BRUNO MARS~

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Birth name : Peter Gene Hernandez
Born : October 8, 1985 (age 25) Honolulu, Hawaii
Origin : Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres : Pop, alternative hip hop, soul, R&B
Occupations : Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments : Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass
Years active : 2007–present
Labels : Atlantic, Elektra
Associated acts : The Smeezingtons, B.o.B, Cee-Lo Green, Travie McCoy
Website : brunomars.com



LIFE AND CAREER

1985–2008: Early life and beginnings

Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Pete and Bernadette "Bernie" Hernandez, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York. The two met when performing in a show where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion. At the age of two, Mars was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to chubby professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B. From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.
In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992. He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music, saying, "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan." In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, saying, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments. My uncle's an incredible guitar player, my dad's an incredible percussionist, my brother's a great drummer, he actually plays in our band. I've just been surrounded by it." In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."
Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere". However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons. In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label. In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists. According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be. Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.


2009–present: Commercial success and Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida. He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D". He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009. He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide. He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010. The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring rappers Cee-Lo Green and B.o.B. Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.
Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010. The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010, and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide. The music video was released on September 8, 2010. The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance. In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies. The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres. He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.
On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before". The court date, postponed for the second time until February 4, 2011, could see Mars face up to four years in prison and a $50,000 fine for possession of an alleged 2.6 g of the drug. Mars plead guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, the charges will be erased from his criminal record as long as he pays a $2,000 fine, does 200 hours of community service and completes a drug counseling course.


Musical style

Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop, rock, reggae, R&B, soul, and hip hop. Although Mars has been referenced as "soft" because of his light falsetto voice, his co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor." Mars was initially influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock n roll and Motown. In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them."
Mars also claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothing on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You!']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music." He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs — so charming and simple and romantic." In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first." Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic, however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.

KARNA AKU ADALAH DIA

Aku dan lissa adalah dua orang sahabat yang sudah bersahabat sejak kami masih kecil, rumah kami pun saling berdekatan. Kami sangat dekat dan selalu bersama, bahkan dari SD sampai sekarang kami berada di bangku SMA kami selalu satu sekolah.

Aku begitu menyayangi sahabatku, Lissa , karna aku masih dapat hidup hingga saat ini bisa dibilang karna Lissa. Dulu disaat kami masih berumur 10 tahun, aku, Lissa dan kakak Lissa sedang pergi berjalan-jalan mengelilingi kota, kami sangat bahagia, hari itu penuh dengan canda dan tawa, tetapi siapa sangka semua kebahagiaan itu berubah seketika, hari itu menjadi mimpi buruk bagi aku dan Lissa.

Hari itu, bahkan aku masih ingat tanggalnya, Sabtu, 17 november 2006, hari yang tidak akan pernah terlupakan untukku, hari yang menjadi penentu kehidupanku dimasa yang akan datang, hari yang membuat aku tidak bisa pergi jauh dari Lissa, kau tau kenapa? Karna dia adalah nyawaku, karna aku adalah dia.

Aku tau kau pasti merasa bingung dengan semua ceritaku ini, ya bahkan sampai saat ini pun aku masih bertanya-tanya bagaimana bisa hal itu terjadi?
Aku akan menceritakan semuanya padamu, suatu rahasia antara aku dan Lissa, rahasia yang bahkan sudah kami kubur dalam-dalam, suatu rahasia yang hanya aku dan Lissa yang mengetahuinya, dan sebentar lagi kau akan mengetahui rahasia itu. Aku akan memulai ceritanya…

Malam itu, adalah malam yang begitu indah, banyak sekali bintang-bintang bertaburan dilangit, bulan juga begitu indah memancarkan sinarnya seolah tidak mau kalah dengan sinar dari bintang-bintang yang mengelilinginya. Kami bertiga mengelilingi kota Vasko dengan menggunakan mobil Lissa.
Kami berangkat dari rumah pada pukul 7p.m, kami sengaja ingin berjalan-jalan sebelum malam larut agar kami bisa makan malam diluar dan mencari tempat hiburan yang nyaman. Kami mengunjungi beberapa toko yang berhasil mencuri perhatian aku dan Lissa, sedangkan Joe (kakak Lissa) sebagai satu-satunya laki-laki diantara kami terpaksa mengikuti semua kemauan kami dengan pergi ke toko-toko perempuan, tentu saja Joe sangat tidak menyukai itu, itu semua terlihat dari raut wajahnya, tetapi aku dan Lissa ingin sedikit mengerjai Joe, kami mengulur-ulur waktu ditoko itu, begitu pula dengan 4 toko lainnya, sampai akhirnya aku dan Lissa juga sudah merasa lelah mengerjai Joe, dan kami juga mulai kasian terhadap Joe. Aku dan Lissa memutuskan untuk pergi ke tempat makan karna kami sudah sangat lapar, tetapi Joe tetap saja memasang muka kesalnya atas kejadian tadi, tetapi aku tau Joe tidak marah, dia tidah mungkin marah kepada Lissa ataupun aku, dan aku juga tau kalau saat ini dia juga sama laparnya dengan aku dan juga Lissa.
Kami bertiga menyantap makanan dengan lahapnya, bahkan mungkin kalau kau melihat cara kami memakan semua makanan itu, kau akan mengira kami sudah tidak makan selama 2 tahun hahaha.
Makanan itu pun habis tak bersisa dan raut wajah Joe pun sudah kembali berseri kembali. Akhirnya kami memutuskan untuk pergi dari café itu dan melanjutkan jalan-jalan kami. Sekitar 20 menit perjalanan kami menemukan tempat bermain (kalau di kehidupanmu tempat itu sama dengan Time Zone). Kami menghabiskan banyak waktu disana, kami bersenang-senang, kami tertawa lepas sekali melihat kekonyolan satu sama lain. Tetapi tanpa kami sadari maut sedang menunggu kami diperjalanan pulang.

Saat diperjalanan pulang sekitar pukul 1a.m kami bertiga tidak bisa berhenti tertawa, hari itu benar-benar hari yang sangat menyenangkan bagi kami, tetapi tidak lama kemudian sekitar 10 menit kemudian terjadilah peristiwa itu, peristiwa yang sebenarnya tidak ingin aku ungkit kembali.
Joe sudah mulai tidak focus mengendarai mobil, mobil kami bahkan sudah berkali-kali hampir menabrak mobil lain. Sampai akhirnya kami tiba di tikungan, dan dari arah yang berlawanan dari kami ada truk yang sangat besar sedang melaju dengan kecepatan yang sangat cepat, kejadian itu begitu cepat, sangat cepat, tetapi aku tidak bisa melupakan setiap detiknya. Mobil truk itu menabrak mobil kami, tabrakan itu begitu parah, sangat parah, goncangan akibat tabrakan itu membuat aku sempat tak sadarkan diri, tidak, aku bukan pingsan tapi aku meninggal, aku dapat melihat tubuhku, Lissa, Joe yang berlumuran begitu banyak darah. Aku melihat tempat kejadian itu, aku melihat truk itu, mobil kami. Dan juga aku melihat Lissa menghidupkan diriku kembali dari kematian!

Iya! Lissa menghidupkan ku kembali, aku tau kau pasti heran dan takkan percaya, tapi ini lah yang terjadi, yang terjadi sebenarnya. Lissa, dia mengerahkan semua tenaganya, dia, aku melihat cahaya yang mengelilingi tubuhnya, mengelilingi seluruh tubuhnya, ia terlihat begitu tersiksa dengan usahanya itu, ia terlihat begitu kesakitan, tapi ia lakukan semua itu untukku, sahabatnya.
Entah apa yang LIssa perbuat, aku seperti tertarik oleh cahaya itu, tertarik masuk kedalam tubuhku kembali. Setelah itu aku tidak ingat lagi apa yang terjadi dengan aku, cahaya itu, dan tubuhku.

Aku tersadar, aku kembali kedalam tubuhku, aku hidup kembali, sungguh aku tidak percaya akan semua hal ini, tapi ini terjadi kepada diriku sendir!! Aku melihat Lissa sedang menangisi diriku.. mukanya begitu lusuh dan sangat menyedihkan.
“Lissa..”, kataku
“Rose? Rose? Apakah kau…?” , katanya sambil mengguncang-guncangkan tubuhku.
“iya Lis..”
“syukur lah, kau kembali Rose, aku.. aku sudah tak tahu lagi apa yang harus kuperbuat”
“apa yang sudah kau lakukan terhadapku Lis?”
“aku? aku tidak melakukan apapun, hmm entahlah Rose, seperti ada sesuatu yang memdorongku untuk menyembuhkanmu, entahlah apa itu. Aku tidak ingin kau pergi Rose..”
“aku ada disini Lis, entah apa yang sudah kau lakukan kepadaku, tetapi aku sungguh sangat berterima kasih”

Lissa tidak menjawab, yah aku tahu jiwa Lissa masih terguncang, bagaimana tidak? Dia dapat menghidupkan orang yang sudah meninggal? Dan akulah orangnya!!
Aku dan Lissa selamat dari kecelakaan mengerikan itu, tetapi Joe.. dia meninggal. Lissa tidak dapat menyembukan Joe seperti yang ia lakukan terhadapku karna seluruh kekuatan dan tenaganya sudah terkuras habis untuk menolongku. Aku dan Lissa benar-benar merasa sangat menyesal.
Kau tau? Semua orang yang sangat terheran –heran aku dan Lissa dapat selamat dari kecelakaan itu, karna dari kerusakan mobil dan truk tersebut, diprediksikan tidak mungkin ada yang selamat. Yaah andaikan mereka tau, aku dapat hidup kembali karna Lissa.

Semenjak kejadian itu Lissa jadi sering menghidupkan hewan-hewan yang mati. Lissa begitu disayangi oleh hewan-hewan itu, tetapi kau tau hewan itu tidak pernah menyukai aku, karna aku bukanlah seutuhnya manusia, bahkan para bayi pun selalu menangis jika bertemu denganku, kau tau kenapa para bayi menangis menjerit-jerit secara bersamaan ketika melihat aku? karna mereka tau aku bukanlah manusia, karna mereka dapat melihat aku dalam bentuk yang lain.
Kau tau kenapa aku bilang aku adalah nyawanya dan sebenarnya aku adalah Lissa, karna aku memang tidak bisa hidup tanpa Lissa setelah kejadian itu. Aku dan Lissa seperti memiliki ikatan batin, ikatan batin yang begitu kuat, hanya saja ikatan batin itu hanya berjalan satu arah. Aku dapat merasakan dan mengetahui keadaan Lissa, aku memiliki ikatan batin dengannya, tetapi Lissa tidak memiliki ikatan batin denganku, itulah mengapa aku bilang ikatan batin kami hanya berjalan satu arah. Aku bahkan dapat masuk kedalam otak Lissa, apa yang iya rasakan saat itu akupun seperti merasakannya, itulah mengapa aku mengatakan padamu sejak awal, dia adalah nyawaku karna aku adalah dia.

Itulah rahasiaku dan Lissa yang selama ini kamikubur dalam-dalam, kau sudah mengetahui semuanya bukan? Aku yakin kau sekarang mengerti semuanya, yah aku harap semua ini tidak terjadi padamu, atau siapapun itu, cukup aku dan Lissa saja yang mengalami semua ini.



by : Yunie Amalia
sory kalo ceritanya jelek, and thanks udah nyempetin buat baca :)