El Potro Alvarez

Antonio Enrique Álvarez Cisneros (Caracas, May 10, 1979), better known by his stage name El Potro Álvarez, is a Venezuelan former baseball player, singer and politician.. He was under several baseball leagues, both Venezuelan and international. In addition, he managed to position several musical themes within the song count in Latin America. He was the Minister of Popular Power for Sports from January 9, 2014 to April 28, 2015, during the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Biography

Álvarez was born in Caracas, capital of Venezuela. Since he was little he was prepared for baseball, until he managed to enter some minor leagues.

Sports career

Antonio Álvarez began playing baseball in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League from 1996 with the Leones del Caracas until 2002, remaining 6 seasons, being one of the flagships of the Caracas team, where he won the batting crown in the season 2000-2001, leaving an average of 359; He later played in Caribes de Oriente, Pastora de los Llanos, Navegantes del Magallanes and with the Tiburones de La Guaira.

In 1999 he spent the entire season in Williamsport and was named MVP. In 2000 he started playing in class “A” where he had a good performance. In 2001 he was promoted to the “AA”, where he hit 370.

Antonio Álvarez reached the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003, returning in 2004. In 2005, he was considered one of the top ten Pittsburgh Pirates prospects by both Baseball America and ESPN, he was signed by the Chicago White Sox as a free agent before the 2005 season. Subsequently, he moved to play in Canada, China and in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In 2006 he played for the Ottawa Lynx, the Triple A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. In 2007, Álvarez signed with CPBL's Brother Elephants (Taiwan).

After finishing his contract, since 2006 he has played in Venezuela, one season with the Tiburones de La Guaira and Navegantes del Magallanes, then with Caribes de Anzoátegui in 2009, with the Águilas del Zulia during the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 and with the Tigres de Aragua in 2014.

Artistic career

In 2009, he debuted with Chino & Nacho and Baroni, as a reggaeton singer, managed to position their first single "Lo que no saber tú" as number #1 on the Venezuelan Record Report billboard and appear on other Latin American music lists, whose official video clip was recorded in Venezuela in the beaches of Choroní, which was placed at number #1, favorite of viewers throughout the continent through the Hot Ranking of the HTV Channel.

In September 2010, he released his second song "Bla, bla, bla" with collaboration again with Chino & Nacho, which also managed to place itself as number #1 on the Record Report of Venezuela and other Latin American music lists, this time having the former Miss Universe and model Dayana Mendoza as the protagonist of the video. The clip shows several natural settings in the Venezuelan country (Los Roques, Caracas, Canaima and Los Médanos de Coro), number #1 on the HTV Musical Channel.

In July 2011, he recorded with Fuego the version of "Una vaina loca (remix)", whose video clip recording was made on Margarita Island, this third song became just two weeks after its premiere in number #1 of the Record Report of Venezuela, other countries in Latin America and Europe and number #1 of the HTV Musical Channel. In August of that year, she reached Billboard magazine's Tropical Airplay Chart with her song "Bla, blah, blah."

At the end of 2011 he released his fourth song, "I like it" in a duet with Oscarcito, ranking first in the Record Report; recording the music video in 2012 under the direction of the Venezuelan Daniel Durán, in the Alcatraz Prison, with Kate del Castillo as the main actress and with the participation of the Spanish actress Cristina Urgel, from La Reina del Sur, a song that became a number #1 of the HTV television channel.

In 2012 he recorded with Chino & Nacho his fifth song "Regalame un muack (remix)", the video clip was filmed in the city of Maracaibo and part of the state of Zulia. The song reaches #1 on the Billboard Tropical Chart in the United States. In May she released her sixth song "Ayántame" with Illegales, whose video clip was filmed in Maracay, achieving several positions in the Latin charts.

In 2013 he recorded with Arcángel the remix of "Me preferes a mí", his seventh song.

In May 2013 he joined forces with the composer Porfi Baloa y sus Adolescentes to create his eighth song in solidarity with the Deprived of Liberty. It is a mix of four Salsa brava songs, called "CLÁSICOS DE LA GALERA", made with the purpose of giving music to the First National Sports Games for Freedom, a theme which also occupied first place in the Record Report on the Top Salsa billboard in June 2013.

In 2014, together with Illegales, he released his ninth song "PASARLA BIEN", whose video clip was filmed in the Falcón State, directed by Marlon Peña, conquering number #1 on the Channel Musical HTV, was positioned in first place on all billboards in Venezuela and the Caribbean and reached number #1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay ranking in the United States.

In 2015 he recorded his tenth song with Yandel "COMO YO TE QUIERO", which managed to take the place of honor on the same day as its debut on the radio billboard Record Report, was written by Llandél Vegilla, Justin Quiles and Antonio Álvarez, a song that conquered number #1 on radio billboards, the video clip was filmed in Caracas, and was directed by Jessy Terrero, achieving number #1 on the HTV Music Channel, in addition It reached #1 on the Billboard Tropical Chart and became the Song of the Year in Venezuela.

In 2015 he collaborates on the Remix of the song "OJITOS" by Sixto Rein feat El Potro Álvarez & Farruko was positioned at the top of the radio billboards in Venezuela and the Caribbean, the video clip was filmed in the city of Caracas, was directed by Marlon Peña and reached number #1 on the HTV Musical Channel.

In 2016 he recorded the song "GOZADERA" and is the first Venezuelan to achieve, in the history of music, unite in a single song with Wisin, Yandel and Don Omar; This song reached #1 on the billboards, produced by Luny Tunes."Gozadera" It is part of one of the most important albums of the urban genre "Más Flow 3".

In August 2017 he collaborates with the Puerto Rican singer Ozuna for his album Odisea with the song "SECRETO" positioning itself in the top digital positions as well as making it a trend on social networks, in addition to becoming a musical hit, breaking the record by debuting in the first #1 place in the top 100 on the 3 most recognized radio billboards in Venezuela: Record Report, National Report and Monitor Latino.

In October 2017 he joined the ranks of the RocNation record label, owned by rapper Jay Z (Beyonce's husband).^{[citation needed]} This marked a new stage within the musical career of the former baseball player. The song "SECRET" is already in rotation on the main digital platforms in the world.

Political career

El Potro Álvarez has been a promoter of sports, education, tourism and culture; He has participated in sports clinics for children and young people, bringing sports items, collaborating with donations for the conditioning of sports spaces, providing educational material, food, medicine, among others. Likewise, he has participated in different campaigns to eliminate violence, leisure and drugs, for the sake of social inclusion, being part of the Presidential Commission for Peace and Life and being the Coordinator of the First National Sports Games for Freedom.

On December 8, 2013, he was a candidate for the Mayor of the Sucre Municipality of the Miranda State for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which was won by his opponent, Carlos Ocariz, representative of the Opposition Coalition Mesa de la National Unity.^{[citation required]}

Personal life

He is the nephew of the communist leader Alberto Lovera. He is currently the only player to wear eight jerseys in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (Lions, Sharks, Navegantes, Caribes, Águilas, Pastora, Cardinals, Tigres). He is married to Dayana Colmenares, Miss Venezuela International 2007.