Melissa Otero

Melissa Otero (born October 11, 1980) is an independent Puerto Rican pop/rock singer, songwriter and entrepreneur known best for her music licensing placements with her song "Angels and Demons" on Telemundo's Reina de corazones, Rock Band, and Lifetime TV's Dance Moms. Otero made her debut under her own label Divine Spell Music Group in 2008.

Melissa Otero
Otero at her My Spirit album release party in New York City January 2009.
Background information
Birth nameMelissa Otero Cintrón
Born (1980-10-11) October 11, 1980
Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States
OriginYauco, Puerto Rico, USA
GenresPop, soft rock
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter[1]
InstrumentsVocals, piano
Years active1994–present
LabelsDivine Spell Music Group (2002–present)
Websitewww.melissaotero.com

Otero has released one album and one EP to date. Her single "My First Everything" was released in 2006 and had national airplay on indie radio stations marking the beginning of her professional career as an artist. It reached #1 for two consecutive weeks on the Hot97.net Online Radio. Her debut album My Spirit[2] was released on Christmas Day of 2008 and has sold over 500 digital copies most of which were from fans in Colombia and New York City.

Otero recently wrapped up her Free Spirit Tour[3] which included performances in New York, Puerto Rico and throughout the Fox Valley of the State of Wisconsin during the summer of 2009.

As of 2011, in addition to her touring, Otero began working on her second album with Secret Sounds, CEO/producer Stefan Moessle titled "Angels and Demons".

Early life

Melissa Otero Cintrón was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and grew up in the countryside of Yauco, Puerto Rico. She is the fourth child of Luis Otero, a retired mechanic, and Nellie Cintrón. When Otero was five years old, her family settled in Yauco where her parents bought a piece of land and decided to build their dream home.

After the house was complete, her father joined the National Guard and was sent to the mainland to begin boot camp while her mother struggled between work, school, and four kids. At the age of 9, Otero saw the Gloria Estefan Let It Loose Homecoming Concert. She remarked to her mother: “When I grow up, I want to do that!” and soon after, Otero's dream of professionally pursuing music began.

As a child, Otero would create her own “home concerts” imitating Gloria Estefan and others. She struggled finding venues at which to perform live due to her choice to perform in English while she was, at the time, living in a Spanish-speaking country. She performed at many local talent shows. On several occasions she won second place to later be told by the judges that she had not been awarded first place because of her choice to perform in English.

By the time Otero was close to 14, her mother decided to help her create a professional demo. A local recording studio called The Time Machine, run by Ivan Nazario, a well-respected producer in Puerto Rico, was opening in town and her mother immediately contacted them to inquire about pricing. She became their first customer but was unable to record there because the studio was not finished. They set out to San Juan, Puerto Rico and recorded at the Horizon Studios to record the covers “The Rose” by Bette Midler and “You Mean The World To Me” by Toni Braxton.

Once In A Lifetime Concert 1998

During her final months in high school, Otero and her mother began working on her first concert ever in which she titled Once In A Lifetime.[4] By 1995, American music became very popular and performing in English was not that much of a struggle anymore. The concert had many local businesses, schools and friends involved allowing Melissa to perform at the Starz Theater in Yauco, Puerto Rico. They sold over 300 tickets and was deemed a “huge success” for no other independent artist had been able to accomplish such an event while performing in another language.

Depression

During the summer of 2006, Melissa had released her single “My First Everything” but was struggling with depression. She did however continue writing and began her journey in writing 'My Spirit" [5]

Angels and Demons

During the months of July 2011 and August 2011, Melissa's new promotional track "Angels and Demons" was featured on US Airways as part of the Sonicbids Indie Showcase. The track was written by Otero and produced by Stefan Moessle.[6]

Otero's song "Angels and Demons" was featured on Dance Moms during the Season 3 premier show on January 1, 2013. It was featured in the themed performance by the contestants.[7]

Otero's song "Spellbound" was featured on Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition season 2 for Kalani Hilliker and Tyler Atwood duet "the ice queen".[8]

"With You (Contigo)" was the official theme song for supporting characters Greta and Lazaro in the telenovela Reina de corazones (U.S. TV series)[9]

"No Soy Un Angel" was the official love theme song for supporting characters Smith y el Supremo in the telenovela Reina de corazones (U.S. TV series)[10]

Rock Band

In 2012 "Angels and Demons" was part of the Rock Band (video game) catalog.[11]

Discography

Extended Play (EP) studio albums
  • My First Everything (EP album) (2006)

Full Length (LP) studio albums
  • My Spirit (album) (2008)
  • Angels and Demons (album) (2013)
  • Erotomania (album) (2019) [12]
  • Antología (album) (2020) [13]

Singles
  • Phantom of My Heart - Angel at Dawn Remix (single) (2010)
  • Angels and Demons (single) (2012)
  • Tu Corazón (single) (2012)
  • White Line Fever (single) (2013)
  • With You (Contigo) (single) (2014)
  • Stars (single) (2018)
  • Por Amor (single (2018)
  • Speak (single) (2019) [14]
  • Summertime Romance (single) (2020) [15]

Compilation Albums
  • Angels and Demons: The Remixes (2014)

See also

References
  1. Official Website. Melissa Otero Official Website
  2. Article in La Voz Hispana
  3. Melissa Otero Embarks on First US Tour
  4. Beginnings: Once In A Lifetime Concert
  5. Astorian Sings of Faith, Depression on New CD
  6. US Airways to Feature Latina Singer Melissa Otero's New Single 'Angels and Demons'
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBd_D9uxct0
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2uAWpFJ3PQ
  9. Reina de corazones (TV Series 2014– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-09-16
  10. Reina de corazones (TV Series 2014– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2020-09-16
  11. "RBN DLC". Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  12. "PledgeMusic Co-Founder Benji Rogers Returning to Company Temporarily, as Artists Jump Ship Over Late Payments". Billboard. 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  13. "Ones to Watch: Exclusive Interview with Melissa Otero". Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  14. Otero, Melissa. "Melissa Otero's Highly-Anticipated Single "Speak", to Debut February 2019". PRLog. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  15. Otero, Melissa. "Independent Pop Singer-Songwriter Melissa Otero to Release new Cover Song "Des Larmes"". PRLog. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  • PR Log Press Release
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