Figueroa began using the artistic name of "Chayanne" when he was a little kid. He auditioned for Menudo, but was told that at the time that he was too young for the group. He didn't give up and he heard that Titi Soto was trying to create a new group that would compete with Menudo, and so he went and tried out. He was chosen for the group and his meteoric rise to the top began.
That group, Los Chicos, made several #1 hits, including Puerto Rico Son Los Chicos, and Terremoto. And while it never achieved the popularity of Menudo, it did give Menudo good competition, becoming famous all over Latin America, participating in a movie (Coneccion Caribe), and producing millions of Los Chicos-related memorabilia like t-shirts, rulers, magazines etc.
After Los Chicos went bankrupt in 1984 and separated, Chayanne, having become famous all over Latin America, retired for a little while, moving to Mexico and staying in the background for a few years, so his fans wouldn't get tired of seeing him. In 1987, he came back like a storm, his first solo album producing the Spanish pop classic Fiesta En America. Chayanne was back. He became an instant pop idol all over Latin America again. He toured all over Latin America, and in 1989 he produced his second solo album, which produced another smash hit in Tu Pirata Soy Yo.
The 1990s brought some changes for Chayanne. He started acting, married Marilisa Maronese, with whom he formed a family, and moved to Miami. He is well known for fiercely protecting the privacy of his wife and children. His acting career has been extremely favorable. Some of his roles include portraying himself in Volver A Empezar, playing a Cuban dancer along with Vanessa L. Williams in Hollywood's Dance With Me, and a few soap operas in Argentina, including Provocame.
He has also kept on touring and producing CDs, and along with Ricky Martin, is considered to be Puerto Rico's biggest pop idol ever. Songs such as Salomé, Torero, Boom Boom, Enamorado, Atado A Tu Amor, No Te Preocupes Por Mi, Caprichosa or Y Tú Te Vas are some of his greatest hits.
In 2006 he had a small role with famous singer and actress Natalia Oreiro in Sos Mi Vida (an Argentinian telenovela). Chayanne, today, having moved beyond teen idol, is a full-fledged Puerto Rican superstar.
La playa
Chayanne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Luz y sol
Y cuando el mar con su rumor
Hablo de amor
Cuando soñaba en el azul
Fue realidad este soñar
Llegaste tú
Amor tal vez será
Que una fatal brisa otoñal
Marchitará
Fin de mi sueño de ilusión
Y en este playa
Naufragará mi corazón
Y sequirá igual
Arena y mar
La playa en soledad
Se quedará
El eco de su voz se extinguirá
Las huellas de los dos
Se borrarán
Cuando en la playa
Nuevamente brille el sol
Allí estaré y junto al mar
Recordaré
Evocaré la inmensidad
De nuestro amor
Que me brindó felicidad
Has de volver
Aquí in la playa te esperaré
The lyrics of Chayanne's song La Playa speak about a love that blooms on the beach, within the warmth of summer's light and the soothing sound of waves. The singer experiences a dreamy, idealistic love that seems to blossom out of the very blue skies, only to later be threatened by the inevitability of change and the possible end of an infatuation that will not withstand the test of time. The lyrics serve as an eloquent ode to the fragility of love, as the singer navigates the turbulent waters of coming to terms with what seems to be a doomed romance.
The song is imbued with vivid imagery to describe how the beach, in a way, serves as a metaphor for the singer's heart. When love blossoms, so does everything around it. However, when love fades, there is an untangling of intricate emotions, leaving behind empty footprints that are only temporary. The lyrics remind the listener that even though love may come and go, the memories associated with it will remain forever. The singer speaks of his intention to wait for his love on the same beach where they first fell in love, as if to keep alive the embers of a flame that may never burn bright again.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando la playa se inundó de Luz y sol
When the beach became full of light and sun
Y cuando el mar con su rumor Hablo de amor
And when the sea spoke of love through its murmur
Cuando soñaba en el azul Fue realidad este soñar Llegaste tú
When I dreamed of the blue, you came and made my dream come true
Flor de un verano nuestro Amor tal vez será
Our love, perhaps, was the flower of a summer
Que una fatal brisa otoñal Marchitará
That an unlucky autumn wind will wither
Fin de mi sueño de ilusión Y en este playa Naufragará mi corazón
The end of my dream of illusion, and on this beach, my heart will sink
Y sequirá igual Arena y mar La playa en soledad Se quedará
And everything will remain the same, sand and sea, the beach will be left alone
El eco de su voz se extinguirá Las huellas de los dos Se borrarán
The echo of our voices will fade away, the footprints of the two of us will be erased
Cuando en la playa Nuevamente brille el sol Allí estaré y junto al mar Recordaré
When the sun shines on the beach again, I'll be there, and by the sea, I'll remember
Evocaré la inmensidad De nuestro amor Que me brindó felicidad Has de volver Aquí in la playa te esperaré
I'll evoke the greatness of our love that brought me happiness, you must come back, and here on the beach, I'll wait for you
Contributed by Mateo F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.