At the age of 18, Madrid-based self-taught vocalist and pianist Jorge González auditioned for the fifth season of the popular Spanish singing competition television program Operación Triunfo. González was in love with the sounds of salsa and Latin pop, and during the competition he relied heavily on composers like Luis Miguel and Juan Luis Guerra for repertoire, ultimately achieving eighth place. Though not the winner, González left Operación Triunfo with significant exposure and a fan base of sufficient size that he was offered a contract with Universal's Vale Music label. González's debut disc, Dikélame, was released in the summer of 2007, and was followed by touring to all corners of Spain. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez