KC Porter
KC Porter
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KC Porter

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KC Porter

Karl Cameron Porter, known as K.C (born June 27, 1962), is an American record producer, singer-songwriter, arranger and composer, winner of six Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards. Porter has worked on more than 40 albums, including production work on Santana's album Supernatural and for producing and writing some of the most popular Spanish-language singles for Ricky Martin.

Porter is also known for his production work that includes artists such as Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, and Scorpions; into the Spanish-speaking market and World music with artists such as Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Laura Pausini, Khaled, Kadim Al Sahir; as well as into the international market (with artists such as Cheng Lin).

A practitioner of the Baháʼí Faith, Porter is one of the founding members of Oneness, a non-profit organization that promotes racial unity through music, the arts and education.

Porter was born in Encino, California. His father, Bob, played trumpet, and wrote the music for the TV series, Lassie, while mother Marcelyn was a script girl for I Love Lucy. In 1970, at age 7, his family moved to Guatemala, where they were Baháʼí pioneers. While growing up in Guatemala, Porter learned Spanish and about Latin culture which included spending time with Guatemalan musicians who exposed him to the sounds of marimba, and other Latin musical genres, as well as American pop and rock. At 11, he began piano lessons, and at 17 returned to the United States to major in music at Cal State Stanislaus.

While still studying at the university, Porter became a staff arranger at A&M Records when the label opened a Latin division called AyM Discos in 1982. There, he met Juan Carlos Calderon, the composer and arranger for Mexican singer Luis Miguel. This led the way for Porter's production of Maria Conchita Alonso's albums, Mírame and Hazme Sentir. Other artists he worked with at A&M include La Mafia, Emmanuel (singer), Luis Angel and Luis Miguel.

Porter translated and produced Janet Jackson's song, "Come Back to Me", when she recorded that Spanish version for an A&M release called "Vuelve a Mi". In addition to working with Spanish-speaking artists, this period marked the beginning of his career of writing, translating and producing recordings for English-speaking artists including Grover Washington Jr. and Phyllis Hyman ("Sacred Kind of Love"), Nancy Wilson ("That's What I Remember"), and Anne Murray ("Are you Still in Love With Me").

"I think I understand more than a lot of people what it's like as a native English speaker to have to learn Spanish," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I know how to teach people to pronounce the words. I feel like right now I'm kind of sharing with the people of the United States the excitement I felt hearing all of these Latin rhythms for the first time."

Porter continued the work begun in the '80s into the next decade by writing for Luis Enrique. He produced Ana Gabriel, and Ednita Nazario. He went on to produce a total of three more Nazario albums in the coming years.

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