Word: thal
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...first encountered Thalía (pronounced Tah-LEE-ah) on "La Movida," a late-evening talk/variety program. About 20 at the time (1992), Thalía was already a showbiz veteran (she started in her first prefab band at the tender age of nine). Her look was what struck home first - a lithe, energetic brunette with a white streak running through the front of her manelike hair, clad in a series of outlandish, eye-catching outfits. Her songs were the next aspect to register - an assortment of well-crafted pop tunes with clearly salacious overtones. The coup de grace...
...After this appearance, I began keeping an eye out for Thalía on Spanish television. The discovery of her music videos quickly converted me into a camp follower. A little background: Ms. Sodi (Thalía was born Thalía Ariadna Sodi Miranda on August 26, 1972) first achieved fame in a prefab teen band called Timbiriche, a Menudo-esque combo. I have not been blown away by their performances, but they did make a noteworthy guest appearance on a rather startling 1987 Halloween special that has run over and over again on Galavision. "Noche de Brujas...
...Within three years, Thalía had left the band, but she wisely maintained - thanks to her manager mother, Yolanda - her connection with the Televisa organization, which conveniently owned the Timbiriche concept, a record label and several radio and TV channels in Latin America and the U.S. The result was the making of a star - and some of the '90s' flashiest, most memorable music videos, never seen (natch...
...videos that promoted Thalía's first three early-'90s solo albums, along with a dazzlingly outlandish TV special called "Love," set up Thalía's musical persona: a "good girl" who became a sex kitten on stage, singing songs with titles like "Sangre," "Sudor" and "Saliva" ("Blood," "Sweat" and "Saliva"). Her costumes were outrageous and provocative, and her production numbers brought to mind (for those of us who keep track of excesses from all eras) the best moments of Ann-Margret and Nancy Sinatra - although even Ann and Nancy never came on variety shows decked...
...During the late 1990s, I and many other devotees were irritated by the fact that Thalía, and a host of other extremely talented and charismatic performers, barely rated a mention in the hype that surrounded the so-called "Latin invasion" of American pop. For MTV and VH1, the "invasion" boiled down to two people: Ricky Martin and Bronx-bred actress Jennifer Lopez (with Marc Anthony running a distant third). This grated because Thalía and another talented performer, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, were both being groomed at the time for an "imminent" crossover to the English-speaking...