KC Porter
When it comes to fluently translating the
universal language of music, KC Porter is the master of the
medium. In addition to his chart-topping work with superstars
including Carlos Santana and Ricky Martin, GRAMMY-winning music
producer KC Porter has long been widely renowned for crossing
over many of the biggest stars in the Latin music firmament to
English-speaking audiences. His artistry as a producer,
arranger, and composer has helped make icons like Luis Miguel,
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Ana Gabriel, the late Selena and Ricky
Martin—who Porter has collaborated with since the early
days-- household names in the U.S. and Europe as much as they
are throughout Latin America. Conversely, Porter has
worked his magic with an ever-growing mix of English-language
stars including Lara Fabian, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Chaka
Khan, 98 Degrees, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, and Boyz II
Men, crossing their hits over to Spanish-speaking and
international audiences.
Most recently, KC’s prodigious
talents were honored with the 2001 Latin GRAMMY Producer of the
Year Award, saluting his overall body of work for the year
preceding the win (he had also been a contender in 2000, Latin
GRAMMY’s inaugural year). Six separate tracks were
cited in the nomination: “Olympic Festival,” a song
with the legendary Carlos Santana from the soundtrack for Sony
Picture’s critically acclaimed indie film Girlfight;
“Brujeria” and “El Santo” by Latin
alt-rock sensation King Chango from their Luaka Bop album The
Return of El Santo; “Una Noche,” a Spanish version
of the smash from pop hitmakers 98 Degrees; the international
hit “Un Error De Los Grandes,” from reigning
Italian pop diva Laura Pausini; and “Cambia La
Piel,” from superstar Ricky Martin’s Columbia
Records release, Sound Loaded.
At the time that KC was named Producer of
the Year at an October ’01 awards ceremony scaled down by
the Recording Academy out of respect for the tragic events of
September 11, he was already involved in a major artistic and
humanitarian project featuring a massive “We Are The
World”-style, all-star chorus with contributions from
Carlos Santana, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin,
Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Beyonce Knowles, Usher, Julio Iglesias,
Shakira, Jon Secada, N'Sync, Alejandro Sanz, Luther Vandross,
Ziggy Marley, Gloria Estefan, Mya, Luis Miguel and more. The
yet to be released single is entitled “Todo Para
Ti”.
The path to his current success began at an
early age for Porter, who was born in Southern California and
resides there now. He first experienced a passion for Latin
music and polyrhythms when his family moved from Woodland
Hills, CA to Guatemala when he was just seven years old.
In the decade that he came of age there, KC learned Spanish,
arranging and piano, became well-versed in both traditional and
popular Latin music as well as hits from the States, and
developed a creative and multi-cultural sensibility that would
change the course of his life. Porter returned to
California to study music in college, and quickly landed a gig
as staff arranger at Hollywood’s esteemed A&M
Studios. While there, he had the opportunity to record
artists including Lani Hall, Luis Angel and Maria Conchita
Alonso. KC started to produce as well, and soon
demonstrated a unique style and uncanny ability to transform
Latin pop music into an accessible sound that American
audiences embraced wholeheartedly, a skill that helped break
Luis Miguel, Emmanuel, Ana Gabriel and Barrio Boyzz on three
continents.
KC began working with Puerto-Rican pop
artist Ricky Martin in what would become a long and fruitful
association. They first collaborated on Martin’s
third album, A Medio Vivir, the artist’s first major
commercial triumph. Subsequently, he produced the
groundbreaking follow-up, Vuelve, which topped the Latin
charts, sold eight million copies, and garnered the 1998
GRAMMY® for Best Latin Pop Album. Martin’s
spectacularly successful eponymous English-language debut on
Columbia Records– which has sold upwards of twenty
million copies worldwide and is more than seven times platinum
in the U.S. alone—features the Porter-produced and
co-written hit “Maria,” and on Martin’s
latest album, Sound Loaded, Porter produced the track
“Cambia La Piel.” In late 2001, Sony Discos
released La Historia, a 17-song collection celebrating the best
of Martin’s first six albums—with well over half
the tracks produced by Porter, it’s a fitting testament
to KC’s profound impact on the singer’s rise to
international superstardom.
At the same time that his career with
Martin took off, KC was instrumental as well in introducing the
rising Tejano singing sensation Selena to the Latin pop market
and then to mainstream America. The first to record the young
phenomenon in English, KC handled production on Selena's 1995
Dreaming of You, 1996's Siempre Selena, and the soundtrack for
the 1997 posthumous movie Selena. Not only influential in
the pop world, the versatile KC has also worked extensively
with Rock en Español heavyweights Los Fabulosos
Cadillacs since the days when they were an unknown act.
He eventually produced four noteworthy albums for the now
hugely popular band: El Leon (1992), which broke them in Latin
America; Vasos Vacios (1994), which, via the track
"Matador’s” inclusion on the Grosse Point
Blank soundtrack, achieved worldwide recognition; Fabulosos
Calavera, which won a ‘97 GRAMMY for Best Latin Rock
Alternative Performance; and 1999’s GRAMMY-nominated La
Marcha Del Golazo Solitario.
Over the years, many KC Porter-penned songs
and produced albums & singles have received GRAMMY awards
and nominations, including the title track from Salsa diva La
India’s acclaimed ‘99 album Sola. That same
year, Porter took home a GRAMMY for his extensive work on the
legendary Carlos Santana’s RIAA Diamond-status 1999
juggernaut Supernatural, which won a record-breaking nine
GRAMMYs including Album of the Year, is certified fourteen
times platinum domestically, and has achieved international
sales exceeding ten million. KC produced four songs for
this landmark work: “Primavera,” “El
Farol” (both of which he co-wrote), “Migra,”
and “Corazón Espinado,” featuring
Maná, the album’s third single internationally.
“El Farol” was also honored with a 2000 GRAMMY for
Best Pop Instrumental, and KC’s production won
“Corazón Espinado” Record of the Year at the
first annual Latin GRAMMYs that year. In late 2001,
“Primavera” was re-released as a single in Latin
America with Salsa star Jerry Rivera on vocals.
Porter has recently produced and penned
songs for Ozomatli’s 2007 release Don’t Mess with
the Dragon(plus singles “Can’t Stop” and
“La Gallina”), the Grammy winning Street Signs, and
for Ceremony and Shaman, Carlos Santana's multi-platinum
follow-ups to Supernatural, “When You Smile”, the
first collaborative effort for Carlos Santana and Patti LaBelle
from Timeless Journey, Chilean rock act La Ley’s Grammy
winning, Libertad, also collaborations with Carlos Santana and
North Algerian superstar, Khaled, entitled “Love to the
People”, as well as Iraqi superstar Kazem Al Sahir and
Paula Cole on “Love and Compassion”. Recent #1
Billboard Latin single “Sedúceme”, for Sony
Latin’s Salsa singing diva, India, the debut
English-language platinum album From The Inside for
Italy’s singing sensation Laura Pausini.
Porter, who is a practitioner of the
Baha’i Faith, is also deeply involved in his role as
Creative Director for Oneness(www.oneness.org), the non-profit
organization he co-founded in 1999 with a mission of
eliminating racism and promoting racial unity through the
healing power of music and the arts. Since its launch,
Carlos Santana, BB King, Macy Gray, Sarah McLachlan, Luther
Vandross, Brian McKnight, Angelique Kidjo, Quincy Jones, Ricky
Martin and Jimmy Jam are among the many who have already joined
KC and contributed their time and talents.
In 2004, Oneness held its fifth annual
Power of Oneness awards, recognizing individuals who have
fostered meaningful change in the area of race relations.
It’s annual Songwriters’ Summit for Oneness
features the teaming of over 50 producer/songwriters at a one
day event to create songs of social justice, racial unity and
change. Plans are underway for various creative projects
assembling a broad spectrum of artists who don’t usually
record or perform together to make unique music that will touch
large and diverse audiences. As someone who has made his
mark by helping artists and music lovers connect and
communicate across cultural boundaries, KC Porter deeply
understands both the beauty of all our differences and the
spirit and power of uniting them in Oneness. In an age
when that kind of understanding is needed more than ever, KC
Porter’s talent and commitment make him truly a man for
our time.
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