Linda Caballero became known as India (Native American) among her friends because of her fine dark features and long straight black hair. In 1985, when Caballero was 14 years old, she became a back up singer for the Latin freestyle group TKA and was featured on the cover of TKA's second single "Come Get My Love" however she left shortly after. She was under the tutelage of John "Jellybean" Benitez, a Puerto Rican DJ who was once involved with—and credited for—discovering Madonna. She then re-recorded Jellybean's "Dancing on the Fire" and made it an even bigger club hit and the original. She also contributed vocals on Jellybean's club Hit "Mirage" and the only understandable words were "No Money..." When Caballero wasn't singing, she earned money as a part-time model.
Caballero signed a record contract with Reprise Records, which planned on making her the Latin version of Madonna. After recording the album Breaking Night, Caballero decided that she didn't want to take that route in her career.[1]
In 1990, when she was 19 years old, Caballero married Louie Vega. The marriage last for a few years but they still continue to maintain a professional relationship.
After Louie Vega had teamed up with DJ/producer Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez and formed Masters At Work the duo collaborated with India and produced the Classic House anthem "I Can't Get No Sleep." The single was followed by "When You Touch Me" but was not as successful as its precursor. Both songs were featured on the self-titled 1993 Masters At Work album on Cutting Records. India is a well-respected name in the house-music scene, but she is not as dominant in that genre as she is in salsa music.
An important event in her life took place one day when she accompanied her husband during a studio recording. Salsa band leader Eddie Palmieri happened to visit the studio and was impressed with Caballero when he heard her singing. In 1992, Palmieri produced Caballero's first Spanish-language salsa album "Llego la India via Eddie Palmieri" (The India has Arrived via Eddie Palmieri), which was acclaimed as one of the best salsa albums of the year.
From then on Caballero became known to all as "La India". In 1994, La India together with Vega recorded a house-music single that paid tribute to Santeria (a syncretic religion based in the Caribbean) titled "Love and Happiness ('Yemaya y Ochún).", a up-beat house track that is stilled played heavily in dance club's internationally. La India's involvement with Santeria bothered many people and as a result she was criticized by many. She later recorded Dicen Que Soy (They Say that I Am) which was a top Billboard chart Hit and is certified 2x gold. That same year India released the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro," a duet with Marc Anthony, which appeared on the album Combinación Perfecta.
In 1996, La India worked with Tito Puente on Jazzin, an English-language album of swing classics with a Latin twist on RMM Records. That year she contributed the song "Banderas" to the album Voces Unidas (United Voices), a multi-artist tribute to the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also released India: Mega Mix that same year before divorcing Vega. La India sang a duet titled "La Voz de la Experiencia" ("The Voice of Experience") with Celia Cruz, the queen of salsa. It was then that Cruz named La India the Princess of Salsa.
In 1997, La India recorded "Sobre el Fuego" (Over the Fire) with Puerto Rican salsa singer Kevin Ceballo as back-up, which was nominated for a Best Latin Tropical Performance Grammy Award and, in 1998, she won an ACE Award.
On May 31, 1998 La India gave two sold-out concerts at the Luis A. Ferre Performing Arts Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She returned to the United States and Cable Channel UPN aired one of her shows. La India also held concerts in New York's Madison Square Garden and in El Festival de la Calle Ocho in Miami, Florida.
In September, 1999, India release her album "Sola" which granted her great reviews for her single "Sola" and the hit covers by the late Cuban sensation La Lupe "Que Te Pedi" and "Si Vuelves Tu".
On February 5, 2000, a full page ad was placed in Billboard Magazine congratulating her on her second Grammy Award nomination and on March 2000, she was featured on Vibe Magazine.
In 2003, La India released "Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón". The album's lead single, the salsa romantic tune "Sedúceme", became a hit in the Latin Charts, topping the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks for several weeks. This was La India's first number 1 song. That song brought her a new fanbase, as well, as many awards and nominations, including two Latin Grammy nominations for Best Salsa Album and Best Tropical Song in 2003, and her third Grammy Award nomination for Best Salsa Album in 2004.
In 2005, La India participated in the musical presentation 'Selena Vive', a tribute to the late Tejano sensation 'Selena Quintanilla - Perez'.
In 2006, she released the album "Soy Diferente" and which contained two songs which became "hits", they were "Soy Diferente" and "Solamente Una Noche". The 2007 Annual Latin Billboard Awards honored India with (2) Awards, Best Tropical Album of The Year Female for "Soy Diferente" and Latin Dance Club Play track of the Year for "Just For One Night/Solamente Una Noche". In 2007, India collaborated with latin sensation Gloria Estefan, in a duet titled "90 Millas".
India is set to release her ninth studio album in mid 2009 that will propel her to international and various countries around Europe and Asia. India mentioned to the Associated Press, "I am reinventing myself...changing my physical image. India will return to become a 'barbie'. But more than that, I feel like a new woman because I have been been blessed with many beautiful things. After many years, I have my family with me and I am not separated from my mother, in which I suffered greatly, I have her in my life and that brings inner peace that I haven't had in a long time", said India.
Among La India's recordings are the following:
[edit] Studio Albums (New Material):
* 1989: Breaking Night
* 1992: Llego La India Via Eddie Palmieri
* 1994: Dicen Que Soy
* 1996: Jazzin' with Tito Puente
* 1997: Sobre el Fuego
* 1999: Sola
* 2003: Latin Songbird: Mi Alma Y Corazón
* 2006: Soy Diferente
[edit] Compilations:
* Love and Happiness EP (with River Ocean) (1993)
* India Megamix (1997)
* The Best of India (2004)
* Grandes Exitos + (2005)
