has taken him around the world, and soon will take him on a new journey: his solo career.

While a senior in high school, Huey tried his luck at a talent audition held by producer Sergio George and manager Adam Torres. Sergio was known for developing a new young urban flavor of tropical music by producing salsa albums recorded by freestyle/dance stars India and Marc Anthony. Huey's soulful vocals impressed Sergio and he took the young singer under his wing.

For two years Huey worked hard at his craft. He learned to speak and sing in Spanish and studied the rhythms of salsa while singing backup in the studio and on the stage. He sang backup vocals on recordings by top artists like Yolandita Monge, Victor Manuelle and India. Huey became a regular backup singer for India, impressing audiences with his performance on her signature duet, "Vivir Lo Nuestro".

Like most American kids, Huey grew up listening to all kinds of music including pop music from the 50s through the 80s. His musical influences also included salsa legends like Ruben Blades whom he admired as both singer and lyricist. Says Huey, Blades and Willie Colon's groundbreaking record "Siembra" was "talking about Latinos in general and that influenced me. That's why I believe in the need for unity in the U.S. among Latinos as one voice. Together we're very powerful."

That unity is the philosophy behind the group DLG (Dark Latin Groove) that was formed by Sergio George when he felt Huey was ready to move from background singer to lead vocalist. In DLG, Huey's soaring salsa vocals were placed against the background of rap and reggae. Young audiences around the world immediately embraced their first album, "Dark, Latin Groove" (1996). The first single "No Morira" held the #1 spot on Billboard's Tropical chart for six consecutive weeks. Their second hit single. "Todo Mi Corazon" also reached the #1 spot. The album earned them their first Grammy nomination.

Their follow up release "Swing On" sold twice as many albums as their first album. It ranked healthy triple platinum sales in the U.S Latin Market as well as platinum in Colombia, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Peru, breaking records within each of those markets. The single "La Quiero A Morir" reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Tropical chart and held it for several weeks. In 1999, they released "Gotcha!" which earned the group their second Grammy nomination. The group toured extensively, opening up markets in countries that had not traditionally been open to tropical music such as Spain, Bolivia, Argentina and Uruguay.

The group continued touring and performing through the end of 2000. At the same time, Huey began preparing for his solo career. When he wasn't on the road, Huey was in the studio working on his first solo release, "Yo Si Me Enamore." As a soloist, Huey was able to express himself in ways he couldn't within the confines of the group. "God blessed me to sing" says Huey, "so I don't want to sing just one style of music. This new album allows me to express myself in new genres such as boleros, ballads, and dance music."

Being a soloist also gives Huey the opportunity to pair up in duets with different artists. On "Yo Si Me Enamori," Huey sings a duet with beautiful Mexican superstar Lucero who is loved throughout the world as both actress and singer. The album features two versions of the scintillating duet, "Lo Siento," one in pop/ballad and the other in salsa. The best songwriters and producers in the business were brought in for the project, including Kike Santender, Omar Alfanno, Sergio George, Ray Contreras and Jimmy Greco, Gustavo Marquez, Alejandero Jaen, and Fernando Osorio.

This new phase of Huey's career is both exciting and humbling. Huey sees the album as a reflection of everything he's learned on the road, and from the countries and people he's visited. In the end, he recognizes both where his talent comes from and how he must honor it by expanding the boundaries of his artistic career. Huey quotes his music teacher, saying, "You can't take credit for the talent that God gave you. It's what you do with it that counts."