Playgirl Magazine, September 1994

Latin Sensation… Chayanne
moves to international superstardom.

Interview by Charmain Carl
Typed by Analía T.

Chayanne and I were sitting at a quite table by the pool at Hedonism II, Jamaicaīs premiere singles and couples resort. After a few days watching him relax and play in the Jamaican sun, I was ready to find out what was behind the perfect smile and fiery eyes of the hottest sensation to come out of Latin America since Fernando Lamas.

Chayanne proved to be as charming, considerate and gentlemanly as the best professionals in the entertainment business. With his easy manner and ever present smile, he brings a certain joy to everything he does and it spreads quickly to those around him. Whether he is riding his favourite jet-ski, dancing in the disco, working out at the gym or simply devouring a mountain of papaya for breakfast, he never fails to bring smiles to those around him. Whatever he does, Chayanne proves that happiness can be very sexy.

Nicknamed Chayanne by his mother after a ī60s television character played by Clint Walker, Chayanne grew up with three brothers and a sister in a very traditional and close family in Puerto Rico. At age 10, he began singing with Los Chicos, which became very popular with young fans throughout Central America. When the group broke up, Chayanne hooked up with Gustavo Sánchez, his friend, mentor , manager, alter-ego, like-a- brother protector and promoter.

Together, they struck out to build a spectacular career for Chayanne as a solo performer. Today, with seven albums including 19 gold and 26 platinum singles and 29 videos, he is poised to make the transition from Latin recording sensation to international superstar.

Chayanne will star in his first major film this year, to be helmed by Oscar winning director Jacobo Morales. Another film, with close friend Raul Julia is being readied for next year. While perfecting his English, Chayanne has turned his occasional lapses from the perfect idiom into an asset that infects his conversation with the easy grace and humor of another Latin legend Desi Arnaz.

I think you will enjoy these highlights of our chats by the balmy Caribbean at Hedonism.

PLAYGIRL: When you were a teenager, who was your first girlfriend?

CHAYANNE: Itīs very hard, because my teenage years were spent travelling, I never had a real "teenage". High school is when you start having relationships but, I didnīt have that. So we just traveled and I had relationships with promotersīs daughters and friends.

What about older women?

Older women? Smiles (coyly)

When you were younger. Iīll bet a lot of older women came on to you?

Come to me and talk to me and… (His hand makes dots in the air…one , two, three… the more the dots the broader the smile).

So, thatīs how you learned to be a good lover?

Yes, Iīm virgin, but I donīt die with my mind, I have a good imagination.

OK, you are virgin.

(Still smiling)…No, Iīm not. I always say that. Iīm virgin, Castillian and pure!

What do you find sexy in a woman?

Lips, eyes.

Which do you notice first?

Eyes. The eyes. When I see the eyes shining or the lips, you know, yes, tasty.

So many women are getting collagen injections to enlarge their lips. Do you like that?

I know. Iīve heard about that. Natural is best because natural is good and thatīs it. Here too (points to breasts).

What about personality?

Her peronality needs to be special. Iīm not sure if sexy is the right word. Itīs like a passion, like being a child and a woman at the same time. You can see that in a woman. Angelic and savage at the same time. I like that.

What about honesty?

You need to be honest. Donīt do anything that is not you. Be yourself. If you canīt reach that person by yourself, itīs not for you. Thatīs the way I am. If I like you, Iīm going to like you and you donīt need to appear that youīre some other personality that you are not.

What do you do to make a woman feel special?

To make her feel special, I make her feel like a a woman.

And how do you do that?

Everything, flowers, invite her to a good restaurant; it depends on the situation. You can make a woman feel like a woman just by being a gentleman. And, Iīm not saying sophisticated, just natural. The door, the chair, flowers or an invitation just for a movie. I love to go to the theater.And , with that person you need to have all different things in common. If she likes the sun, the beach, Iīll go to the beach. So in a bathing suit you can see how she is.

So much is based on the looks—the perfect face, the perfect body. Does an imperfect look stop you if you really like someone?

Nobodyīs perfect. What is important to me is how she is with me, if sheīs honest with me. How I feel with her. If I feel chemistry with this person, nothing is going to stop us.

Thatīs sexy. Chemistry is not a just physical thing?

For me itīs the star that you have, and you can see that in a person. When you get involved with somebody, itīs because that person has something: and when you get nervous or happy to see this person, you have a chemistry with this person. Thatīs it. Maybe itīs not the beautiful perfect body and face, but for you itīs a beautiful perfect lady, the most beautiful thing you īve ever seen. And the feelings are good, so thatīs it.When you get old, you are going to lose all those perfect things anyway.

Did you have any particular sexual experience that had a lot of impact on your life?

I have a lot of experience, a lot of experience from the beginning of my carrer because I had opportunity. You are out of your house, you are out of your town, you have been very popular with this group, so you get special service at famous discotheques, even if you are very young. So you are like a real guy because you have a lot of experience. But I find that the best relationship is one on one and you give that person everything in that relationship. Everything—emotional and sexual.

Are you loyal when you are involved?

When Iīm involved, yes, because if I wouldnīt be loyal I wouldnīt do it.

You have traveled the world over by now. Is there any country where you think woman are sexier? Brazilian women, for example?

Sensual, savage, natural: Latin African women. I love the mix. I love the mix because in this country, even if you are from Europe or America, everybody has a mix with something. In Puerto Rico, itīs Indian mixed with Black. In America itīs English, Italian, French. Right now itīs a mix all over. Thereīs no distinction. Everybody itīs the same. Like Benetton. Everybody together. Itīs the way it needs to be.

With all your experience, and success from such an early age, youīve really lived a lot of lives.

The experience that I have in some things has made me older. The people around me are my friends. They give me different experiences and I learn from them. A beautiful life. I have been living a beautiful life.