1964–1977: Early life and family Yuridia Valenzuela Canseco was born on 6 January 1964, in
Veracruz, Mexico. She is the daughter of Dr. Carlos Humberto Valenzuela and Dulce Canseco. She had two siblings, Carlos (deceased) and Yamily. During her childhood, alongside her regular schooling in Veracruz, Yuri studied classical dance. At the age of 11, she won a scholarship to the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, but her parents did not allow her to take advantage of it. As a result, her mother encouraged her to pursue a career as a singer and created a musical concept called La Manzana Eléctrica. Yuri took singing lessons in various venues, and the group debuted in 1976, performing at local events in Veracruz. Their repertoire included covers of artists such as
Michael Jackson and
Janis Joplin. Due to Yuri's growing popularity and charisma, the group was later renamed Yuri y La Manzana Eléctrica. During this period, Yuri met Cuban singer
Celia Cruz, as Yuri’s band often performed as a supporting act for Cruz’s shows in Veracruz. At one of their performances, Julio Jaramillo Arenas, an arranger and the director of
A&R for the GAMMA record label, recognized Yuri's potential and offered her the opportunity to record her first album. Her mother accepted the proposal and became her manager. The family then moved to
Mexico City, despite lacking financial support from relatives.
1978–1979: Career beginnings and OTI Under the production of Jaramillo (not to be confused with Ecuadorian singer
Julio Jaramillo), Yuri recorded her debut album
Tú iluminas mi vida, which included the Spanish adaptation of "
You Light Up My Life," originally performed by American singer
Debby Boone. The album produced her first national single but did not achieve commercial success. In 1979, she made her acting debut in the film , starring Mexican comedian
Cepillín, and appeared on the television program
En familia con Chabelo on
Televisa. That same year, she participated in the
8th Mexican national selection for the
OTI Festival with the song "". The entry didn't qualify for the national final and had allegations of plagiarism, as the composition bore similarities to "
MacArthur Park" popularized by
Donna Summer. Nevertheless, Yuri was unanimously awarded the "Breakout Artist Award", becoming the youngest performer to receive this recognition.
1980–1989: Breakthrough, success and first marriage In 1980, under the continued production of Julio Jaramillo Arenas, Yuri released her second studio album,
Esperanzas, which marked her first major commercial success with the title track "Esperanzas"
. That same year, she made her television acting debut in the popular Televisa telenovela
Colorina, starring
Lucía Méndez, and later appeared in the telenovela
Verónica alongside
Christian Bach. The album was distributed in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Singles such as "Primer amor", "Goma de mascar", and "Regresaré" reached top chart positions throughout Latin America. In 1981, Yuri competed for the second time in the
10th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival, placing third with "", written by
José María Napoleón, and receiving the Best Female Performer Award. At the next year, she released her third studio album,
Llena de dulzura, which achieved gold certification across Latin America. The album included hits such as "Mi timidez", "Llena de dulzura", "Tú y yo", "Este amor no se toca", and "Maldita primavera", a Spanish-language version of "
Maledetta primavera" by Italian singer
Loretta Goggi. Yuri also became the first Latin American female artist to receive a gold record in Spain. That same year, she recorded the single "El panda de Chapultepec", dedicated to
Tohui the first panda bear born in captivity outside China. The single sold over one million copies and was later added to a reissue of
Llena de dulzura. In 1983, Yuri released her fourth album,
Sí, soy así, which featured the hit single "Yo te amo, te amo". She also starred in her second feature film,
Secuestro en Acapulco, alongside the Venezuelan boy band
Los Chamos. In 1984, she released her fifth album,
Karma Kamaleón, which included a Spanish version of
Culture Club's hit "
Karma Chameleon". That year, she entered for the third time in the
13th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival with the song "", written by . The song won the national competition and she received the Best Female Performer Award, and went on to
represent Mexico in the
OTI Festival 1984, where they placed third. Later that year, Yuri was invited to the
Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile, where she won the
Silver Torch, becoming the first Mexican artist to receive this award. In 1985, Yuri departed from GAMMA and got signed with
EMI, released the album
Yo te pido amor, which earned her a
Grammy Award nomination. The singles "Yo te pido amor", "Déjala", and "Dame un beso" became radio hits across Latin America. That same year, she appeared in
Playboy magazine in a photoshoot by
Pompeo Posar. Although she did not pose nude, the issue achieved high sales. In 1986, she released
Un corazón herido, which featured the singles "Es ella más que yo", "Hoy me he vuelto a enamorar", and "Un corazón herido". The following year, she competed for the last time in the
16th Mexican national selection for the OTI Festival with "La locura de vivir" but received only one jury vote and did not qualify. The performance was considered a controversial moment of her career, being described as too bold for the festival. In 1988, Yuri released
Aire, one of her most successful albums. The singles "Cuando baja la marea", "
Qué te pasa" and "Amores clandestinos" topped charts throughout Latin America. "Qué te pasa" set a record on
Billboard Hot Latin Tracks as the
longest-running number-one song of the 1980s, remaining at the top for 16 consecutive weeks and on the chart for a total of 33 weeks. Following this success, executives Marcos Maynard and Manuel Calderón signed Yuri to
CBS (now Sony Music). Her next album,
Isla del Sol, incorporated a mix of dance, rap, pop, rock, and ballads, and produced hits such as the Hot Latin Tracks number-one single "
Hombres al borde de un ataque de celos", "Imposible amarte como yo", "No puedo más", and "Hola". She also received a
Lo Nuestro Award. Years later,
Isla del Sol entered the Brazilian market. Around this time, she recorded a duet with actor
Don Johnson, a Spanish version of "
A Better Place". To capitalize on her popularity, her former label EMI released the compilation
Algo de mi vida, which included previously unreleased material recorded earlier in her career. In September 1989, Yuri released the album Sui Generis, which included the singles "Embrujada" and "Me tienes que querer".
1990–1999: Divorce, new image, personal and professional setbacks After divorcing her first husband, Yuri gave a turn to her career, and recorded under the direction of producer Mariano Pérez the album
Soy Libre, same that three months after going on the market had sold more than half a million copies and which are the singles: "Quién eres Tu", "Todo mi corazón" and "El apagón". For the second time, Yuri appears in
Playboy and presented a show entitled
Sin límites, which receives the recognition of the public and critics for its outstanding quality, which led the press and her fans to compare it with the singer
Madonna: the nickname "the Mexican Madonna", which sparked such controversy that even important American programs, such as
Hard Copy, took time to talk about this similarity. In 1991, Yuri resumed her role as an actress and filmed the movie
Soy libre, directed by Juan Antonio de la Riva and where she alternates with
Omar Fierro and Christian Bach. In 1992, Yuri released her twelfth album, titled
Obsesiones, which is again produced by Mariano Pérez. The album includes the song "Decir adiós", Spanish version of the song "
As Time Goes By". The album also includes the song "Química perfecta", a duet with the
Salsa singer
Luis Enrique, as well as "Así es la vida" and "Poligamia". In 1993, Yuri released the album
Nueva era with the producer Alejandro Zepeda, which contains the songs "
Detrás de Mi Ventana" (written by
Ricardo Arjona), "Amiga mía" and "Si falta el amor". Also they sound in some countries the "Celia Mix" a medley of some hits of Celia Cruz. In 1994, Yuri returned to television but now as host of the comic-musical show
¡No te muevas!. In that same year, she agreed to star in the Mexican telenovela
Volver a empezar, starring alongside the Puerto Rican singer
Chayanne for the Televisa network. In 1995, she performed again at Viña del Mar Festival. The pace of work devastated her health and a tumors were detected in her the vocal cords, which led her to fall into depression. In that year she released the album
Espejos del Alma, which would obtain regular success on the radio due to the few presentations by Yuri for her health problems. Yuri was received in the
Catholic Church in 1987 so that she could be married through the church with her first husband, Iriarte. In 1994, Yuri left the Catholic Church and caused a stir by embracing
Protestantism and adhering to the
Evangelical church. As an actress, she starred in the Christian film
Altos instintos'. Yuri participated in the album
Boleros por amor y desamor, under the label of Fonovisa and in which she interprets the theme "El espejo". In 1996, Yuri recorded the Ranchera album
Más Fuerte que la Vida, a disc that included some of her hits in the ranchera version and the Christian song that gave the album its name. During 1997 Yuri filmed the autobiographical film,
Yuri, mi verdadera historia. In the film she reflects on her unhappiness despite her triumphs, fame and money. Also, she lets the audience see the frivolessneess of the stardom, causing controversy at the time of release. She witnessed to her conversion in countless forums and recorded the audio-cassette entitled
Mi testimonio, which is distributed only in Protestant bookstores throughout Latin America, to share her approach to God. Following this logic, the following year she was invited by Manolo Calderón to be part of the Polygram label and recorded the
Gospel album
Huellas. Yuri left behind her public image of sex symbol and wrote the song "María Magdalena". The single "Hoy que estamos juntos", a duet with her second husband Rodrigo, was quickly replaced in the top ten by the version of
Jennifer Lopez and
Marc Anthony with very different lyrics on the lack of love, as Yuri spoke of God in her version. Yuri's successful record career began to decline and, due to these changes, and Yuri's indifference to continue in secular music, she would lose fans and contracts. She began to dedicate herself solely to her Christian audience, and she performed concerts with songs of praise and testimony of faith. When the single "Ven y tócame" was distributed, Yuri considered retiring from the stage.
2000–2009: Pop return and resurgence Yuri decides to return to secular music in mid-2001 convinced by her fans and makes some television appearances with new arrangements of her former successes. It was not until 2002 that Yuri returns formally with the release of her album
Enamorada, where she leaves religious themes aside and takes up the themes of love. From this album there is a single success, the bachata "Ya no vives en mí". She also performs a special performance in the children's telenovela
Vivan los niños. In 2003, Yuri would sign again with
Sony Music and record a ranchera music album, called
Yuri/A lo Mexicano, at the request of the label, which includes duets with renowned artists such as
Vicente Fernández,
Ana Bárbara,
Mijares and
Pandora. In 2004, and for three consecutive seasons, Yuri became the host of the reality show
Objetivo Fama, recorded in Puerto Rico, and in 2006 a cover album was released with Mijares, entitled
Acompáñame, whose first single "Callados", manages to be placed in the public's taste. The album obtained platinum disc, although in the radio it does not achieve the desired success. At the same time, she started the
Cantar por cantar Tour, together with Mijares and
Ricardo Montaner. In addition, she participated as part of the jury of the reality show
Cantando por un sueño, from the Televisa network with Montaner, Adrián Posse and
Susana Zabaleta for three seasons. Yuri leaves Sony Music and in 2007 she presented a concert of successes at the
Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City, which is recorded for a DVD and CD, published at the beginning of September of the same year with the title
Vive la Historia, in which it includes the unreleased song "Y llegaste tú", of the album
Acompáñame, which is quickly placed in the first places, and won recognition for its high sales. In January 2008, Manolo Calderón invited her to be part of the Televisa EMI Music label. Televisa also invites her to animate the late night show
Noche de estrellas, in which the duets in which Yuri participated with her guest artists were popularized, of which the ones she performed with
Lupita D'Alessio,
Enrique Iglesias and
Juanes. In December of the same year her new
Latin pop album
Mi Hijita Linda was released, where she recorded, at the request of the label, old-style cumbanchero themes that pretended to continue with the concept of "El Apagón", as well as including a duet with
DJ Flex: "La mucura". In 2009, Yuri is presented with great success in the
Auditorio Nacional of Mexico City. She signed with
Warner Music and on October 20 a CD-DVD of her concerts in the Auditorio Nacional, called
El concierto, was released.
2010–present: Projects and Sony music return In 2010, under the production of
Scott Erickson, Yuri releases the album
Inusual, who got a gold record just two days after it was released. This record achieves success in countries like Chile and Mexico and from it comes the single "Arrepentida" and "Estoy Cansada", as well as some covers by Argentine singer
Valeria Lynch. She also recorded the central theme of the Chilean TV series
Infiltradas, entitled "Por el amor de un hombre", and was present at the Viña del Mar Festival in 2011 as a jury. On September 27, 2011, she released the album,
Mi tributo al Festival, where she pays homage to the late OTI Festival. In this album, Yuri interprets in a masterful way the winning songs of this festival. The first single is "Ay amor", by singer-songwriter
Ana Gabriel. Yuri released the second part of this album in 2012 using the song "El triste", popularized by
José José, as a single. In the same year she was the host of a late night show aired on Saturdays of every month, called
Una noche con Yuri for Televisa. In August 2014, Yuri announced her participation as coach of the fourth season of the Mexican version of
The Voice alongside
Ricky Martin,
Laura Pausini and
Julión Álvarez. In September of the same year, a second single titled "Duele" was released, playing alongside the Mexican band
Reik. The same name album went on sale on April 14, 2015, in physical and digital record stores. In 2016, Yuri signs a new contract with Sony Music and starts working on her new album
Yuri en Primera Fila, a record recorded live with her hits and new songs. In February 2017, the first unpublished single of the disc is released, entitled "Perdón". In 2017, Yuri became the host of the Mexican edition of
The Voice Kids, and in the middle of the same year she repeated as coach in the sixth season of Mexican version of
The Voice alongside
Carlos Vives,
Maluma and Laura Pausini . In 2018, she served as coach in
The Voice Kids in Colombia. In 2018, Yuri ventured into
musical theatre for the first time with the musical
Cats in its Mexican version playing the character Grizabella. In the same year, the
Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences awarded Yuri the
Latin Grammy Award to musical excellence in a ceremony held in Las Vegas. In 2019, Yuri joined forces with the Mexican group Pandora to perform a musical tour. ==Artistry==