The Silver Bear for Best Actor is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actor.

Awards[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Berlinale

• Berlinale website

Best Actor may refer to:

• Academy Award for Best Actor
• BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)
• Empire Award for Best Actor
• Empire Award for Best British Actor
• Filmfare Best Actor Award
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
• Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor
• IIFA Best Actor Award
• National Film Award for Best Actor
• Star Screen Award for Best Actor
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Other uses[link]

• Best Actor (film), a 2010 Malayalam film by Martin Prakatt

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

The Berlin International Film Festival (German: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events.^[1] It is held in Berlin, Germany.^[2] Founded in West Berlin in 1951 at the initiative of U.S. Film officer Oscar Martay^[3], the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly attended film festival worldwide.^[4][5] Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world. Around twenty films compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears. Since 2001 the director of the festival has been Dieter Kosslick.^[6][7]

The European Film Market (EFM), a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit once a year.^[8] The trade fair serves distributors, filmbuyers, producers, financiers and co-production agents. The Berlinale Talent Campus, a week long series of lectures and workshops, gathers young filmmakers from around the globe. It partners with the festival itself and is considered to be a forum for upcoming artists.^[9]

The festival, the EFM and other satellite events are attended by around 20,000 professionals from over 130 countries.^[10] More than 4200 journalists are responsible for the media exposure in over 110 countries.^[11] At high-profile feature film premieres, movie stars and celebrities are present at the red carpet.^[12] The Berlinale has established a cosmopolitan character integrating art, glamour, commerce and a global media attention.^[13] The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2012. The jury was presided by Mike Leigh.^[14] The opener/trailer for all sections was created 2002 by the German filmmaker Uli M Schueppel.

Awards[link]

A Golden Bear statue

The Golden Bear (German: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Golden Bear (Goldener Bär)

• Best Motion Picture (since 1951)
• Lifetime Achievement (Honorary Golden Bear) (since 1982)

Silver Bear (Silberner Bär)

The Silver Bear was introduced in 1956 as an award for individual achievements in direction and acting, and for best short film.

In 1965 a special film award for the runner-up to the Golden Bear was introduced. Although its official name was the Special Jury Price from 1965 to 1999, and has been the Jury Grand Prix since 2000, it is commonly known as the Silver Bear (just like the awards for individual achievements) as it's seen as a second place award after the Golden Bear.

In 1978, a Silver Bear for special recognitions was introduced, in 2002 a Silver Bear for best film music, and in 2008 an award for best screenplay.

• Jury Grand Prix (since 1965)
• Best Director (since 1956)
• Best Actor (since 1956)
• Best Actress (since 1956)
• Best Short Film (since 1956)
• Outstanding Artistic Achievement (since 1978)
• Best Film Music (since 2002)
• Best Screenplay (since 2008)

Other awards at the Berlin International Film Festival

• Panorama Publikumspreis, the Audience Award
• Berlinale Camera, a special award for services to the Festival
• A Crystal Bear for the Best Film in the 14plus section of the Generation Competition
• A Crystal Bear for the Best Film in the children's section of the Generation Competition
• Teddy Award for films with LGBT topics
• Shooting Stars Award for young European acting talent, awarded by European Film Promotion

Festival programme[link]

Venues of the festival are spread throughout the central city districts

The Berlinale Palast is the venue for the competition premieres

Cate Blanchett at the Red Carpet

The festival is composed of seven different film sections.^[15] Films are chosen in each category by a section director with the advice of a committee of film experts. Categories include:

Competition – comprises feature-length films yet to be released outside their country of origin. Films in the Competition section compete for several prizes, including the top Golden Bear for the best film and a series of Silver Bears for acting, writing and production.^[16]

Panorama – comprises new independent and arthouse films that deal with "controversial subjects or unconventional aesthetic styles". Films in the category are intended to provoke discussion, and have historically involved themes such as gay, lesbian and transgendered issues.^[17]

Forum – comprises experimental and documentary films from around the world with a particular emphasis on screening works by younger filmmakers. There are no format or genre restrictions, and films in the Forum do not compete for awards.^[18]

Generation – comprises a mixture of short and feature-length films aimed at children and youths. Films in the Generation section compete in two sub-categories: Generation Kplus (aimed at those aged four and above) and Generation 14plus (aimed at those aged fourteen and above). Awards in the section are determined by three separate juries – the Children's Jury, the Youth Jury and an international jury of experts – whose decisions are made independent of one another.^[19]

Perspektive Deutsches Kino – comprises a wide variety of German films, with an emphasis on highlighting current trends in German cinema. There are few entry requirements, enabling emerging filmmakers to display their work to domestic and international audiences.^[20]

Berlinale Shorts – comprises domestic and international short films, especially those that demonstrate innovative approaches to filmmaking. Films in the category compete for the Golden Bear for the best short film, as well as a jury-nominated Silver Bear.^[21]

Retrospective – comprises classic films previously shown at the Berlinale, with films collated from the Competition, Forum, Panorama and Generation categories. Each year, the Retrospective section is dedicated to important themes or filmmakers. The special Homage series similarly examines past cinema, with a focus on honouring the life work of directors and actors.^[22]

In addition to the seven sections, the Berlinale also contains several linked "curated special series", including the Berlinale Special, Gala Special, Forum Expanded, Culinary Cinema and the Homage.^[15]

European Film Market[link]

The European Film Market takes place at the Martin-Gropius-Bau.

The European Film Market (EFM) is one of three largest movie markets in the world.^[23] It is the business centre during the time of the Berlinale Film Festival. The EFM is the major venue for film producers, buyers, financiers, sales agents and distributors. It is a professional trade event and is open to registered industry insiders. In 2011, 400 companies registered and 6,982 market badges were issued. 1,532 buyers have registered.^[24]

The trade fair provides exhibition space for companies presenting their current line up. It organizes over 1000 screenings of new films, which take place at movie theatres around Potsdamer Platz. In 2007 the CinemaxX and CineStar were used to showcase new productions. In 2010 the Astor Film Lounge is showing market screenings in 3D using digital RealD technology.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market is a 3-day networking platform for producers, financiers as well as broadcasting and funding representatives who are participating in international co-productions. At the Berlinale Co-Production Market, producers can introduce pre-selected projects and find co-production partners and/or financiers in one-on-one meetings.

Talent Campus[link]

Wim Wenders attended the Talent Campus as a lecturer

Commencing in 2003, the Berlinale has partnered with the Berlinale Talent Campus, which is a winter school for "up and coming filmmakers" that takes place at the same time as the festival itself. The Talent Campus accepts about 350 applicants each year; the attendees come from around the world, and represent all of the filmmaking professions.^[25]

The event runs 6 days during the Berlinale and features lectures and panel discussions with well known professionals addressing issues in filmmaking today. Workshops, excursions, personal tutoring, coaching and training of participants from different fields of work are part of the programme.

The proceedings include presentations by distinguished experts,^[26] who have included Park Chan-wook, Frances McDormand, Stephen Frears, Dennis Hopper, Jia Zhangke, Walter Murch, Shah Rukh Khan, Anthony Minghella, Charlotte Rampling, Walter Salles, Ridley Scott, Raoul Peck, Tom Tykwer, Mike Leigh, Tilda Swinton and Wim Wenders. Many of these presentations and lectures are archived, both as videorecordings and transcripts, on the Talent Campus' website.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Potsdamer Platz houses two large multiplex cinemas

• 

  Around 20,000 professionals from over 130 countries attend the festival every year

• 

  Sharon Stone at the Premiere of "When a man falls in the forest"

• 

  Kino International is one of three ticketing centers

• 

  Cubix Kino at Alexanderplatz

• 

  The audience has the opportunity to discuss the film with producers & directors after the presentation

• 

  Conference after a screenings

• 

  In 2009, the Friedrichstadtpalast became a cinema location

• 

  Jury president 2005, Roland Emmerich

• 

  Delphi Filmpalast

• 

  Clint Eastwood, 2007

• 

  Jury president 2010, Werner Herzog

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Berlinale

• Official website
• Berlin International Film Festival at the Internet Movie Database
• Berlin Life: An introduction to the Berlin Film Festival

José Pedro Infante Cruz (November 18, 1917^[1][2] – April 15, 1957), better known as Pedro Infante, is one of the most famous actors and singers of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and is an idol of the Latinamerican people, together with Jorge Negrete and Javier Solís, who were styled the Tres Gallos Mexicanos (the Three Mexican Roosters). Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. He was raised in Guamúchil. He died on April 15, 1957, in Mérida, Yucatán, in a plane crash during a flight that he was piloting himself en route to Mexico City.

His film career began in 1939 with him appearing in more than 60 films, and starting in 1943, he recorded about 350 songs. For his performance in the movie Tizoc, he was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

Childhood and early career[link]

Son of Delfino Infante García, who played the double bass in a band, and Refugio Cruz Aranda, he was the third of fifteen children, of which nine survived. Although the Infante Cruz family stayed for some time at Mazatlán, in the early 1919 they moved to Guamuchil. Later in 1920, they moved to Rosario, Sinaloa.

From teenager, Infante showed talent and affection for music. He managed to learn strings, wind, and percussion instruments in a short time. He was a guitar student of Carlos R. Hubbard.

His wife María Luisa León, who was somewhat well-off economically, convinced him of the need to move to Mexico City where they would find opportunities for this talented young man.

In Mexico City, he sang the songs of composers including Alberto Cervantes (Alberto Raúl Cervantes González [1]), José Alfredo Jiménez, Cuco Sánchez, Tomás Méndez, Rubén Fuentes, Salvador Flores Rivera (Chava Flores) and others. His first musical recording El Soldado Raso (The Soldier) was made on November 19, 1943, for the Peerless Records Company. Infante first appeared as an extra in the movie En un Burro Tres Baturros (Three Men from Aragon on a Donkey), literally translated as "On a Donkey, Three Baturros'"'. His career as an actor in leading roles started with La Feria de Las Flores (The Fair of Flowers), literally translated as "The Flower Carnival" in 1943. In that same year, a friend and neighbor of Infantes' wife, Carmen Barajas Sandoval, offered to introduce them to Jorge Negrete, a singer whom he admired. Barajas, who knew people in the business as she was the aunt of the child actress Angélica María, worked then at The Sindicat Of Workers of the Movies Production, S.T.P.C. (Workers of the Cinematographic Production Union). She succeeded in convincing Negrete to recommend Infante to the producer Ismael Rodríguez, and others. As a result, he was invited to appear in different pictures, such as Vuelve el Ametralladora (The Machine Gun Returns)

While married to María Luisa León, he met the dancer Lupita Torrentera, with whom he had three children, Graciela Margarita (b. 1947), Pedro Infante Jr. (March 31, 1950 - April 1, 2009) and Guadalupe Infante Torrentera (b. 1951), solidifying his reputation as a ladies' man. Irma Infante was born from his relationship with the young actress Irma Dorantes, whom he met when she was only 16 years of age. Irma Infante has had a career as an actress and a singer.

Actor[link]

His natural talent for acting was made evident in such pictures as:

• Tizoc, along with María Félix, which gained him the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

• The massive migration from the countryside to the cities (mostly to Mexico City) during the 1940s fed the required labor force for rising manufacturing industries. This urbanization created the "working neighborhoods" and the culture of "la vecindad" (group of small apartments around a common patio), and found in Pedro Infante an identifiable icon for these, the new urban working class, with his character Pepe el Toro (Pepe the Bull) in the melodramatic trilogy made up of Nosotros los pobres, Ustedes los ricos, and Pepe el Toro (We the Poor, You the Rich, and Pepe the Bull), costarring with Evita Muñoz "Chachita".

• He worked with Sara García ("Mexico's grandmother") in many movies for Mexican cinema. Sara Garcia frequently played the role of his loving but "no nonsense" grandmother in their movies together, in which she constantly tried to get him to behave, but never succeeded.

• If that same urbanizing population had the nostalgia for the rural life, and with it the popularity of ranchera music and the idealized charro, it was not until he played the poor carpenter with a strong chilango (Mexico City) accent that Pedro Infante achieved a status, at least in Mexico, at the same level of celebrity such as Cantinflas, the Soler Brothers and even Jorge Negrete and María Félix. Despite that, he kept on playing the role of the charro and even the northern Mexican rancher (perhaps his most authentic character) in Ahí viene Martín Corona (Here comes Martín Corona) in 1951 and Los Hijos de María Morales (The Sons of María Morales) in 1952. When Jorge Negrete died in 1953, Pedro was no longer in the shadow of the international idol, even though Pedro was very affected by the disappearance of his idol. During his burial service some saw him slightly inebriated, a rare sight given that Infante was not a drinker.

• The Mexican child star María Eugenia Llamas, who was only four at the time, made her screen debut with him in the 1948 movie classic, "Los Tres Huastecos" ("The Three Men from Hausteca") as "La Tucita", a screen name she has used ever since.^[4] She played with him again under the sceen name La Tucita in his classic 1949 film comedy, "Dicen que Soy un Mujeriego" ("They Say I am a Womanizer").

• One of his better roles was that of Juventino Rosas in the movie "Sobre las Olas" ("Over the Waves"), based on the life of the Mexican waltz composer. Infante's natural musical abilities contributed to helping him to get into character.

• An important point in his career as an actor was winning the Ariel Award given by the Mexican Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences for Best Actor for his role in La Vida No Vale Nada (Life is Worth Nothing, a line from the song Camino de Guanajuato).

Musical interpretations[link]

Waltzes, cha-cha-chas, rancheras and boleros placed him among the most popular singers of the mariachi and ranchera music.

Some of his most popular songs include: Amorcito Corazón (approximately My Little Love and Heart), Te Quiero Así (I Love You Like This), La Que Se Fue (She Who Left), Corazón (Heart), El Durazno (The Peach), Dulce Patria (Sweet Fatherland), Maldita Sea Mi Suerte (Cursed Be My Luck), Así Es La vida (Life Is Like This), Mañana Rosalía (Tomorrow Rosalía), Mi Cariñito (My Little Darling), Dicen Que Soy Mujeriego (They Say I Am A Womanizer), Carta a Eufemia (Letter to Eufemia), Nocturnal, Cien Años (Hundred Years), Flor Sin Retoño (Flower Without Sprout), Pénjamo, and ¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer? (What Has That Woman Given You?). He sang "Mi Cariñito" to his frequent on screen grandmother, Sara Garcia, so many times in so many of their movies together, that it was played at her funeral.^[5]

The world famous song Bésame Mucho ("Kiss Me a Lot", or more loosely translated to get its elusive Spanish meaning closer to its English meaning, "Give Me a Lot of Kisses"), from the composer Consuelo Velázquez, was the only melody that he recorded in English and he interpreted it in the movie A Toda Máquina (ATM) (At Full Speed), with Luis Aguilar.

"Amorcito Corazón", by Manuel Esperón is one of Infante's most famous interpretations.

Infante was very often accompanied by the great musical ensembles of the time like the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Noé Fajardo's Orchestra, the Trío Calaveras and Antonio Bribiesca, among others.

By then, Pedro Infante had already created his characteristic mariachi shout

Death and homages[link]

Infante was a fanatic of aviation, a hobby that would lead to his death. According to Wilbert Alonzo-Cabrera, his biographer, the actor was piloting a Consolidated Aircraft X B-24-D (a variant of the B-24 Liberator), which had been converted from heavy bomber war airplane to air cargo in San Diego, California. The plane crashed 5 minutes after taking off from Mérida, Yucatán, in southeast Mexico.

The death of Pedro Infante on the morning of April 15, 1957, was announced by radio personality Humberto Rodríguez, of radio station XEMH of Mérida, after one of the firefighters discovered the bracelet engraved with the name "Pedro Infante", plus the winged insignia that symbolized his aviator license. This was around 8:15 am; at 11:12 am, Manuel Bernal, of Mexico City radio station XEW, gave the news saying: "this Monday, April 15, 1957, Pedro, our beloved Pedro...this has been confirmed, has died in a tragic accident in Mérida, Yucatán".

Year after year Pedro Infante attracts a great number of fans of every age to his shrine in the Panteón Jardín of Mexico City, as well as one at 54th through 87th streets in the center of Mérida. Pedro Infante died amongst friends: mechanic Marciano Bautista, and copilot Manuel Vidal. Many friends, family and fans still dress up as the characters that he played in film: Pedro Chávez, Pepe el Toro, Tizoc and a number of people incarnated from the Mexican culture that Infante symbolized. His fans honor him every year with a mass, honor guards, music and the songs made famous by the Idol of Guamúchil. Until now they have all been spontaneous, without any official authority or institution organizing them.^[6]

Four statues have been erected in his honor. The one in Mexico City was made out of thousands of bronze keys donated by his fans to a Mexico City TV station after a request by TV director Raúl Velasco. For the statue in Mérida another TV presenter (Manuel Pelayo) made a request and received keys. The third statue is in his birthplace, Mazatlán, Sinaloa. At the Paseo de Olas Altas at Mazatlán there is a statue of Pedro Infante on a motorcycle, in honor of his role in the movie A Toda Máquina ("ATM") with Luis Aguilar and "¿Qué te ha dado esa mujer?" also with Luis Aguilar, Rosita Arenas and Carmen Montejo. The fourth statue is in the town square of Guamúchil, his adopted home town.

The social phenomenon of Pedro Infante[link]

The Mexican idol died intestate. [2] Because of this, the main beneficiaries of his legacy have been the producers of the extremely successful movies in which he starred, as well as the "Peerless" music company [3] (now associated with Warner Music), and thanks to the large income his pictures and songs still generate, they are the ones who have contributed greatly to promoting and updating him.

He represented not only the fun-loving and partying charro, but also the urban hero of the working class, and it was this character that won him the love and admiration of the public in Mexico and other countries, such as Venezuela and Guatemala.^[7]

According to producer Jorge Madrid y Campos, who was also his legal representative, Pedro Infante's fame has increased greatly since his death. The presence of so many admirers at his shrine on the anniversary of his death is remarkable, as are the musical tributes from singers of the ranchera and mariachi genres that pay homage to him. As Mexican American author, Denise Chavez, in her book "Loving Pedro Infante" put it humorously, "If you're a [Mexican], and don't know who he is, you should be tied to a hot stove with a yucca rope and beaten with sharp dry corn husks as you stand in a vat of soggy fideos. If your racial and cultural background ethncity is Other, then it's about time you learned about the most famous of Mexican singers and actors."^[8]

Some fanatics even speculated that his death was faked.^[9] They believed in the possibility that he was living "in hiding" somewhere; there have also been cases, reported in the Mexican press, of people who claim to be Infante. These cases are similar, in a sense, to other famous deceased celebrities, such as Elvis Presley, Anastasia, 2pac, or Jim Morrison,with people claiming to be these individuals.

Filmography[link]

• El Organillero (The Organ Grinder) (1939)
• En Un Burro Tres Baturros (Three Men of Aragon on a Donkey) (1939)
• Puedes Irte De Mí (You Can Leave Me) (1940)
• Jesusita En Chihuahua (Jesusita in Chihuahua) (1942)
• La Razón De La Culpa (The Reason Of The Blame) (1942)
• La Feria De Las Flores (The Fair of Flowers) (1942)
• Arriba Las Mujeres (Up With The Women) (1943)
• Cuando Habla El Corazón (When The Heart Speaks) (1943)
• ¡Viva Mi Desgracia! (Long Live My Bad Luck!) (1943)
• Mexicanos al grito de guerra (Mexicans at the Cry of War) (1943)
• Escándalo De Estrellas (The Stars' Scandal) (1944)
• Cuando Lloran Los Valientes (When The Brave Weep) (1945)
• Si Me Han De Matar Mañana (If They Should Kill Me Tomorrow) (1946)
• Los Tres García (The Three Garcías) (1946)
• Vuelven Los García (The Garcías Return) (1946)
• Soy Charro De Rancho Grande (I Am a Charro Of Rancho Grande) (1947)
• Nosotros los pobres (We The Poor) (1947)
• La Barca De Oro (The Golden Boat) (1947)
• Cartas Marcadas (Marked Cards) (1947)
• Ustedes los ricos (You The Rich) (1948)
• Dicen Que Soy Mujeriego (They Say I'm A Womanizer) (1948)
• Los Tres Huastecos (The Three Huastecos) (1948)
• Angelitos Negros (Little Black Angels) (1948)
• No Desearás La Mujer De Tu Hijo (You Shall Not Covet Thy Son's Wife) (1949)
• La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep) (1949)
• La Mujer Que Yo Perdí (The Woman That I Lost) (1949)
• El Seminarista (The Seminarian) (1949)
• Sobre Las Olas (Over The Waves) (1950)
• El Gavilán Pollero (The Chickenhawk) (1950)
• Las Mujeres De Mi General (My General's Women) (1950)
• También De Dolor Se Canta (Singing Also From Pain) (1950)
• Islas Marías (1950)
• A.T.M. A Toda Máquina! (At Full Speed) (1951)
• ¡¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer?! (What Has That Woman Given You?) (1951)
• Ahí Viene Martín Corona (There Comes Martín Corona) (1951)
• Necesito Dinero (I Need Money) (1951)
• El Enamorado (The Lover) (1951)
• Un Rincón Cerca Del Cielo (A Place Near Heaven) (1952)
• Ahora Soy Rico (Now I Am Rich) (1952)
• Dos Tipos De Cuidado (Two Guys To Be Afraid Of) (1952)
• Por Ellas Aunque Mal Paguen (For Them Although They Pay Badly) (1952)
• Ansiedad (Anxiety) (1952)
• Sí, Mi Vida (Yes, My Dear) (1952)
• Había Una Vez Un Marido (There Once Was A Husband) (1952)
• Pepe el Toro (Pepe The Bull) (1952)
• Los Hijos De María Morales (The Sons Of María Morales) (1952)
• Gitana Tenías Que Ser (You Had To Be Gypsy) (1953)
• Reportaje (News Article) (1953)
• Cuidado Con El Amor (Beware With Love) (1954)
• Los Gavilanes (The Sparrowhawks) (1954)
• Pueblo, Canto Y Esperanza (People, Song And Hope) (1954)
• La Vida No Vale Nada (Life's Worth Nothing) (1954)
• Escuela De Vagabundos (School Of Vagabonds) (1954)
• El Mil Amores (The Thousands Lover) (1954)
• Escuela De Música (School Of Music) (1955)
• La Tercera Palabra (The Third Word) (1955)
• El Inocente (The Innocent) (1956)
• Pablo Y Carolina (Pablo And Carolina) (1956)
• Tizoc (1957)
• Escuela De Rateros (School Of Thieves) (1957)

References[link]

External links[link]

English

• Pedro Infante at the Internet Movie Database

Spanish

• Pedro Infante at ILCE
• Biography of Pedro Infante at Univisión

v t e Cinema of Mexico Actors Directors Films A-Z Cinematographers Editors Producers Screenwriters Films by year 1896–1919 1920s 1930s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Tito
Tito "El Bambino" on January 31, 2011
Background information
Birth name	Efraín David Fines Nevares
Born	(1981-10-05) October 5, 1981 (age 30)
Origin	Puerto Rico
Genres	Reggaeton, Latin pop
Years active	1996–present
Labels	On Fire Music
Website	[1]

Efraín David Fines Nevares (born October 5, 1981) age 30 known professionally as Tito "El Bambino" is a Puerto Rican recording artist. He rose to fame as Tito of the duo Héctor & Tito.

In 2010 his song, "El Amor", written with Joan Ortiz Espada, was awarded Latin Song of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).^[1] He was awarded Songwriter of the Year at the 2011 ASCAP.^[2]

Musical career[link]

1996–2004: Héctor & Tito[link]

Tito and his partner released a number of hit songs in their native Puerto Rico, including "Amor de Colegio" (ft. Don Omar), "Felina", "Baila Morena" (ft. Glory), and "No Le Temas a Él", a song which not only raised their popularity, it helped raise popularity for the then up-and-coming Trebol Clan. After years of working together, they separated, but not before releasing a final album, Season Finale, which featured some of their greatest hits. The duo broke up due to Tito's belief of disloyalty from Hector.^{[citation needed]}

Héctor y Tito released their first album in 1998. Together they became reggaeton stars releasing several successful albums and making appearances in several compilations, becoming one of the most sought-out duos in the genre. Both became the first reggaeton artists to sell out a massive concert in Puerto Rico, opening the path to other artists such as Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee and others. Bakalao stars

2004–2006: Solo career and Top of the Line[link]

After much delay, his first solo album was released, Top of the Line. The album was a hit, reaching #1 in Puerto Rico and knocking R.K.M & Ken-Y's album, Masterpiece to #2.

Top of the Line featured 20 new songs, with collaboration from artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and Beenie Man. It featured quite a number of hits, such as "Caile", "Mía" (ft. Daddy Yankee), "Tu Cintura" (ft. Don Omar), "Flow Natural" (ft. Beenie Man and Deevani) "Secreto", "Máximo", "Tuve Que Morir" and "Me Da Miedo" among others.

Top of the Line/El Internacional is a limited edition of Tito's first album Top of the Line. It features 5 bonus new songs that were not included in the original version: "Siente El Boom (Remix)", "Enamorado", "Calentándote", "Bailarlo" and "Voy a Mí". The first single of the album is "Siente El Boom (Remix)" that is a big hit in Argentina. "Siente El Boom" is also on Chosen Few II: El Documental featuring Randy.^{[citation needed]}

In Top of The Line: El Internacional, the remix features Randy, along with his partner Jowell, & De La Ghetto. The second single recently released, "Enamorado", did not get a lot of airplay as "Siente El Boom" was still a hit on Puerto Rico's radio stations. "Siente El Boom" expanded throughout Latin America, peaking at #14 in the Billboard Hot Latin charts. Apparently "Enamorado" got cancelled and now the third single is "Bailarlo" that's starting to get airplay on the radio and a video has already been released.^{[citation needed]}

2007–2008: It's My Time[link]

It's My Time is the second album by Tito "El Bambino" released October 2, 2007. The first single Solo dime que sí is already getting plenty of airplay on the radio. Artists featured on It's My Time are R.K.M & Ken-Y in "Fans", Pharrell in "Booty", Toby Love in "La Busco", Jadiel in "Sol, Playa y Arena" with Arcangel and Franco "El Gorila" on the remix and with many other hits like "En La Disco" Olga Tañón on the remix and "El Tra".

2009–2010: El Patron[link]

El Patron is Tito El Bambino's third solo CD. The hit, Vamos Pa'l Agua was released before the CD to let fans know what lay ahead, but was ultimately not included in the album. The CD includes his fellow reggaeton artists Zion y Lennox, and Plan B. Some chart toppers of this album include "El Amor" and "Under", which also have chart topping videos. "El Amor" was officially remixed four times with four different artists: Yolandita Monge, Jenny Rivera, Chiky Flow, and La India.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2011 Tito El Bambino's label, On approached producer duo group GrüvStar to create the official dance remix of the song "Llueve El Amor" to support the record during mix show play at Latin Urban radio stations.

Tito is also trying his hand as a producer, with his label ON FIRE MUSIC.

2011-Present: El Patron:Invencible[link]

His younger brother now known in his last disc, "Invencible," by his artist name, Emanuel El Bambi. Tito has said that he will still be doing this type of music 10 years from now.

Personal life[link]

Tito married Jessica Santiago in January 2005 after a seven year relationship and got a divorce in 2009. Tito has a daughter, Jeinaliz Fines, from a previous relationship.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• Top of the Line (2006)
• It's My Time (2007)
• El Patrón (2009)
• Invencible (2011)
• Invicto (201?)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website: English/Spanish
• Official MySpace
• Official Twitter
• Official Youtube Channel
• Official Facebook Profile
• Official Facebook Page
• Tito El Bambino, Artista Destacado - Billboard En Español