Evening with the Stars: Jon Secada, Scott Celani

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- STAR 102.5 and the Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present An Evening with the Stars: Jon Secada. on Oct 1. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the concert at 8 p.m. in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. This intimate evening will feature wine-and-food sampling and a showcase from superstar Jon Secada.

Secada is not only one of the most gifted vocal artists of our time, but is also blessed with an artistry to create, write and produce music. The two-time Grammy award-winner will perform with a single acoustic guitarist and answer questions from the audience.

Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in culturally diverse Miami, Secada developed a passion for R&B and pop music. With a bit of funk, soul and undertones of Latin percussion, he has accomplished a unique and striking sound. In the late 1980s, Secada met Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Jr., and became part of the Miami Sound Machine. He co-wrote and sang background on "Coming Out of the Dark," Estefan's number one hit from her 1991 album Into the Light.

His 1992 self-titled debut album Jon Secada (SBK/EMI) sold an astonishing six million plus copies worldwide and was certified triple platinum in the U.S., where it reached No. 15 among Billboard Pop albums. Secada later scored a No.5 pop hit with the gold single "Just Another Day," and three more top 30 hits, "Angel," "Ï'm Free" and "Do You Believe in Us?" The Spanish-language version of the album, Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte (EMI-Latin), became the No. 1 Latin album of 1992 and earned Secada his first Grammy Award, for Best Latin Pop Album.

This landmark success was followed in 1994 by Heart Soul and Voice (EMI), which went platinum in the U.S. and spun off the top-10 pop hit "If You Go" and a top-30 hit "Mental Picture." His third album on EMI, Amor, was released in 1995 and earned the singer his second Grammy award for Best Latin Pop Performance. Secada has amassed a career sales total of more than 20 million albums worldwide.

In addition to his solo career, he is an accomplished producer, has performed with opera legend Luciano Pavarotti and recorded a duet with the late Frank Sinatra on "The Best Is Yet to Come" from Sinatra's Duets II album. In 1995 Secada stared on Broadway's hit musical Grease, where he acted in the lead role of "Danny Zuko." Following the rave reviews of Grease, he played the Emcee role in Sam Mendes' critically acclaimed version of Cabaret in 2003. In the fall of 2004 he starred as "Joseph " in Andrew Lloyd Webber's & Tim Rice's theatrical hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Just recently, Secada was appointed by President Bush to serve on his Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. This committee is charged with creating a multiyear action plan aimed at closing the educational achievement gap between Hispanic students and their peers.

Secada is devoted to assisting charitable organizations. He created the Jon Secada Music Scholarship at the University of Miami, raised funds for the NARAS national effort "Keeping Music in Schools," and supports many initiatives including the Pediatric AIDS Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Lifebeat Concert to benefit AIDS, Amigos Together for Kids, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club.

In addition, Secada has been very active in the Hurricane Relief Efforts and after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, he co-wrote and recorded "The Last Goodbye," a tribute song dedicated to the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks. Currently, the single has raised more than a quarter million dollars for the tragedy's victims.

Tickets for An Evening with the Stars: Jon Secada are $25. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location.