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Cruz Martínez (born June 21, 1972) is an American record producer, songwriter and musician. He is a former member of the Tejano band La Sombra. In 1999, he joined the cumbia music group Los Kumbia Kings, created by A.B. Quintanilla. In 2007, he created the band Los Super Reyes. He is married to Alicia Villarreal.

Career

Cruz Martínez's interest in music began at the age of twelve when he learned to play the piano with the help of one of his uncles. By the age of sixteen, Martínez began producing music and programming computers in the studio for the family band. By age sixteen, Cruz had received his first Grammy nomination. He joined the Tejano band La Sombra. A.B. Quintanilla formed the band Los Kumbia Kings in 1999, which Cruz Martínez would join and co-write and co-produce songs. Los Kumbia Kings received a total of twelve Grammy nominations and have set attendance records during performances at several venues. Aside from receiving much success with Los Kumbia Kings, Cruz Martínez also gained notoriety for his keyboard talents in the industry.

In 2004, Martínez produced, arranged, and wrote Alicia Villarreal's latest album, Cuando el Corazon Se Cruza which he received two Latin Grammys for Album of the Year in 2004, several 2005 and 2006 BMI songwriting awards, two Premios Lo Nuestro Awards for Best Regional/Mexican Album and Best Regional/Mexican Song and two Billboard nominations for Album and Song of the Year. As a producer/engineer, Cruz Martínez received two more Latin Grammys in 2006 for his Kumbia Kings live album Kumbia Kings Live. Martínez's latest project is Los Super Reyes. Cruz Martínez y Los Super Reyes have already had their hit single "Muévelo" reach the top of the radio charts in the United States, Spain, Japan, Germany and in Mexico. The group has since enjoyed major chart success and maintains a busy performance schedule in support of their recent record.Recently, Cruz was asked by Television giant TV Azteca / Azteca America to participate as a Judge for the 10th anniversary of the reality show La Academia and to produce the winner's album.

Personal life

Cruz Martínez married Alicia Villarreal on August 31, 2003. Cruz Martínez has two children with Alicia Villarreal. Their first son, Cruz Ángelo Martínez Villarreal, was born on December 19, 2005, and their second son, Félix Estefano Martínez Villarreal, was born on February 12, 2007. Martínez also has a stepdaughter, Melenie Aidée Carmona Villarreal, who was born on April 10, 1999 to Villarreal and Arturo Carmona during their marriage. Martínez and Arturo Carmona maintain a good relationship with each other and have worked together.

Cruz Martínez's father, Félix Martínez, died on July 14, 2020 as result of COVID-19. Félix spent 16 days battling the disease and was taken to a hospital in Brownsville, Texas where he stayed for 6 days until his death. Cruz Martínez's brother, Daniel Martínez, died on January 10, 2022.

Cruz Martínez's uncles, Antonio "Tony" Guerrero Jr, Gavino Guerrero, and Cruz Guerrero, were members of the band La Sombra, which was led by Tony Guerrero Jr. Cruz Martínez and his cousins, the brothers Alex and Roy "Slim" Ramírez, were also part of their uncles' group La Sombra, which helped start their music careers. They were also together in the bands Kumbia Kings and Los Super Reyes, being original members in both bands. Cruz Martínez and his band Los Super Reyes performed at his niece Jazzmin Martínez's quinceañera at Corpus Christi, Texas in 2009 which aired on MTV Tr3s's Quiero Mis Quinces as episode 7 of season 4 on January 11, 2010.

Discography

Albums with La Sombra

• Porque Te Quiero (1991)
• Mas Que Amor (1992)
• Iluciones (1993)
• Mas Que Todo (1995)
• Caliente Dulce Amor (1996)
• Alborotados (1997)

Albums with Kumbia Kings

• Amor, Familia y Respeto (1999)
• Shhh! (2001)
• All Mixed Up: Los Remixes (2002)
• 4 (2003)
• Presents Kumbia Kings (2003)
• La Historia (2003)
• Los Remixes 2.0 (2004)
• Fuego (2004)
• Duetos (2005)
• Kumbia Kings Live (2006)

Albums with Los Super Reyes

• El Regreso de los Reyes (2007)
• Cumbia con Soul (2009)

Awards and nominations

See also

• La Sombra
• Kumbia Kings
• Los Super Reyes
• Music of Texas
• Music of Latin America

References

1. Garcés, Yoselin (October 19, 2022). "¿Quién es el esposo de Alicia Villarreal?" [Who is the husband of Alicia Villarreal?]. Publimetro (in Spanish).
2. ^ "A.B. Quintanilla III's Midas Touch". BMI. January 17, 2011.
3. "Cruz Martínez cuidó en todo momento a Alicia Villarreal en pleno escenario durante su concierto" [Cruz Martínez took care of Alicia Villarreal at all times on stage during her concert]. Univision (in Spanish). August 3, 2016. Vimos al músico en un concierto de Alicia Villarreal con Paquita la del Barrio y allí nos contó de sus proyectos y si regresará con Kumbia Kings. [We saw the musician at an Alicia Villarreal concert with Paquita la del Barrio and there he told us about his projects and if he will return with Kumbia Kings.]
4. "Alicia Villarreal dejó a su hija Melenie cuidando a sus hermanos para ir a trabajar y esto fue lo que pasó" [Alicia Villarreal left her daughter Melenie taking care of her brothers to go to work and this is what happened]. Univision (in Spanish). December 28, 2021. La hija de Alicia Villarreal y Arturo Carmona, Melenie, admitió que este año tuvo que enseñarse a desarrollar la paciencia al lado de sus medios hermanos: Felix y Cruz Angelo Martínez. Aunque no le fue fácil, la primogénita de 'La Güerita Consentida' aprendió y ganó algo con esta tarea. [The daughter of Alicia Villarreal and Arturo Carmona, Melenie, admitted that this year she had to teach herself to develop patience alongside her half-brothers: Felix and Cruz Angelo Martínez. Although it was not easy for her, the first-born of 'La Güerita Consentida' learned and gained something from this task.]
5. "Melenie, la hija de Arturo Carmona y Alicia Villarreal, revela de qué forma su padrastro Cruz Martínez marcó su vida" [Melenie, the daughter of Arturo Carmona and Alicia Villarreal, reveals how her stepfather Cruz Martínez influenced her life]. Univision (in Spanish). April 7, 2021.
6. "Alicia Villarreal y Arturo Carmona, una historia de amor y escándalos" [Alicia Villarreal and Arturo Carmona, a story of love and scandals]. Univision (in Spanish). June 20, 2018.
7. Hernández, Brenda (May 17, 2022). "A Cruz Martínez se le llenan los ojos de lágrimas al hablar de Melanie, la hija de Alicia Villarreal" [Cruz Martínez's eyes fill with tears when talking about Melanie, Alicia Villarreal's daughter]. Telemundo (in Spanish). Aunque Cruz Martínez no es el padre biológico de Melenie Carmona, hija de Alicia Villarreal y Arturo Carmona, ambos mantienen una buena relación y constantemente expresan su cariño y admiración mutua... Cruz Martínez también dijo que mantiene una relación cordial con Arturo Carmona, de quien es socio en la gira de los Kumbia Kings con la que han ofrecido cerca de 250 fechas por toda Latinoamérica. [Although Cruz Martínez is not the biological father of Melenie Carmona, daughter of Alicia Villarreal and Arturo Carmona, both maintain a good relationship and constantly express their affection and mutual admiration... Cruz Martínez also said that he maintains a cordial relationship with Arturo Carmona, with whom he is a partner in the Kumbia Kings tour with which they have offered nearly 250 dates throughout Latin America.]
8. Martínez, Blanca (July 15, 2020). "¡Fallece el padre de Cruz Martínez a causa del COVID 19!" [Cruz Martínez's father dies due to COVID 19!]. La Chicuela (in Spanish).
9. "Alicia Villarreal consuela a su esposo Cruz Martínez: su padre murió de covid-19 y no pudo despedirse de él" [Alicia Villarreal comforts her husband Cruz Martínez: his father died of covid-19 and he could not say goodbye to him]. Univision (in Spanish). July 15, 2020. La cantante dedicó amorosas palabras a su esposo, quien pasa por dolorosos momentos tras la muerte de su padre. De acuerdo con la periodista Blanca Martínez 'La Chicuela', Don Félix Martínez falleció el martes 14 de julio a consecuencia de coronavirus. [The singer dedicated loving words to her husband, who is going through painful moments after the death of his father. According to journalist Blanca Martínez 'La Chicuela', Don Félix Martínez died on Tuesday, July 14 as a result of coronavirus.]
10. "Alicia Villarreal y su marido Cruz Martínez están de luto: muere el hermano del líder de Kumbia Kings" [Alicia Villarreal and her husband Cruz Martínez are in mourning: the brother of the Kumbia Kings leader dies]. Univision (in Spanish). January 18, 2022.
11. Cortez Puebla, Arlenne (January 5, 2023). "Alicia Villarreal confiesa que tenía un 'crush' con el tío de su marido Cruz Martínez" [Alicia Villarreal confesses that she had a crush with her husband Cruz Martínez's uncle]. Univision (in Spanish). "A mí me impactó y yo me quedé con esos posters de La Sombra de Chicago y uno de ellos, que es el tío de Cruz, me lo firmó y yo lo puse en un círculo en un corazón y ahí lo tuve un tiempo (...) mucho tiempo. Nunca me imaginé que me iba a casar con el sobrino ", finalizó. Por su parte, Cruz Martínez sigue sintiendo orgullo de haber formado parte de la agrupación de sus tíos. En septiembre de 2021, compartió en Instagram una fotografía de sus inicios en la industria musical junto a sus familiares de La Sombra de Chicago y el grupo Bronco. "Una de mis fotos favoritos años mucho antes de los Kumbia Kings, como productor y músico de grupo de mis tíos, La Sombra de Chicago. A un lado de un gran inspiración artística y ser humano el gran Lupe Esparza, de los mejores talentos de la música mexicana, Grupo Bronco", escribió el padrastro de Melanie Carmona al pie de la foto. ["It impacted me and I kept those posters of La Sombra de Chicago and one of them, who is Cruz's uncle, signed it for me and I put it in a circle in a heart and I had it there for a while (...) a long time. I never imagined that I was going to marry the nephew," she concluded. For his part, Cruz Martínez continues to feel proud of having been part of his uncles' group. In September 2021, he shared on Instagram a photograph of his beginnings in the music industry with his relatives from La Sombra de Chicago and the group Bronco. “One of my favorite photos years before the Kumbia Kings, as a producer and musician in my uncles' group, La Sombra de Chicago. "Alongside a great artistic inspiration and human being, the great Lupe Esparza, one of the best talents in Mexican music, Grupo Bronco," wrote Melanie Carmona's stepfather at the bottom of the photo.]
12. "New Kings On The Block". Billboard. June 17, 2000.
13. San Miguel, Jr., Guadalupe (2002). Tejano Proud: Tex-Mex Music in the Twentieth Century. College Station, Texas, United States: Texas A&M University Press. p. 133. ISBN 1-58544-159-7.
14. Vazquez, Luis (December 29, 2009). "Q&A; Sessions: Cruz Martinez". nochelatina.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2010.
15. "Quiero Mis Quinces | Season 4 | Episodes | Tr3s". MTV Tr3s. Archived from the original on September 7, 2011.
16. "Quiero Mis Quinces | Season 4 | Photos | Tr3s". MTV Tr3s. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010.

External links

• Cruz Martínez on Twitter
• Cruz Martínez on Instagram
• Cruz Martínez at IMDb
• Cruz Martínez at AllMusic
• Cruz Martínez at Discogs

• Cruz Martínez
• 1972 births
• 20th-century American keyboardists
• 20th-century American musicians
• 20th-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American keyboardists
• 21st-century American musicians
• 21st-century American male musicians
• American child musicians
• American expatriates in Mexico
• American musicians of Mexican descent
• Cumbia musicians
• EMI Latin artists
• Hispanic and Latino American musicians
• Kumbia Kings members
• Latin music record producers
• Latin music songwriters
• Living people
• Los Super Reyes members
• Musicians from Chicago
• Musicians from Texas
• Record producers from Illinois
• Record producers from Texas
• Songwriters from Illinois
• Songwriters from Texas
• Tejano pop musicians
• Warner Music Latina artists