Marlon

by Evan C. Gutierrez   Salsa sensation Marlon Fernández was born in Cuba in 1977. Though not born into a musical family, Marlon spent much of his youth listening to and memorizing the repertoire of favorite artists such as Ricardo Montaner and Luis Miguel. In his home town of La Lisa, at the age of 14 the young enthusiast organized a five-piece band that would serve the soon-to-be bandleader as practice for the years to come. In 2001 Marlon relocated to Spain, where he won El Concurso de la Juventud (an American Idol-like talent competition) for his spirited rendition of Marc Anthony's "Este Loco que Te Mira." He gained valuable performance practice on Spanish soil, playing bars and clubs up until his 2003 relocation to the States. In the Salsa mecca of Miami, Marlon developed a loyal following, performing a few nights per week at area hot spots like Tropical Cigars and Palacio de los Jugos. Fronting his band La Química (The Chemical), Marlon became something of a local celebrity, regularly appearing in the local press but falling short of large-scale success. Marlon's chance at international recognition came via the Puerto Rican TV show Objectivo Fama, the same program that brought the previous season's winner. Anais, to the world's attention. As the winner, Marlon was offered a deal with Univision, the program's owner. His debut CD, Mi Sueno, was released in October 2006, peaking at number seven on Billboard's Latin Tropical chart. Although the record generated a number of successful singles, including "Usted Abuso" and "A Quien," Marlon has since parted with Univision, claiming that the label had mishandled his affairs.