by Evan C. GutierrezManuel Angel Vergara Tenorio, better known as Manu Tenorio, was born in the Sevillian neighborhood of Triana on April 1, 1975. His father dying at a young age left him in the care of his mother and an uncle. From the age of 17, Tenorio knew that music would play a major role in his life. He began teaching himself guitar and voice, and would remain self-taught for the duration of his career. Participating in a few local groups in his late teens and early twenties didn't amount to much. A musician friend of his informed him about casting for the reality TV show Operacion Triunfo and convinced him to apply. Thanks to his participation with OT, Tenorio won a sizable fan base and gained the necessary reputation and support to release his debut solo record. Manu Tenorio hit the market on April 22, 2002. In less than two months, the record had sold more than 500,000 copies, and spent two weeks at number one on Spain's national charts. Two years later fans' patience was rewarded with the release of Blanco Anil for Universal Latino, which was followed in 2006 by Entenderas.