BIOGRAPHY
Full name: Altagracia Ugalde Mota.
(the star doesn't use her real name because she
doesn't like it and prefers
to use her artistic name)
Date and place of birth: January 10 in Rio
Verde, San Luis Potosi.
Color of Skin: very light
Color of hair: Dark brown with some highlights.
Color of eyes: Dark Brown
Hobby: Ride Horses
Idol: Selena, and Vicente
Fernandez (who she toured on stage with)
Religion: Roman-Catholic
Political Party: "The political party
is something that I was never
interested in", she says.
Marital Status: Single (but with a little
ande beautiful baby named Emiliano, that is all her life)
First Kiss: In Elementary
Favorite Music: Gruperas and
Rancheras
Dream to accomplish: “My dream is to fulfill
because I will record an entire album in Ranchero music”.
First Appearance: "Singing backup for my sister
Viviana at some gigs”.
If you weren't to be a star, what would you be? “I can't imagine myself
out
of show business”.
**************************
Brave enough to interrupt a holy mass just to
sing to Pope John Paul II, Ana Barbara is a young Mexican that gives her
all in what she wants in life: sing the rest of her life!
Since she was small she showed interest for
music, her childhood turned her into the normal girl, who plays, and does their
school work. Her favorite thing to do was accompany her sister Viviana,
who now manages her, and goes with her to her shows and gigs. Ana Barbara
fell in love with the stage while she sang backup for her sister Viviana at the
age of 8. Ana says that she loved the light effects, claps, and trips.
But she had to wait a long time before what she'd always dream of, would come
true.
Later on, receiving support from her family, Ana
Barbara got in a children singing contest and won 1st place.
She comments: "At that time, I was too
traumatized because I was too tall and skinny, but when I turned 17, I began to
"grow" and that helped me feel secure of myself."
Ana Barbara, after representing her native state
as "Miss San Luis Potosi" in Mexico's beauty pageant, saw the music
segments ECO would have, to then go to an audition.
After she realized she wanted to sing
professionally, she flew to Mexico City alone and started from scrap, working
with Pepe Jara, only earning enough to eat.
Ana worked in many other places, before her big
break which came in 1993.
After winning most beautiful in San Luis, and
winning many contests, Ana felt desperate and alone because her big break was
not showing up. But later in 1993, she was named "Embajadora del la
canción Ranchera" and also won "Rostro del Heraldo." This
is what led her to see and sing to the Pope John Paul the II.
During the holy mass, Ana was promised to sing to
the Pope before the mass ended, but when she saw that it was about to end she
said "Oh no, I didn't come all the way to Rome just to sit here" So
she got up and interrupted the entire mass and started to sing. The Pope
later on thanked her and gave her his blessings wishing her the best.
In 1994, Ana Barbara was singed to Fonovisa, and
they launched her first self titled album: Ana Barbara. The director was
Anibal Pastor, and he brought Ana success from one night to the next
morning. The first single was "Nada," and it hold on strong in
the charts for many weeks. After the released of "Sacudeme,"
she was named a true promise to Grupero Music.
Due to the great acceptance of the fans, Ana was
invited to gigs and shows with some very famous acts like: Bronco, Los
Tigres Del Norte, Marco Antonio Solis y Los Bukis, and Vicente Fernandez.
With her first production, Ana reached the following
accomplishments:
*
Gold
album in Bolivia
*
Heraldo
Award as "Best New Artist"(1994)
*
Furia
Musical Award for "Best New Artist"(1994)
* Premio “Lo Nuestro” Nominations.
In 1995, the sexy singer initiated her fame to
other countries including United States, North and South America, accomplishing
more success and fame.
In June of that same year, Ana Barbara launches
her second Album, "La Trampa" who is also directed by Anibal Pastor,
and the first single La Trampa, turned out to be one of the peoples favorites.
Once again, Ana shows her ability and strength to sing and dance with this
album.
With the experience accumulated by the years Ana
Barbara releases her third album titled "Ay, Amor." produced by Jorge
Avendano. In this album, the two singles that stand out the most are
"Ya no te creo nada" and "No llorare," which went to number
one on the charts. With this album, she really shows her ability to sing
from the heart and also bring a good beat to the music. A true modern woman.
At the begging of 1998, Ana Barbara presented us
her new production titled "Los Besos No Se Dan En La Camisa" who's
first single rips the charts apart, being 18 weeks at number one with
"Como Me Haces Falta". Truly expresses herself vocally on a great
ballad song. Maintains a strong popularity across the world, almost.
She is invited to the Festival De La Calle 8 for
the 3rd time, and is named queen of that years event. Ana also wins
Favorite Female Vocalist at the Premios "Lo Nuestro” in that same year.
In March of 1998, she initiates her tour around
South America and Bolivia. She was also invited by the president of Bolivia to
the celebration of the city's 500 birthday and gives a Mega-Concert in front of
more than One Hundred Twenty-Thousand screaming fans. She was also named
Favorite International Artist by Bolivia.
On the other hand, her Beer commercials for Coors
Light bring the company bigger sales and she is invited by them to give a
concert along with Bobby Pulido.
In october of 1999 Ana releases one of her best
albums yet,” Tu Decision”, whose first single won her many awards and
nominations, including Favorite Female by Premios Heraldo, and a Grammy Award
nomination for the first ever Latin Grammy awards.
Ana also made a movie called Todo Contigo for
Univision, that was premiered the last year . Today, Ana Barbara is too
and excelent mother for her baby Emiliano and that have his third birthday in
these days of november Congratulations Emiliano!.
Emiliano and her family have been her only
consolation in moments as the recent death of her sister Marissa that died in a
car accident in October 22th, 2001.+ Rest in peace Marissa Ugalde Motta
(1975-2001)+
But return to her musical career as we commented
the last time she had from many years ago teh mood of record a disk with
mariachis, and inclusive as you remember she starts her career with this kind
of music but the circumstancies in that time not was the best for she could
record a disk with Mariachi and is in this moment that she make her dream come
to reality and comply a promise that she made to her father.
There are a few times when Ana sings
ranchero music at her concerts, but never an entire album. She has also
recorded some of her own songs in Ranchero version like Enganada, which you can
also find as a Dance Remix.
In 2001, after a short break due to a maternity
leave, the hot talented and sensual Ana Barbara marked her triumphant return to
the entertainment world with "Te Regalo La Lluvia" from her label
Fonovisa, from which she conquested the die hard ranchera fans.
With "Te regalo la lluvia" her former album, she attained the
rightful name she's been known in, singing Regional Mexican music; the queen of
"Grupero." Even two months before giving birth to her son Emiliano,
Ana Barbara performed on stage enjoying herself and entertaining fans. After
becoming a mom for the first time, she concentrated in the process of recording
and selecting the right songs for her album, which was one of the best
recordings of the last years.
"Eso No Es De Hombres", "Te regalo la lluvia" and others
were in the first rate throughout the principal radio stations across the
nations of Mexico and USA principally but the disc was very popular across the
world.
En 2003 with "Te atraparé...Bandido"
and his new single "Bandido" Ana Bárbara reaffirmed that she is the
one and only "Reina Grupera" and this 2004-2005 with "Loca de
Amar" she will reaffirms again.