Alejandra Margarita Ávalos Rodríguez (born October 17, 1968) is a Mexican singer, musician and actress. She began her career in 1980, when she took part in the musical contest La Voz del Heraldo. After receiving a scholarship to study in a two-year training program, she began working as a model; afterwards, she began appearing on television as a supporting actress in 1983; by that time she also provided backing vocals for some recording artists. Since 1984, Ávalos obtained a number of leading roles on stage, including the theatrical productions The Rocky Horror Show and Jesus Christ Superstar. At the time, she began working as a TV host on Televisa. Avalos's breakthrough came in 1986 with her first leading role on television in the successful series El padre Gallo, media referred to Ávalos as "The New Young Super-Star".
In 1987, Ávalos signed to Warner Music Group, afterwards, she released her debut album Ser o No Ser (1988), it was followed by the successful albums Amor Fasciname (1990) and Amor Sin Dueño (1991); a number of singles were taken from such albums, including "Contigo o Sin Tí, "Aparentemente", "Tu Hombre Yo Niña", "Amor Fasciname", "Casualidad" and "Como Puedes Saber"; she also recorded the duet "Te Quiero Así" with José José. Her music also incorporates elements of Mariachi (Mi Corazón Se Regala, 1996), Bolero-pop (Una Mujer, 1999), Big Band (Radio Diva, 2005) and electronic dance music (Te Sigo Queriendo, 2016) among others.
Ávalos portrayed the leading role in the 1995 drama film Perdóname Todo; she also obtained a number of leading roles on television including the teenage drama series Tenías que ser tú (1992) and Soñadoras (1998); on the other hand, Ávalos also starred as the main antagonist in several dramas including Tal como somos (1987), Tiempo de amar (1987), the police procedural Morir dos veces (1996), Siempre te amaré (2000) and Apuesta por un amor (2004).
Ávalos has taken part in several singing competitions, besides becoming a finalist at the Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival during the 1980s and 1990s, and later at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in the 2000s.
In 2018, for the first time in over 30 years, Ávalos starred in a big budget musical, playing Doña Mariquita in the 4D stage production Capricho-LivExperience, an adaptation of Miguel Barnet's multi-awarded coming-of-age novel Canción de Rachel; furthermore, the artist released her eighth studio album México Majestuoso Vol.I on the same day as its counterpart México Majestuoso Vol. II; the digital version was released on October 31, as a double album; produced and co-written by Ávalos, it became the first double release in her career, an homage to the greatest singer-songwriters through Mexico's folk music history.
On December 18, 2022, Ávalos, competed and eventually, she became one of the winners during the Final competition of the reality cooking show MasterChef Celebrity México, accompanied by her daughter, the Italian entrepreneur and fashion model Valentina Benaglio.
Early life
Ávalos was born on October 17, 1968, in Mexico City as the eldest child of Carlos Mario Ávalos y Solano and Ninfa Margarita Rodríguez, a model during the 1960s. Ávalos had a Catholic upbringing. She has an older brother – José Alberto Ávalos. Her father was an architect, government official and writer, who died in 2016 at the age of 84. Ávalos attended Universidad IberoAmericana, where she studied for a bachelor's degree in communications. On July 19, 1996, Ávalos gave birth to her first daughter, taking a one-year hiatus to take care of her child. Her daughter, the Italian-Mexican model Valentina Benaglio, earned a bachelor's degree in communications at Universidad IberoAmericana; Benaglio was a brand strategist, writer and redactor in several fashion magazines in Mexico city; then, she moved to New York City, where she became an entrepreneur, data scientist, brand creator and corporate manager.
Career
1979–1983: Early work
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ávalos was involved in a number of competitions, but it was not until 1980 when she took part in a major event, La Voz del Heraldo, one of the most important musical contests in Mexico; although she was not officially registered, Ávalos took part in the competition, singing songs by Juan Carlos Calderón, but she was disqualified; nevertheless, she was given a scholarship to study for two years at Centro de Capacitación de los Iniciadores de la Televisión Mexicana. Since her professional debut at La Voz del Heraldo, Ávalos has been performing within a wide vocal range; she has been classified as a mezzosoprano.Alejandra Avalos – Cielo Rojo In 1983, Ávalos obtained an offer by The Coca-Cola Company´s Sidral Mundet to appear as a model in a TV commercial; later, Ávalos had her first acting work, she appeared uncredited as a nurse in the 1983 drama "Amalia Batista". At the time, Ávalos took part in the contest "Festival de la canción de la Ibero", she won first place unanimously; then she was given another scholarship among 4000 aspirants to study at Centro de Capacitación Mexicana (Televisa); her acting coach Sergio Jiménez, referred to Ávalos as "The most energetic and outstanding student".
1984–1988: Mainstream success, theater, and debut album
Breakthrough
After some modeling work, Ávalos began appearing in several stage productions in 1984; first, portraying supporting roles and providing backing vocals in plays such as El Títere-Pinocchio by Chespirito or Fausto Musical, subsequently she portrayed the leading role of Mary Magdalene on Jesus Christ Superstar, initially, she was the replacement; Ávalos also provided lead and backing vocals on stage and the official LP. In 1985, Ávalos continued her work on stage, and became the TV host on El Mundo de VideoCentro, a documentary series about the history of the international film industry; on the other hand, Ávalos recorded what was supposed to be her debut studio album alongside the successful production team Kiko Campos -Fernando Riba ; the release of her new wave/Italian rock-oriented album was cancelled. Meanwhile, Ávalos was hired by several teenage groups as a backing vocalist.
In 1986, Ávalos was hired to portray the leading role of Janet Weiss in the successful stage production The Rocky Horror Show. She also obtained the leading role on "Robin Hood". Soon after, Ávalos provided backing and lead vocals for the 1986 FIFA World Cup official album Bienvenidos – Viva México '86 by Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo.
Later, in that year, Televisa's CEO Emilio Azcárraga Milmo hired Ávalos to play her first leading role on TV, in the highly rated soap-opera "El padre Gallo", she portrayed both female and male characters. At the time, media referred to Ávalos as "The New Young Super-Star. In 1987, Ávalos made a number of notable appearances on TV, she portrayed the main antagonist in two drama series, "Tal como somos" co-starring Enrique Álvarez Félix; and "Tiempo de amar" by Silvia Pinal, co-starring Fernando Allende; on the other hand, Ávalos obtained the leading role of La Malinche on the stage production "Malinche Opera – Una epopeya musical" about the fall of the Aztec Empire.
Ser o No Ser After several years of modeling, acting work and studio recordings, Ávalos met Hispavox CEO Honorio Herrero in Spain in 1987, who previously worked for Luis Miguel´s breakout recording Palabra de Honor; afterwards, Ávalos signed to Warner Music Group after a meeting in Spain between Herrero and the WEA executive chairman René León. At the time, Ávalos made her first appearance as a soloist for an international broadcasting on "Siempre en Domingo", performing a ten-minute Broadway-medley that included "West Side Story", "The Rocky Horror Show", "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Zoot Suit", host Raúl Velasco said "..you have to take your hat off to Ávalos".
The recording of "Ser o No Ser" began in 1987 produced by Honorio Herrero; all the instrumental tracks and some vocals were recorded in London; additional vocals and arrangements were recorded in Miami, Florida. In 1988, Ávalos released her debut solo LP "Ser o No Ser", available in two different versions. The album spawned a number of hit singles including, "Ser O No Ser", a new wave track which became the debut solo single in Ávalos´ career, the power rock ballad "Punto final", "Tren Tren Tren", "Corazón al Viento" and "Numero 1"; nevertheless, the best selling single was "Tu hombre, Yo Niña", which brought Ávalos wide recognition; a promotional video was made for the song for Siempre en Domingo. By the time, Eurovision winner Juan Carlos Calderón, who was working with Herb Alpert, reached a contractual agreement with Ávalos in 1989.
By the time, she took part for the first time in the 18th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival; she entered with the song "Simple y Llanamente" written for her by Pedro Alberto Cárdenas. Her participation in the event brought international attention.
1989–1994: Height of fame, and departure from Warner Bros. Amor Fasciname and Festival OTI Nacional In the fall of 1989, Ávalos finished recording the album "Amor Fasciname" in Madrid, Spain; at the same time, Ávalos released the promotional recording "Cielo Rojo (live)", a folk-huapango song, which required the use of the falsetto technique. Later in December, Ávalos released the first promo from the upcoming album, the title track "Amor Fasciname", soon after, in January 1990, both the physical single and the album were officially released; at the time, "Amor Fasciname" became the best-selling single by the artist; the album provided a number of successful songs, including the electronic rock/new wave track "Lo Que Pasó Pasó", and "Contigo o Sin Tí", a power ballad for which, she filmed her first official music video. Other notable singles are "Casualidad", "Tres Veces No", "Amame" "Nada Nuevo Bajo El Sol" and "Dos Veces", the latter was originally written and recorded by Ávalos in 1982. By the time, Ávalos released the successful new wave single "Ámame Hoy". Simultaneously, she released a Spanish version of the song "We'll Be Together", originally by British musician Sting. In October, she made her second consecutive appearance at the 19th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival; unlike the previous year, she became one of the finalists with the song "Viernes primero", written for her once again by Pedro Alberto Cárdenas; 24 years later, she released alongside other Festival OTI Nacional finalists a compilation album, and they went on tour.
In 1991, screenwriter Laura Esquivel offered Ávalos the leading role of "Tita" in the Golden Globe nominee film Like Water for Chocolate "(Como Agua Para Chocolate)", she was the original choice, but she turned down the offer. Soon after, Ávalos starred in the romance-thriller "Amor y Venganza", she also recorded the soundtrack.
Como Puedes Saber and Show de Gala Internacional