Kat DeLuna Biography

Kat DeLuna may be young, but music and songwriting have been a part of her life for some time. She is known for her big voice and her stunning good looks, both of which have propelled her toward stardom. She takes her style from a variety of genres like hip-hop, R&B, meringue, pop and dance. De Luna has gotten rave reviews since she came on the scene and has received a Latin Billboard Award nomination along with being named as MTV Tr3s’ Best New Artist. She has been compared to the amazingly talented Selena and has been featured in publications like People, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today and Teen Vogue. Kathleen DeLuna was born in the Bronx, New York but was raised in the Dominican Republic, where her family is from. Her family moved back to the United States when she was 9 years old to Newark, New Jersey. Her parents’ divorce led to her first songwriting attempt with "Estoy Triste" (I Am Sad). The divorce was tough on DeLuna and her sisters, who had to beg for food from their neighbors. Despite the tough times, DeLuna resolved to stay in school and also began performing at carnivals. Also as a child, she had training as an opera singer.By the time she hit 14 years old, DeLuna was asked to attend the New Jersey School of the Performing Arts, the same school that was once attended by stars that included Whitney Houston. It was there that she was in her first group, an all-girl ensemble called Coquette. When she was 15, she entered a karaoke contest and won with the song "I Will Always Love You." There she met salsa legend Rey Ruiz who encouraged her to pursue her dreams.DeLuna continued to write and sing songs and soon found herself with a recording contract with Epic, brought about by GMB Music Group. Her first hit single was "Whine Up" featuring Elephant Man. The song appeared on her first CD, Nine Lives, which was produced by Akon executive. Her next single, "Run the Show," also caused a stir and featured Busta Rhymes and Don Omar.Kat DeLuna has proven to be a talented artist who is only beginning to blossom into an amazing singer. This bi-lingual artist is sure to be a big hit on the pop charts as well as the Latin Billboard Charts. Fans and critics are awaiting the next move of this incredible artist.