Emmanuel (singer)

Life

Emmanuel was born to a Spanish singer mother, Conchita Martínez, and an Argentinian bullfighter father, Raúl Acha, known as "Rovira," who was a regular performer at Lima's Plaza de Acho. He spent his childhood in Chosica, a town roughly an hour outside of Lima, and was educated at Colegio Santa Rosa, the area's top boarding school, which was overseen by Augustinian priests. His musical style centers on ballads, a genre that brought him widespread fame in the 1980s.

His most commercially successful release remains his fourth album, 1980's Íntimamente, which was crafted by Spanish ballad specialist Manuel Alejandro together with Ana Magdalena. That record produced seven hits: "Todo Se Derrumbó Dentro De Mí," "Quiero Dormir Cansado," "El Día Que Puedas," "Con Olor A Hierba," "Tengo Mucho Que Aprender De Ti," a cover of Hernaldo Zúñiga and Rudy Márquez's 1980 track "Insoportablemente Bella," and "Este Terco Corazón."

The album also included "Esa Triste Guitarra," "Caprichosa María," and "Eso Era La Vida," the last of which was not written by Alejandro and Magdalena. Love songs on his later albums also found success. In 1989, his New jack swing single "La Chica de Humo" became a major Ibero-American hit, topping the U.S. Hot Latin Tracks chart and earning heavy rotation on music television channels in Mexico, Uruguay, and Argentina. The track appeared on the album Quisiera and is remembered as an eighties classic across Ibero-America.

Emmanuel was honored with the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011, followed by the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award a decade later. His philanthropic efforts earned him the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award in 1997. He remains active on tour across Latin America, often performing with bands that feature American musicians, most notably guitarist Dick Smith, who has played with Earth Wind & Fire, Kenny Loggins, and Air Supply. His son, Alexander Acha, has also built a career as a professional singer.