Figueroa began using the artistic name of "Chayanne" when he was a little kid. He auditioned for Menudo, but was told that at the time that he was too young for the group. He didn't give up and he heard that Titi Soto was trying to create a new group that would compete with Menudo, and so he went and tried out. He was chosen for the group and his meteoric rise to the top began.

That group, Los Chicos, made several #1 hits, including Puerto Rico Son Los Chicos, and Terremoto. And while it never achieved the popularity of Menudo, it did give Menudo good competition, becoming famous all over Latin America, participating in a movie (Coneccion Caribe), and producing millions of Los Chicos-related memorabilia like t-shirts, rulers, magazines etc.

After Los Chicos went bankrupt in 1984 and separated, Chayanne, having become famous all over Latin America, retired for a little while, moving to Mexico and staying in the background for a few years, so his fans wouldn't get tired of seeing him. In 1987, he came back like a storm, his first solo album producing the Spanish pop classic Fiesta En America. Chayanne was back. He became an instant pop idol all over Latin America again. He toured all over Latin America, and in 1989 he produced his second solo album, which produced another smash hit in Tu Pirata Soy Yo.

The 1990s brought some changes for Chayanne. He started acting, married Marilisa Maronese, with whom he formed a family, and moved to Miami. He is well known for fiercely protecting the privacy of his wife and children. His acting career has been extremely favorable. Some of his roles include portraying himself in Volver A Empezar, playing a Cuban dancer along with Vanessa L. Williams in Hollywood's Dance With Me, and a few soap operas in Argentina, including Provocame.

He has also kept on touring and producing CDs, and along with Ricky Martin, is considered to be Puerto Rico's biggest pop idol ever. Songs such as Salomé, Torero, Boom Boom, Enamorado, Atado A Tu Amor, No Te Preocupes Por Mi, Caprichosa or Y Tú Te Vas are some of his greatest hits.

In 2006 he had a small role with famous singer and actress Natalia Oreiro in Sos Mi Vida (an Argentinian telenovela). Chayanne, today, having moved beyond teen idol, is a full-fledged Puerto Rican superstar.

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Elmer Figueroa Arce (born June 29, 1968), best known under the stage name Chayanne, is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer.