Nayobe
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born Nayobe Catalina Gomez and raised in the Bronx, New York, the young
singer was introduced to the world of entertainment via an appearance
in an off-Broadway production of The Wiz, understudying for Lena Horne.
At the tender age of fourteen, Nayobe was discovered singing at Skate
Fever, a Bronx roller-skating rink owned by Sal Abbatiello, who also
owned and operated several Bronx nightclubs. At Abbatiello's urging,
Nayobe entered and won Skate Fever's talent contest week after week,
until she nabbed the grand prize: a recording contract with
Abbatiello's fledgling record label Fever Records. Teamed with producer
Andy 'Panda' Tripoli, Nayobe recorded 'Please Don't Go', arguably the
first Latin freestyle song ever recorded, which quickly gained airplay
in nightclubs in New York and Miami, garnering the ingénue her first
established hit. Her cameo appearance in the film Krush Groove (1985) offered fans
their first opportunity to actually see Nayobe perform a bit of 'Please
Don't Go'. The follow-up singles 'Second Chance For Love', and 'Good
Things Come To Those Who Wait' were equally as successful and
solidified Nayobe's standing as one of the innovators of the Latin
hip-hop or freestyle movement. Following the success of Nayobe's
singles, she was signed to WTG/Epic Records for whom she recorded 'It's
Too Late' for the soundtrack of the film _Twins (1988)_, and an album, Promise
Me, that featured collaborations with such producers as Teddy Riley and
David Morales and spawned the hits 'I Love The Way You Love Me', and
'I'll Be Around'. The success of Promise Me in Japan found the singer
touring the Far East to promote the record and to greet her fans. With
the demise of WTG Records, Nayobe found herself label-less and in
search of another avenue for her career. Enter Sony Latin with a new
recording contract and the release of Dame Un Poco Mas, a Latin pop
album that featured the bilingual hit 'Let's Party Tonight', which was
helmed by famed producer Tony Moran. The single and accompanying video
received airplay on Spanish language radio stations and nightclubs
across the United States. In 1997, Nayobe's voice was used for
Salma Hayek's onscreen musical performance in the film 54 (1998). Nayobe's
self-titled second Spanish language album was released on
Parcha/Platano Records in 2000, and showcased the singer flexing her
muscle in the Salsa arena, joining contemporaries Marc Anthony, India
and Brenda K. Starr in taking her existing fans along for the ride, yet
gaining many new fans along the way. 2001 found Nayobe back in the
studio working with an array of established producers, readying her
first long-awaited album of English material since Promise Me. Nayobe's
fans won't be disappointed with the pulsating dance beats of her latest
recordings. This diva has done it all, from dance to rhythm and blues
to salsa, and with her next release is poised to come full circle with
an album of pop, dance and R&B songs to sate all of her many fans.