La Academia USA was the first musical reality show with only Hispanic contestants launched by Azteca America in October 2005. The auditions were done nationwide and a total of 30 people were chosen to go to Mexico where they would have to spend a week working hard and showing all of what they had inside to be chosen to the final 18.
The first La Academia USA concert was on November 20, 2005.
A week before the first concert, there was a special show that lasted two hours. In that show, footage from the auditions was shown. At the end, 12 of the 30 were eliminated leaving the lucky 18 that Azteca America had chosen to become the first generation of La Academia USA.
One of the participants was Michael Anthony Muenchow Rivera, who was previously on Telemundo's song-based reality show Nuevas Voces de América (New Voices of America) in 2005; he was one of the 18 selected. Michael lives in San Antonio, Texas and made it to the top 13 final singers, before being expelled. His vote off was one of the results that caused the most uproar among viewers and the teachers alike. This was also true for the premature elimination, in the eleventh concert, of Diana Galindo Martínez, whom many thought would become the winner of La Academia USA for her great voice, big popularity among the public and the good comments by the critics.
After three months of competition La Academia USA came to an end, crowning Mariana Vargas as winner of the Latin Reality Show. As the winner and runner-up, Mariana and Gustavo respectively received contracts with Warner Music for the release of an album.
After the show ended and after the cancellation of the highly anticipated "La Academia Hot-Tour" many of the ex-students of La Academia USA, including Michael, Diana, Frankie, Fatimat, Jazmín, Alejandro ("El Chino") and Nohelia were called back to continue singing together for their fans across the United States. Among other projects is the formation of a band by joining the voices of Ivannkie, Adán, Catalina and Heloisa.
Being a Latin American event and taking place in an ethnically diverse country, La Academia USA featured participants born in different Latin American countries, or at least with Latin roots being born in the United States. Here are some countries where most come from: Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, Colombia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.
In 2007, Frankie Alvarado participated in a duet with Spanish Pop rock singer Diana Mera; the song is called "20 Pedacitos".
Participants (2005–2006)
Winner Blanca Mariana Vargas Grajeda
Finalists 2nd place: Gustavo Alfonso Amezcua Fuentes 3rd place: Nohelia María Sosa Guerrero 4th place: Afid Ferrer Ávalos 5th place: Yoshigei Cázares Silva
Eliminated Jazmín Olivo Ceballos Francisco Alvarado Rivera (Frankie) Adán Castillo Iván Quiñonez (Ivannkie) Diana Galindo Martínez Heloisa Alves Catalina Naranjo Michael Anthony Muenchow Rivera Gabriel Juan Rodríguez Policastro Alejandro Hernández López (El Chino) Carlos Soto García Bianca Filio Martínez Fatimat Aihassan Villanueva
Order of expulsion Order Concert 1 Concert 2 Concert 3 Concert 4 Concert 5 Concert 7 Concert 8 Concert 9 Concert 10 Concert 11 Concert 12 Concert 13 Concert 14 Final 1 Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Adán Afid Afid Mariana 2 Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Afid Frankie Gustavo Gustavo 3 Alejandro Alejandro Alejandro Alejandro Catalina Catalina Catalina Diana Diana Frankie Frankie Gustavo Mariana Nohelia 4 Bianca Bianca Carlos Catalina Diana Diana Diana Frankie Frankie Gustavo Gustavo Jazmin Nohelia Afid 5 Carlos Carlos Catalina Diana Frankie Frankie Frankie Gustavo Gustavo Iván Jazmín Mariana Yoshigei Yoshigei6 Catalina Catalina Diana Frankie Gabriel Gustavo Gustavo Heloisa Iván Jazmín Mariana Nohelia Jazmín 7 Diana Diana Frankie Gabriel Gustavo Heloisa Heloisa Iván Jazmín Mariana Nohelia Yoshigei Frankie 8 Fatimat Frankie Gabriel Gustavo Heloisa Iván Iván Jazmín Mariana Nohelia Yoshigei Adán 9 Frankie Gabriel Gustavo Heloisa Iván Jazmín Jazmín Mariana Nohelia Yoshigei Iván 10 Gabriel Gustavo Heloisa Iván Jazmín Mariana Mariana Nohelia Yoshigei Diana 11 Gustavo Heloisa Iván Jazmín Mariana Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Heloisa 12 Heloisa Iván Jazmín Mariana Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Catalina 13 Iván Jazmín Mariana Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Michael 14 Jazmín Mariana Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Gabriel 15 Mariana Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Alejandro 16 Michael Nohelia Yoshigei Carlos 17 Nohelia Yoshigei Bianca 18 Yoshigei Fatimat
The contestant was expelled from the competition The contestant abandoned the competition The contestant won the competition The contestant was a runner-up Heloisa Alves was an anchor for the sports show Los Protagonistas a Nivel mundial for TV AZTECA AMERICA during the 2006 Soccer World Cup, and she won the Miss Brazil USA contest in November 2007. Heloisa has recorded commercials for Bally Total Fitness, and she has done publicity for Cingular Wireless.
Desarrollo del Concurso del Primer Academia USALugarParticipante1MarianaVivemeMéxico en la pielAcariciameNunca voy olvidarteDevorame otra vezWithout youSi tú no estás aquíLa trampaAy amorOye mi cantoMe asusta pero me gusta y Odio amarteQuién eres tú y A quién le importaPaloma negra y CaralunaSi nos dejan, Dame una señal y Cheque en blancoPaloma negra y Mentira2GustavoMi credoMujeres divinasNoviembre sin tiEs mejor decir adiósLa copa de la vidaLa cosa mas bellaAireEl tristeBaila morenaPedro NavajasLa camisa negra y El baile del perritoJuliana y Lo que pasó, pasó La planta y Aca entre nosQue de raro tiene, Yo no fui y Muchacha tristeMujeres divinas y Al final3NoheliaVivemeEn el último lugar del mundoAmar sin ser amadaCon los años que me quedanRegresa a míAmanecí otra vezInnocente pobre amigaEternamente bellaTe quedo grande la yeguaEs demasiado tardeComo olvidar y Odio amarteRata de dos patas y A quién le importaAprenderé y Cosas del amorNo hace falta, Entra en mi vida y Cheque en blancoTe quedo grande la yegua y Que ganas de no verte nunca mas4AfidPasiónMéxico lindo y queridoA chillar otra parteAmor eternoAún sigues siendo míaAve MaríaBamboleoSecreto de amorSalomeLa BambaVolveré y El baile del perritoCanta corazón y Lo que pasó, pasóY todo para que y Aca entre nosLa puerta negra, Yo no fui y Muchacha tristeLa Bamba y Cuándo yo quería ser grande5Yoshigei Could I have this kiss forever?Besame muchoCostumbresAlgo másFalsas esperanzasCucurrucucú, palomaLa diferenciaAmor a la mexicanaBidi, bidi, bombomLlegar a tiListen to your heart y Odio amarteCómo se cura una herida y A quién le importaSin él y Cosas del amorMentiras, Entra en mi vida y Cheque en blancoLlegar a ti y I will always love you6FrankieRock around the clockVisa por un sueñoEl alma en piePara tu amorA gritos de esperanzaMaríaBuleríaMi dulce niñaCorazón PartíoLloraré las penasEn mi viejo San Juan y El baile del perritoEsta ausencia y Lo que pasó, pasóMe va extrañar y AzulPerdóname, Dame una señal y Muchacha triste7JazmínTres gotas de agua benditaBandoleroHacer el amor con otroPiensa en míEse hombreTú eres mi luzA que no le cuentasLluviaQue le den candelaBasta yaA mi manera y Odio amarteBurbujas de amor y A quién le importaEs ella más que yo y CaralunaTen cuidado con el corazón, Entra en mi vida y Cheque en blanco8AdánCould I have this kiss forever?Have I told you lately that I love youA puro dolorNo te preocupes por míUsted se me llevo la vidaI want it that awayDímeloOtro día más sin verteSirenaNo me quiero enamorarMi bombón y El baile del perritoEres mi verdad y Lo que pasó, pasó Baby, I love your way y Azul9IvánNobody wants to be lonelyValió la penaTocando fondoÁngelLamento bolivianoNo podrásTBCAhora quiénTe amoPrincesa tibetanaTe buscaría y El baile del perritoSuave y Lo que pasó, pasó10DianaPasiónQuién como túEchame a mi la culpaNo se si es amorCuándo baja la mareaVive y lloraSola con mi soledadAsí fueComo hemos cambiadoNo me enseñasteMuriendo lento y Odio amarte11HeloisaNada fue un errorHijo de la lunaCuéntameMíaTomalo suaveCandelaA cada paso que doyAve MaríaI love rock and rollLa chica de Ipanema12CatalinaNobody wants to be lonelyHasta el fin del mundoKilling me softlyNo me queda másDaríaQue belloPero me acuerdo de tiDid not show upVen conmigo
External links – La Academia USA Official Site
References