Thalía marks first woman to score HBO Latino concert special, ‘Viva Tour en Vivo’
The multi-talented Latina continues topping her best as she moves forward in her new world conquest. Thalía’s rise to fame wasn’t handed to her on a silver platter.
The Mexican singer, songwriter, author, actress and entrepreneur fought to pursue her goals and succeed on the strength of her most important personality trait, a positive attitude.
Over the span of her illustrious career, she’s conquered music with chart-topping albums, television with countless hit telenovelas, publishing with bestselling books, and is now embarking on a fashion and apparel line with Macy’s that follows her longterm deal with Kmart.
So it’s only fitting that she’s the first female to star in her own HBO Latino concert special, ‘Thalía Viva Tour en Vivo’, which debuted on September 5 and is also available on HBO Go.
How did it feel to film the HBO Latino special in your hometown of Mexico City?
This show is special to me for various reasons. One, because it was the end of my last tour (in 2013). I started in the U.S. and ended up in Mexico. That was the last show in my hometown of Mexico City and it was magical.
Being at the amazing National Auditorium venue is a crowning moment in my career as a singer. To sing to my people… was incredible.
You’ve been very successful in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. Can you reflect on being a successful Latina in the United States and what that means to you?
It’s important, it’s magical, it’s strong, it’s incredible to be a part of this new generation of Latinos that are leaving a mark in this market and that are being successful and taking it to the next level. In 15 years one in four people will be Latino in the U.S., so it’s a moment to embrace this culture and to understand it.
What can you say about your overcoming obstacles and pressing on despite life’s setbacks?
I overcame a lot of obstacles in my life and in my childhood. In my health I had chronic Lyme disease at the end of my first pregnancy with my daughter, Sabrina. That was almost seven years ago. But I overcame it. It took me almost two-and-a-half years of very strong medicines.
But it’s an attitude, the crystal that you see things through. You can be devastated and throw in the towel or you can say, ‘this challenge is made exactly for me to become a better version of myself’.
That’s what my attitude has been for so many years and it’s reflected in my music or whatever I do as a singer or an actress or a businesswoman.
Can you finally clear up the rumors about you removing ribs to reshape your body? Are they true or false?
This has been a rumor about me forever, I think since my first album as a solo singer, maybe in ’89. The (album) cover was very explicit with my torso exposed so you can see my ribs, and the rumors started from that because I’ve always had a tiny waist.
Recently, I was joking around because a reporter in the Philippines was making news again about my ribs. So I tagged her in my Instagram and said, ‘Look, I still have them in a jar!’
That was basically my dinner of barbeque ribs. I put the bones in a jar, but it was just a joke that my followers understood and others took it seriously.
After all you’ve accomplished, what’s next for you?
Next year I’m launching a collection of clothes, accessories and shoes at Macy’s. That’s the first big brand by a Latina for Latinos and for everybody with very universal designs, and it’s going to be great.
I’m also finishing my next album, which comes out at the end of this year. I’m doing a lot of philanthropic work and preparing a new book. You just keep going and going with all your projects despite it all.