Anahí

Anahí
Anahí in 2009.
Born	Anahí Giovanna Puente Portilla (1983-05-14) May 14, 1983 Mexico City, Mexico
Occupations	Singer-songwriter actress philanthropist
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Manuel Velasco Coello ​ ​ (m. 2015)​
Musical career
Genres	Pop Latin pop R&B Rumba
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Capitol Records Universal Music Latin
Website	www.anahionline.com

Anahí Giovanna Puente de Velasco known mononymously as Anahí (Spanish pronunciation: [anaˈi]), (born May 14, 1983), is a Mexican singer-songwriter and actress. As the wife of Manuel Velasco Coello, Governor of Chiapas, she is the First Lady of Chiapas.

She is best known for starring in Alondra (1995), Mujeres Engañadas (1999), Primer Amor (2000), Clase 406 (2003), Rebelde (2004) and Dos Hogares (2011).

She was a member of Latin-teen pop group RBD, who were twice-nominated for a Latin Grammy and sold over 66 million albums. In 2009, she released the album Mi Delirio, which sold a million copies worldwide. She has sold 3 million albums in her career as a solo artist.

Early life

Anahí Giovanna Puente Portilla was born May 14, 1983 Mexico City, Mexico to a Spanish father Enrique Puente and a Mexican mother Marichelo Portilla of paternal Spanish descent.

Acting career

At the age of two, Anahí began her career on a Mexican television program called Chiquilladas. She then starred in numerous films, including Nacidos para Morir and Había Una Vez Una Estrella, with the latter earning her an Ariel Award for Best Child Actress in 1989. She then went on to star in several telenovelas, including Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, Hora Marcada, Vivo por Elena, La Telaraña and El diario de Daniela.

Anahí during a press conference in 2006.

In 2001, Anahí was cast as the fourteen-year-old Giovanna Luna in Primer Amor, alongside Kuno Becker, Ana Layevska, and Mauricio Islas. The teen-oriented soap opera was one of the highest-rated in its time-slot during its run.

In 2002, she was cast as Jessica in Clase 406 where she worked alongside Alfonso Herrera, Dulce María, and Christian Chávez, who later became her bandmates in RBD.

She starred in Rebelde in 2004, a Mexican remake of the hit Argentine telenovela, Rebelde Way. Before Rebelde, Anahí had coincidentally starred in Ángeles Sin Paraíso with Felipe Colombo, star of the original Rebelde Way. On Rebelde, Anahí portrayed Mia Colucci, a popular girl from a wealthy family. Rebelde was an international hit and had over 400 episodes, airing from 2004 to 2006.

Following the success of Rebelde, in 2007, Televisa released RBD: La Familia, which starred the members of RBD. The sitcom was based on the fictional lives of the members of RBD. The characters of the sitcom were not based on the band's characters in Rebelde, but were instead intended to be similar to the actors' real personalities. RBD: La Familia was the first Mexican show shot entirely in High Definition. The show ran from March 14, 2007 to June 13, 2007, lasting 13 episodes.

In February 2011, four years after her last appearance in a TV series, Anahí was chosen to play the lead role in Dos Hogares, a telenovela written and produced by Emilio Larrosa. After prolonged negotiations, Anahí accepted the role. Filming began on April 25, 2011 and ended on January 14, 2012. The TV series premiered on June 27, 2011 and aired its final episode on January 20, 2012.

Music career

Anahí performing in Tijuana, México.

In 1993, at the age of 10, she released her debut album, Anahí. She later released a second album, ¿Hoy Es Mañana?, which featured the singles "Corazón de Bombón", "Por Volverte a Ver", and "Descontrolándote". She went on to record two additional albums titled Anclado En Mi Corazón and Baby Blue.

The success of Rebelde launched RBD. To date, RBD has released 9 studio albums, including albums in Spanish, Portuguese and English. They have sold over 66 million albums worldwide, 17 million digital downloads, and have toured across South America, North America, Central America and Europe.

In 2006, following the success of RBD, Anahí re-released her solo album, Baby Blue, under the name Una Rebelde en Solitario. The following year, a compilation album was released, Antes de Ser Rebelde.

On August 15, 2008, RBD released a statement, stating that they had decided to split up. They went on one final tour, Gira Del Adios World Tour, which ended in late 2008. On November 2008, Anahi and Dulce María collaborated with Tiziano Ferro on a song called "El Regalo Màs Grande".

In April 2009, Anahí launched an official website and Twitter page announcing her first solo album since RBD's split. She debuted her first solo single since RBD, "Mi Delirio", at the 2009 Premios Juventud in Miami, Florida. It was released for digital download on August 18, 2009. Mi Delirio was released on November 24, 2009. The album has been certified Gold in Brazil, Anahí becoming the second Mexican artist — after Thalía — who was certified Gold in that country.

According to Billboard, Mi Delirio World Tour was the 47th most profitable tour in 2010. She performed in 10 concerts, attended by over 35,000 people.

Anahí at her Mi Delirio World Tour at Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2010.

Following the success of Mi Delirio, on November 23, 2010, Anahí released Mi Delirio - Edición Deluxe. The album includes all the songs released with the first album, plus four bonus songs: "Alérgico", "Pobre Tu Alma", "Ni Una Palabra" and "Aleph". The first two were released as singles. The album also contains a letter from Brazilian author Paulo Coelho to Anahí, a photo gallery, and a written message from Anahí to her fans. The album contains a song inspired by Coelho's book Aleph, which follows the third single Alérgico. There are three known versions of the song: the album version with Anahí only; the Portuguese version featuring Brazilian singer Renee Fernandes, included in the Mi Delirio - Edición Deluxe Brazilian; and a duet version featuring Noel Schajris, included in the Mi Delirio - Edición Deluxe Colombian. (In the U.S., this version is instead being on a special edition, Alérgico (Fan Edition) - EP.)

Anahí at her Mi Delirio World Tour at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2011.

In 2010, Anahí presented the Kids Choice Awards Mexico and was nominated in three categories, winning for Favorite Artist and Favorite Look. She performed as well, introducing her single, Alérgico. The album debuted at #14 in Mexico, spending seven consecutive weeks in the Top 100. "Alérgico" became the second most played song in Mexico for eleven weeks, and was number one on iTunes.

In 2011, Anahí and Christian Chávez worked together for the first time since the dissolution of RBD. They recorded a song, "Libertad", which was released on iTunes on April 12, 2011. The song was included on Christian Chávez's album. In May 2011, Anahí and the Latin pop stars Bryan Amadeus and Ale Sergi were invited by MTV Latin America to perform the opening theme for the TV series Popland!. The song, entitled "Click", was released on iTunes on September 13, 2011. On July 5, 2011, Anahí released a new single, "Dividida", which is also the opening theme of the TV series she starred in, Dos Hogares. She also recorded the ending theme with Carlos Ponce, "Rendirme En Tu Amor", which was released on July 24, 2011. In December 2011, Anahí was invited by prodigious Mexican singer Juan Gabriel to be featured on a song with him on his album of duets, entitled Con Tu Amor.

Anahí released a song called "Absurda" in late 2012, and its lyric video was released on YouTube on January 30. On February 4, 2013, the single was released for digital download. A new album was announced with a 2013 release date, but has since been cancelled. She's set to release a comeback single "Rumba" featuring singer Wisin on July 17, 2015 in support of a new album coming out in October.

Personal life

Anahí performing on the Mi Delirio World Tour.

During the filming of Primer Amor, Anahí battled a serious eating disorder, anorexia. She weighed approximately 75 pounds at her lowest weight. She spent time in five different treatment centers, and visited doctors and psychologists across the country. One day after returning from a family vacation, she began to feel faint, and was rushed to a hospital, where her heart stopped for eight seconds. She has since recovered and become a vocal spokesperson against eating disorders in Mexico. In 2008, with the support of Televisa, Anahí launched a campaign against anorexia and bulimia.

In 2006, Anahí opened her own clothing store in Mexico City, called "Anahí World". Just months after its opening, Anahí World was forced to close. That same year, the tax administration of Mexico froze four of Anahí's bank accounts as a preventive measure because they believed the actress was involved in tax fraud. In 2008, after taking the issue to court, Anahí was granted her accounts back, two with Banamex and two at Scotiabank.

In 2007, a Barbie doll version of Anahí, Dulce Maria, and Maite Perroni were released, based on their characters in Rebelde.

Anahí in Los Ángeles, 2009.

People en Español named her one of their "50 Most Beautiful" in 2010.

On March 11, 2011, doctors discovered that Anahí's brain was being deprived of a large percentage of oxygen due to a deviated septum. The deviated septum was a result of a childhood stroke. It was determined that this was the main cause of several ailments that had plagued Anahí, including a heart attack. She underwent a successful operation. On May 17, 2011, Anahí released an iPhone app on iTunes, called "Anahí Lite".

On March 23, 2011, Anahí became the spokeswoman for Snickers in Latin America. The advertising campaign that was launched sparked controversy, with CONAPRED and the National Institute of Women deeming the commercial sexist and filing complaints. Anahí defended the campaign, saying that the commercial wasn't intended to offend anyone. Effem Mexico, the company behind Snickers, disagreed with the sexism complaints. However, before the advertisement aired, they conducted a survey among women, asking their opinions on the content. According to Effem, the majority of the women surveyed did not feel the advertisement was discriminatory.

On September 18, 2011, National Geographic aired the original production of "Obsession: Bodies That Scream", filmed in Latin America, which featured the testimonies of people who suffer from body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Anahí spoke about the five-year period in which she suffered from anorexia, and her recovery.

Logo "Aviesta".

On October 12, 2011, Anahí joined the Non-Violence Project's campaign, "Imagine One Billion Faces For Peace", as a Global Ambassador. The campaign's ambassadors include public figures such as Sir Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, and Ringo Starr. The campaign aims to honor the legacy of the late John Lennon by calling for peace and non-violence worldwide.

Logo "BE by Anahí"

In November 2011, Anahi joined the group "Aviesta" as a fashion director. She created an online quiz about the type of shoes that suit a person the best, which boosted sales. In August 2012, Aviesta launched in the United States.

During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Anahí, alongside other Global Ambassadors, performed in an event for The Non-Violence Project presented by Yoko Ono. Maxim named her as one of the Maxim Hot 100 of 2012, calling her a "Mexican beauty" who represents "a true triple threat: she sings, she acts, and writes hilarious tweets".

In April 2012, Anahí began dating the governor of Chiapas, Manuel Velasco Coello. They became engaged in October 2014 and married on April 25, 2015 in a private ceremony held in Chiapas.

On July 16, 2013, a nail polish line by Anahí titled "BE by Anahí" was released. The line is a collection of 25 different colors, with names relating to her music like "rebelde", "delirio", "absurda", "click", "hipnótico" and "Sálvame".

To date, she is the most followed Mexican celebrity on Twitter, with more than 8 million followers.

First Lady of Chiapas

As the wife of Manuel Velasco Coello, who was elected Governor of Chiapas in December 2012, Anahi is First Lady of Chiapas.

Discography

Main article: Anahí discography

• Anahí (1993)
• ¿Hoy Es Mañana? (1996)
• Anclado En Mi Corazón (1997)
• Baby Blue (2000)
• Mi Delirio (2009)
• TBA (2015)

Filmography

Telenovelas

Year	Title	Role
1991	Madres Egoístas	Gabriela "Gaby" Cantú
	Muchachitas	Betty Ortigoza
1992	Ángeles Sin Paraiso	Claudia Cifuentes
1995	Alondra	Margarida Leblanc
1996	Tú y Yo	Melissa Álvarez
1997	Mi Pequeña Traviessa	Samantha
1998	Vivo Por Elena	Natalia "Talita" Carvajal
	El Diario de Daniela	Adela Monroy
1999	Mujeres Engañadas	Jéssica Duarte
2000	Primer Amor - A Mil Por Hora	Jovana Luna Guerra
2003	Clase 406	Jéssica Riquelme Drech
2004	Rebelde	Mía Colucci Cáceres
2007	Lola, Érase Una Vez	Herself (Special guest)
2011	Dos Hogares	Angélica Estrada

Films

Year	Title	Role
1989	Asesinato A Sangre Fría	Vitoria
	Había Una Vez Una Estrella	María Juana
1991	Nacidos Para Morir	Júlieta
1992	Ayudame Compadre	Carla
	El Ganador	Mariana Sant
1996	No Me Defiendas Compadre	Estephania
1999	Inesperado Amor	Ana
2000	Tarde Azul	Nicole

TV Series

Year	Title	Role
1986	Chiquilladas	Sundry
1989	Super Ondas	Marisol
	La Hora Marcada	Victoria
	La Telaraña	Carla
1992	Papá Soltero	Tita
1996	Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real	Ana
1998	Una Pura y Dos Con Sal	Britany Tylor
2007	RBD: La Familia	Annie

Tours

• 2009: Pocket Show
• 2009-2011: Mi Delirio World Tour

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Anahí

External links

• Official Website
• Official YouTube Channel