Kevin Ceballo

Kevin Ceballo, born October 12, 1977, in Manhattan, is a salsa music singer of Puerto Rican descent and Broadway performer. His parents relocated from Puerto Rico and settled in Manhattan, where Ceballo was raised in a Seventh-Day Adventist household. Gospel singing at his place of worship formed his earliest musical exposure, while salsa and other popular Latin music were considered off-limits at home. Despite this, Ceballo listened to Latin music in secret during his youth, and his connection to the genre deepened throughout his teenage years.

Ceballo pursued formal training at the High School of the Performing Arts in New York, where he set his sights on careers in both singing and acting. Outside of school, he made himself available as a backup singer for local salsa groups. That grassroots experience led to a significant break in 1997, when pianist Isidro Infante noticed Ceballo performing at a nightclub and invited him to join his group as a lead singer. Ceballo accepted, and the collaboration resulted in his appearance on Infante's 1998 CD "Licencia Para Engañar," which included "Cuando Pienso en Tí," a track Ceballo himself composed. He subsequently toured internationally with Infante's band. During this period, Puerto Rican salsa singer La India recruited Ceballo to provide backup vocals for her CD "Sobre el Fuego," a recording that received a Grammy Award nomination. He also performed alongside Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri.

In 2000, Ceballo launched his solo career with the CD "Mi Primer Amor," which reached number one on the Latin music charts and earned him recognition as New Artist of the Year. The album featured two additional compositions by Ceballo: "Que Clase de Hombre" and "Quiero Bailar." On October 20, 2002, he headlined a free concert at the Verizon Music Festival in Washington, D.C., with Celia Cruz among the participants. The following year, he recorded "Yo Soy Ese Hombre," produced by Infante, an album that included "Eternamente Te Amaré," a salsa interpretation of a duet originally recorded by Angela Via and Frankie Negrón in 2000. On April 11, 2003, Ceballo performed with Jimmy Bosch at the Copacabana Nightclub in New York.

Also in 2003, Ceballo appeared on Broadway in The Look of Love. On June 26, 2004, he served as headliner at the Latino Fest held at Patterson Park in Baltimore, Maryland.