Los Jetz Peña first achieved notoriety after performing at the
Astrodome in
Houston, Texas, during a
Selena Quintanilla tribute concert in 1995. The event was Peña's first public performance, on a large scale, during which she performed the song "
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom", one of Selena's No. 1 hits from the year prior (1994). At the time, Peña's music career was managed by
Q-Productions and
Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the late Selena's father and former manager. Peña's debut studio album,
Dulzura, was released in May 1996 as part of
Jennifer y Los Jetz and was produced by Abraham Quintanilla. The record introduced her to the music scene, officially, at the age of 12; the title track, and "Ven a mí" (or 'Come to me', a
Spanish-language cover of
The Drifters song "Dance with Me"), garnered her a loyal fanbase. The album sold quite well in the Latin music market, was certified
gold and won several
Tejano Music Awards. At the time,
Tejano music was in its heyday, and Peña was another young, staple act on the scene. Her introduction was both praised and criticized, mainly in part due to the artistic (and physical) similarities between Selena and herself, despite Selena's own father managing her career. Reviews and comparisons came and went, and still, Peña managed to continue winning over fans. In 1997, she released her second album,
Jennifer Y Los Jetz, with the singles "Tu Castigo" ('your punishment') and "Yo Te Vi" ('I saw you') being promoted and experiencing much of the same success as
Dulzura had achieved. The album ended up earning another gold certification. Los Jetz was composed of musicians who are still in the music business, to this day, including Lucky Joe Eguia (who is now a
Freddie Records solo recording artist), Joey Jimenez ('JMZ', who has become one of Tejano's most praised drummers), and Lalo Reyna (husband and band director for
Elida Reyna). In 1998, Peña released
Mariposa with "Tengo Miedo" ('I’m scared') as the lead single, another hit on the Latin market; in México, where she toured extensively, the album became Peña's third to be certified gold. By 2000, Peña was the most prominent female Tejano singer, and had been long-dubbed "La Princesa de la Música Tejana" (the princess of Tejano music). Her most commercially- and critically-acclaimed album, while under Q's management, was 2000's
Abrázame y Bésame ("hug me and kiss me"), for which Peña was billed as a solo act but still performing with Los Jetz. The album, as her previous, was produced by
A.B. Quintanilla. Showcasing a more mature sound for the singer, the title track—a duet with former
Kumbia Kings frontman
DJ Kane—was the most successful single. Other songs, like "Si Tú Te Vas" ('if you go'), "Contigo Otra Vez" ('with you again') and "No Te Voy a Perdonar" ('I’m not going to forgive you '), resonated strongly in the US and in Mexico, garnering her a
2001 Grammy nomination and multiple Tejano Music Awards. Peña continued to promote and tour extensively after the release of every album under Q's management, and under
EMI Latin.
Univision Music Group and Latin pop venture After a few years of management under Q Productions, Peña signed with new label
Univision Music Group, whose president had launched Selena's career while at EMI Latin, which he headed until 2000. In 2002, Peña released
Libre, produced by
Rudy Pérez and
Kike Santander. Rudy Pérez wrote the album's biggest hits: "Vamos al Mundial", which was chosen as the anthem for the
2002 FIFA World Cup on Univision; and "El Dolor de Tu Presencia", which catapulted Peña's popularity, spending eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's
Hot Latin Tracks. "Entre el Delirio y la Locura" soon followed.
Libre sold over 300,000 units. In 2003,
Libre was nominated for a Grammy. In 2004, Peña released her second album with UMG,
Seducción, which was produced by Rudy Pérez,
Gustavo and Kike Santander, and
Emilio Estefan. Rudy Pérez was the genius behind another No. 1 hit, "
Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel". The album kept up the momentum of her previous release, again selling over 300,000 units. In 2004, Peña performed to a crowd of over 61,000 fans at the
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a venue known for hosting major acts such as the
Dixie Chicks,
Garth Brooks, and
Beyoncé. She also recorded a live album which was released later that same year. Following her commercial success, Peña performed for former United States President
Bill Clinton and then current President
President George W. Bush in 2006. She is actively involved with awareness campaigns of hepatitis, AIDS, and teen depression. Peña has ventured into film, appearing in
MTV's ''
All You've Got'' (2006) with
Ciara. She also appeared in
Amexicano (2007). On ,
Dicen que el tiempo was released, debuting at No. 16 on
Billboard Top Latin Albums, with "Como Entender" being promoted as the first single, followed by "
Tuya" in late April 2007. Since the release, both the album and single have garnered only a lukewarm reception, despite cracking the Top 25 positions on Billboard and selling out the initial shipment of 80,000 units. Peña is on hiatus after having promoted the album all across the US and Puerto Rico with TV slots on MTV Tr3s as the artist of the month and extensive radio promotion. The second single, "Tuya", reached its peak position at No. 5 on the Billboard chart as of September 2007. "Dicen Que El Tiempo" did not fare well in sales in comparison to previous efforts but did win Peña critical acclaim and was well received by fans. The album, although a departure from both her pop ballads and Tejano sound, was produced by Jennifer and Sebastian Kyrs, with additional songwriting and production by Obie Bermúdez. On December 6, 2007, "Dicen Que El Tiempo" was nominated for a Grammy. == Personal life ==