Pedro Capó is a third-generation singer-songwriter from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was inspired by his father and grandfather's careers in music. After performing with a rock band in his youth, he pursued a solo career in New York. He had success as an actor on Broadway before independently releasing his debut album in 2006. This led to him signing with SONY Latin. He is now working on his self-titled major label debut album.

1. CapOan Juan, Puerto Rico Trabajo: Singer/Songwriter
The grandson of legendary Puerto Rican boleristas, Bobby Cap6 Sr., and the son of
renowned salsa singer, Bobby Cap6 Jr., third-generation singer/songwriter, Pedro Cap6,
was born to sing. "My father used to include me in his rehearsals and songwriting ses-
sions," says the 28-year-old. "The genetics and individual love that I have for music
helped me to discover my own influences."
Inspired early on by sounds of the island, the San Juan native grew to appreciate
other genres of music. Captivated by his father's '70s collection of Beatles, Zeppelin and
Hendrix records, at age 17, the aspiring rock star became the lead singer of the Puerto
Rican rock band Marka Registrada. After a brief stint with the group, Pedro moved to New
York City to pursue a solo career. While in the Big Apple, he began writing and recording
songs, but his first break didn't come through music.
In 2003, Pedro's manager at the time pushed him to audition for a starring role in The
Apollo Theatre's production of The Sweet Spot. Without any prior acting experience, the
singer-turned-actor landed the part and a few months later was cast to star in the off-
Broadway hit musical, Celia. "Being in the play, gave me a lot of tools that I can not only
incorporate in my acting, but also in my music," he explains. "I definitely grew a love for
acting. [However] music is what really moves me. It's my priority."
By 2006, Pedro independently released his debut album Fuego y Amor. The success of
the set -which was a mix of soul, romance and folk- garnered the attention of SONY mu-
sic executives and by the following year the vocalist signed to SONY Latin. "SONY was
something I always dreamed of," he reveals. "Most of the artist that I follow were under
the label, so as soon as we put the ink on the contract, I felt like a million bucks."
Currently, in post-production for his self-titled major-label debut, and with his first two
singles "Un Poquito Mas" and "Vamos a Huir" in rotation, the self-proclaimed helpless ro-
mantic states the album will encompass the entire human condition. "Love is an amazing
emotion [and] the most important of all emotions," he says. "But I also like to talk about
other aspects of life: the good, the bad and the ugly. My main goal is to be honest and
communicate with people through the vehicle of music." - Thomas A. Harden
Gina la PianaEl Barrio:Los Angeles, CA Trabaio: Singer/So
Like many people in Hollywood today, Giana La Piana dreams of being an •
actress and singer. "If I only did one, I would go nuts," explains the singer/ ,
songwriter/composer. "I was raised by my father who is a musician. Music
just happened for me. I wanted to be an actor." The half-Italian and Puerto .
Rican actress was born in Brooklyn, New York but was raised in California
by her father. "I moved from Brooklyn when I was 5-years-old," she says.
"My father raised me in Corona, California. My mother stayed in Brooklyn,
I was estranged from her and didn't see her until I was 17."
Giana's singing career started when she was signed to SONY at 17 as
part of an all-girl group, Carmen Jones. Shortly thereafter, the siren inked a
solo deal with American Idol judge, Randy Jackson's MCA group. "It was
good working with Randy," says LaPiana. "The experience was exciting;
all the emotions were on display. But being signed that young doesn't
leave room to be who you really want to be."
Now, the siren is in full control of her career. Early this year, Giana
released a self-titled album, that has found a lot of fans in the United King-
dom. Although music is her foundation, acting, however, is what multi-tal-
ent loves to do. In her career, she has worked on the soap opera Days of
our Lives -an experience she did not enjoy- and with Matthew Perry and
Aaron Sorkin on the short-lived but critically acclaimed series Studio 60 on
the Sunset Strip. On the series she also got to display her music perform-
ing her own song on the show Start Over. She has also starred in Criminal
Minds and Everybody Hates Chris. "I love acting on television," she
explains. "I'm a little more domestic. I always liked the television reaches
more people. It also has a more humane schedule. /love Lucy was my all
time hero. I'm in the entertainment business because of Lucille Ball."
Giana is currently working on two albums, one being an acoustic
record. She is also acting and producing film scores for movies such as
Tekken and Robosapien. "It was a dream come true," says LaPiana. "My
biggest dream is to combine my singing and acting."- Lulaine Compere