by Evan C. Gutierrez
Born in Bogota, Colombia, Fonseca chose the path of music at an early age, creating and selling his first compositions to friends and family by the age of 12. Studying music formally at institutions such as Javeriana University in Bogota and Berklee College of Music in Boston, he honed his compositional and performance skills. Fonseca's self-titled debut gained him considerable attention in Colombia, including the notice of artists like Shakira and Juanes, both of whom offered him subsequent collaboration and performance opportunities. Sharing the stage with Shakira on her Mongoose tour and Juanes at Campin Stadium in Bogota garnered Fonseca the recognition and momentum he would need for his second album. Corazón explores the crossroads where pop/rock influences meet the vallenato, bullerengue, and tambora rhythms of Fonseca's native land. Released by EMI, Corazón was well received, reaching number six on Billboard's Latin Tropical chart.