by Drago Bonacich
Born in the U.S. but raised in Zacatecas, Mexico, son of recording legends Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre, Pepe Aguilar was influenced and supported by his parents to start singing. He reached the stage for the first time at the age of three, performing at New York's Madison Square Garden two years later. After saving money, Aguilar decided to buy a drum set to get involved in rock music, inspired by progressive groups such as Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull. Nevertheless, while leaving his teenage years behind, he turned to tejano once again, mixing the traditional style with his modern pop influences and becoming a strong identity in the Latin scene, in addition to developing a successful acting career. Among his biggest albums are 1998's Por Mujeres Como Tu, which spent nearly a year on the Latin and Mexican charts, 1999's Por una Mujer Bonita, which won him a Grammy for Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance, 2003's Y Tenerte Olta Vez, 2004's No Soy de Nadie, and 2005's Historias de Mi Tierra.