Beatriz Luengo

After rocketing to fame co-starring in the Spanish telenovela Un Paso Adelante, Beatríz Luengo enjoyed crossover success with the 2005 release of her debut pop album, Mi Generación. Born in Madrid on December 23, 1982, Luengo was six years when she discovered American singer, actress, and dancer Liza Minnelli, whom she immediately claimed as her idol. She later studied ballet at Madrid's Royal Academy of Dance, and at age ten teamed with a pair of friends for a teen pop trio dubbed Tatu, recording an LP that remains unreleased. After a series of commercial spots, stage musicals, and small television turns, Luengo made her feature film debut in 2000's Pasión Adolescente, followed by a series of telenovela gigs including Robles Investigador Privado and El Comisario. In 2002 Luengo was cast as Dolores "Lola" Fernandez in Un Pason Adelante, a series spotlighting a group of aspiring dancers and singers. When the show proved a commercial smash, producers spun off Luengo and several co-stars as the group UPA Dance, recording an album that sold in excess of a million copies across Europe. Despite the success of both the show and the group, Luengo nevertheless felt creatively stifled and in 2005 left Un Paso Adelante to mount a solo career. Mi Generación followed later that year, with the title cut entering the Top Ten in France, Italy, and Portugal.