Otro Día Más Sin Verte (English: Another Day Without Seeing You), also called Sentir (English: Feel) in Spain,[1] is the Spanish-language debut album by Cuban singer Jon Secada. It was released on October 6, 1992, by EMI Latin to coincide with his English-language self-titled debut album, which was released in April 1992. The idea to release an all Spanish-language album was pitched by Secada's music mentor Emilio Estefan, after realizing that SBK Records have yet released such an album. Estefan presented Secada's proposal for a Spanish-language recording to the head of SBK, Charles Koppelman and then president of EMI Latin Jose Behar. Koppelman accepted the proposal after Behar stated that he could see "market potential" for Secada. With the help of Emilio's wife, Gloria Estefan, Secada translated selected compositions from his English-language debut album for Otro Día Más Sin Verte.
Jon Secada was a backup vocalist for Cuban singer Gloria Estefan in 1989.[2] He became close friends with Gloria and her husband, Emilio Estefan who helped guide Secada into the music business.[3] Secada released his self-titled debut album in 1992 with SBK Records.[3] The recording was made up of English-language compositions and two Spanish-language tracks. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of three million copies.[4] His popularity as a singer grew with the release of his debut album. While on tour for the album, Secada remarked on how Emilio began coining the idea of releasing a full-length Spanish-language recording.[5] Emilio had the idea after realizing that SBK Records never released a Spanish-language album.[5] According to Secada, writing in his autobiography, Emilio pitched his ideas to EMI Latin, a subsidiary of Capitol EMI Records.[5] Secada explained that Emilio went "full throttle" and wanted Secada to be a crossover artist with "major international appeal."[5]
After Secada's debut album was a commercial success, Emilio met the executives at EMI Records. Emilio explained to the executives about Secada's background and that an album in Spanish by Secada wouldn't cost them anything because "he can do it himself."[5]Jose Behar, then-president of EMI Latin, told Emilio that he quickly "recognized the market potential" for Secada.[5] Behar suggested to the head of EMI Records, Charles Koppelman, that Secada should record his first Spanish-language album; Koppelman accepted the proposal.[5]
During the recording sessions, Secada confirmed that Gloria helped translate his English-language recordings into Spanish.[6] He said that she told him to record songs that he would be comfortable with singing throughout his career as a singer. She later told Secada and Emilio to not "translate everything literally" but to "keep the same theme of the song in play."[6] Secada wrote in his autobiography that he was "grateful" that he and Gloria grew up in Miami, and spoke two languages.[6] Secada said that recording in Spanish was "instinctively more passionate" when compared to his recordings in English, he also explained that it gave him "a different connection to the music as well."[6] However, Chris Morris of Billboard, said that Secada lacked the emotional range that was present in his English-language debut album.[7] Two of the songs "Angel" and the title track were originally on the English-language album as Spanish tracks. Four of the songs, including "Como En Un Sueño", "Tu Amor Es Mi Libertad", "Cree En Nuestro Amor", and "Sentir", were translated into Spanish from Secada's debut album.[8]
Release and singles
Once translation of the selected recordings were complete, Secada recorded them and released the album six months after his debut album Jon Secada was released on October 6, 1992.[6]Otro Día Más Sin Verte peaked at number four on the US BillboardLatin Pop Albums chart in 1992 and number eight on the US BillboardTop Latin Albums chart the following year.[9] The album's lead single "Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte" peaked at number one on the US BillboardHot Latin Tracks on the week ending July 4, 1992.[10] The second single released from the album, "Angel", peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart on the week ending October 31, 1992.[11] "Angel" was written about a woman Secada met in Amsterdam. He wrote in his autobiography that "writing those songs crystallized for me the fact that I was missing out on a deep emotional connection."[12] John Lannert of Billboard called "Angel" a "dramatic love ode",[13] the song remained atop the Hot Latin Tracks chart for two consecutive weeks.[14] "Cree En Nuestro Amor", released as the third single from the album on August 15, 1992,[15] also peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Latin Tracks on February 27, 1993.[16]
The fourth single released from the recording, "Sentir", peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart on the week ending July 3, 1993.[17] By placing four singles atop the Hot Latin Tracks chart, Secada became the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat.[18] Spanish Latin pop singer Enrique Iglesias broke Secada's record with five number one singles from his self-titled album in 1997.[19] When the album's lead single "Otro Día Más Sin Verte" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart, Secada became the first Hispanic artist of color to do so.[13] Secada released his fifth single from his album, "Tiempo Al Tiempo", debuted at number 33 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart on the week ending August 14, 1993,[20] it later peaked at number nine.[9]Otro Día Más Sin Verte was re-released digitally on March 3, 2003.[21] It was re-released on compact disc on July 19, 2005.[22]
Cordelia Candelaria wrote in her book Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture (2004) that Otro Día Más Sin Verte helped Secada "[infiltrate] the Latin music culture".[24] Carlos Bolívar Ramírez called the singles "Otro Día Más Sin Verte" and "Angel" rock ballads in his book La balada: mensaje universal (2001).[25] The album was a commercial success in Spain where Secada was named "Best Adult Contemporary Artist of the early 1990s" by Humberto López Morales in his book El español en el mundo: Anuario del Instituto Cervantes (2008).[26]: p. 857 Chuck Taylor of Billboard called Secada's new Spanish offerings as having a "tailored, uptempo Latin vibe."[18] Taylor called Secada's transition from recording songs in English to Spanish as "positioning [Secada] as more of a romantic Latin idol than his mainstream American image as a passionate pop singer."[18]
