Jorge González

by Evan C. GutierrezJorge Gonzalez was put into the public eye thanks to his involvement with the popular Spanish singing competition television show Operacion Triunfo. Taking part in the show's fifth season, which aired in 2006, Gonzalez had attempted to convince his parents to allow him to audition for two straight years before he was allowed to present himself at the castings. Living at the time with his parents in Madrid, Jorge had not received any formal musical instruction at the age of 18 when he auditioned. The self-taught pianist and vocalist was in love with the sounds of salsa and latin pop, known to his family as "el gitanillo que canta boleros." During the competition Jorge relied heavily on composers like Luis Miguel and Juan Luis Guerra for repertoire, ultimately leaving the show in eighth place. Though not the winner, Jorge left Operacion Triunfo with significant exposure and a large enough fan base that he was offered a contract with Universal's Vale Music label. Gonzalez' debut disc Dikelame was released in the summer of 2007, and was followed by significant national touring. Though his travels took him to all corners of Spain, Gonzalez continues to concentrate his efforts on building his already strong fan base at home in Madrid.