Hector King

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Héctor King Tamayo, born May 4, 1982, in Culiacán, Mexico, is a Mexican recording artist who makes music in Spanish and English. He blends pop, Latin and classical styles and has worked in both Latin America and the United States.

King started piano lessons at age 10 and earned a Contemporary Keyboard Execution degree from Yamaha. He performed in regional theatre and later trained in classical music in Monterrey. While in college, he wrote scores for musicals Siempre Verde and Tilín Larín and won several awards at the Festival de la Canción del Sistema ITESM for his song Vive. He formed a pop‑rock band called Nitia, which had two radio singles, “Esta Noche” and “Renacer.”

His solo career began with the single “Chubidubi” in 2002. After moving to Los Angeles and signing with Encino Sound, he released the Spanish-language album VIVE in late 2005, with the single “Tú Me Gustas” receiving widespread radio play. Encino Sound later faced financial problems, and King shifted toward an English-language project that eventually evolved into “Primary Colors.”

In 2012, a remastered version of VIVE called Por Debajo del Agua was released digitally, alongside a highlights recording of his oratorio La Vida. La Vida premiered in Monterrey in 2011 as his first fully original stage work, with King writing most of the music and lyrics. He also wrote Mucho Por Contar for Mexico’s Bicentennial in 2010.

King has collaborated with other artists, including Monica Mancillas on the track “Sweat,” worked with Ivan Beyer, and co-produced Constance Jensen’s album My Favorite Things (2007). He has also created stage adaptations of Broadway shows for Mexican audiences, such as A Chorus Line (2002) and productions of Sweeney Todd, Footloose, Roméo et Juliette, de la Haine à l’Amour, The Scarlet Pimpernel and RENT (2007–2009).

He wrote the score for Lux Boreal’s dance piece La Flor de Siete Hojas (2005). He continues to work on new projects through his label connections and is developing a new Spanish-language album, Con Los Pies en la Tierra. His parents are Saul King, who works for the State Government, and Martha Tamayo, a former Congresswoman and Senator. For more about his music, visit hectorking.com.