Rita Quintero

She was born Rita Marie Quintero on May 11, 1962 in Miami, Florida to Elena and Reinaldo Quintero. She began playing the piano at the age of four, and was singing by the age of fifteen. She was accepted at the University of Miami as a Music Education Major with piano as her principal instrument. Within the first year of her studies, vocal principals were allowed in the Studio Music & Jazz Program. She therefore switched majors.

After graduating from the University of Miami School of Music in 1985, she started working in the local club scene in Miami and Miami Beach. She soon broke into the recording industry as a session singer. Her discography lists background vocals for recording artists such as Frank Sinatra, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Gloria Estefan, Regina Belle, and Céline Dion.[1] Her background vocal discography has reached 140 platinum and gold recordings. She has also been the voice behind popular advertising jingles for radio and television.

When session work began dwindling, she became a band member (keys & background vocals) for Shakira's Mongoose World Tour. She was also a band member for Gloria Estefan's Evolution World Tour. Quintero is also well known in the industry as a vocal coach, teaching singing in English and Spanish. Some of her clients are Grace Jones, Shakira, Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Lopez, and Chayanne.

Quintero compiled the lead vocals and arranged the background vocals on the English–Spanish Shakira double album "Oral Fixation Vol. I & II" for which she was awarded two Grammy recognition awards.

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