Lester Mendez is an American record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

. His production/writing credits include a multitude of successful hits including Shakira

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

's "Underneath Your Clothes

Underneath Your Clothes

"Underneath Your Clothes" is a power ballad by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira - the second English language single released from Laundry Service . It is a love song with lyrics by Shakira and music by her and Lester Mendez and tells the story of the unconditional love that a woman has for her...

" and "La Tortura

La Tortura

"" is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira's sixth studio album , released on June 7, 2005...

", Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair

A Public Affair (song)

"A Public Affair" is a song recorded by American recording artist Jessica Simpson. It was co-written by Simpson and produced by Lester Mendez, for Simpson's fourth studio album of the same title. It was released as the album's first single on June 29, 2006 by Epic Records. Musically, the song is a...

", and Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...

's "Te Busqué

Te Busqué

"Te Busqué" is a song written by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Colombian musicians Juanes and Lester Mendez for Furtado's third album, Loose . It features Juanes and was released as the album's first single in Spain, and as the fourth in Latin America...

".

Mendez worked with Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana

Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...

 on his album, Shaman

Shaman (album)

Shaman is the sixteenth studio album by Santana. Shaman was released on October 22, 2002 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 298,973. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA and Gold in Greece....

. He co-wrote and produced a song with Dallas Austin

Dallas Austin

Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...

 and Grammy winner Macy Gray

Macy Gray

Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...

 called "Amoré (Sexo)" featured on Shaman. "Amoré (Sexo)" was such a smash that Clive Davis

Clive Davis

Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...

 personally asked Mendez to produce additional Santana tracks with artists such as Seal

Seal (musician)

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...

 and Nickelback

Nickelback

Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....

.

Hits written and produced by Mendez include "Objection (Tango)

Objection (Tango)

"Objection " and "Te Aviso, Te Anuncio " are Latin pop-rock/tango songs written and composed by the Colombian pop star Shakira for her 2001 breakthrough English language album, Laundry Service.-Background and structure:...

" and "Underneath Your Clothes", from Shakira

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

's album, Laundry Service

Laundry Service

Some critics criticized the effectiveness of Shakira's lyrics, claiming that her English skills were too weak for her to write in that language, but nearly all agreed on her unique poetic imagery...

, on which Mendez co-wrote and produced many songs. Previously, Mendez produced five songs on Shakira's album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?

¿Dónde están los ladrones?

-Personnel:* Shakira - Producer, Songwriter, vocals, harmonica* Emilio Estefan Jr. - Executive producer* Javier Garza - Producer, engineer, mixer, programmer* Luis Fernando Ochoa - Producer, songwriter, guitar, bass guitar...

, including "Octavo Día", which he co-wrote with her.

Mendez also produced the majority of Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...

' Spanish album, Quizás

Quizas

Quizás is an Enrique Iglesias album recorded in Spanish in 2002. The singer won a Latin Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Albumfor this recording in 2003.-Making of Quizás:...

. Mendez and Iglesias have a history together co-writing such songs as "You're My #1" and "If the World Crashes", featured on the Interscope

Interscope Records

Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 releases Enrique and Escape

Escape (Enrique Iglesias album)

Escape is an Enrique Iglesias album recorded in English in 2001.In late 2002, a special edition of the album was released with three extra songs, "Hero" , "Maybe" and "To Love a Woman", a duet with Lionel Richie....

respectively. Mendez also produced Iglesias' single "Sad Eyes" (written by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

).

Mendez's programming, arranging, and remixing credits include artists such as: Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page

James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...

, David Byrne

David Byrne (musician)

David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...

, Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin

Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...

, Spice Girls

Spice Girls

The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...

, Chris de Burgh

Chris de Burgh

Chris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...

, Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis

John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...

, Will Smith

Will Smith

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...

, Kerli, Collective Soul

Collective Soul

Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...

, Tarkan, Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

, Jewel

Jewel (singer)

Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...

, Grace Jones

Grace Jones

Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...

, PM Dawn, Bee Gees

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...

, Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....

, and Angélique Kidjo

Angélique Kidjo

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, commonly known as Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award–winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva". The BBC has...

.

Mendez has songs on the Kerli record called "Walking on Air" and "Hurt Me" (Island Def Jam). He also has three songs on the Lucy Walsh

Lucy Walsh

Lucy Walsh is a singer, songwriter, and keyboardist who served as Ashlee Simpson's backing vocalist and keyboardist for her Autobiography tour. The daughter of Eagles' guitarist Joe Walsh, she appeared on the MTV reality show Rock the Cradle, which premiered April 3, 2008.-Personal life:Lucy was...

 record including the title track "Lost in the Lights", as well as "Midnight Obsession" and "Awful Sorry" (Island Def Jam). Mendez has songs on the Jem

Jem (singer)

Jemma Griffiths , better known as Jem, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Finally Woken, includes elements of rock, new wave-styled electronica and trip-hop...

 album called "It's Amazing", "I Always New" and "I Want You To…." (ATO

ATO Records

According to Our Records was founded in early 2000 by Dave Matthews , Coran Capshaw, Chris Tetzeli, and Michael McDonald as a division of RCA Records...

). He is currently working with Jessie Malakouti

Jessie Malakouti

Jessica Eden Malakouti, professionally known as Jessie Malakouti, is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. She is currently a member of Jessie and the Toy Boys and is signed to Prospect Park.-Biography:...

, Young Love

Young Love (band)

Young Love is an American dance-rock band formed in 2005 in New York City, New York. Dan Keyes handles the majority of the production and songwriting in addition to providing lead vocals...

 and they have recorded two songs "Shine" and "Like That" (Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

). He is also working with Esmee Denters

Esmée Denters

Esmée Denters is a Dutch singer-songwriter. She was a regular cover-artist on video-sharing website YouTube on which she covered songs by contemporary musicians like Justin Timberlake and Natasha Bedingfield....

 on her debut (Tennmen Records) and worked with PlayRadioPlay! (Island Def Jam) on his debut album, Texas

Texas (album)

- Track listing :# "Loco Commotion" – 4:12#*1.5. "Suddenly, I've Become a Perfectionist" – 0:11# "I'm a Pirate, You're a Princess" – 4:08#*2.5. "A Special Thanks to Dr. Allan C. Lloyd" - 1:01# "Some Crap About the Furniture" – 3:30...

. Mendez has a song on The Cheetah Girls album, TCG, called "On My Way" (Hollywood Records).

He also collaborated with Anastacia

Anastacia

Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...

 on her fourth studio album, Heavy Rotation

Heavy Rotation (Anastacia album)

Heavy Rotation is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Anastacia. It is her first studio album in over four years, since her self-titled third studio album Anastacia released in 2004. According to Anastacia, the album title also has a deeper meaning to it, referring to the fact that...

. He worked with Jeffree Star

Jeffree Star

Jeffree Star is an American model, fashion designer, make-up artist, DJ, and singer-songwriter residing in the Beverly Hills area...

 on the song "Gorgeous", "Kiss It Better", and "Physical". In addition Mendez has more recently worked with Josh Groban

Josh Groban

Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...

, Dido

Dido (singer)

Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...

, Shakira

Shakira

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

, Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin

Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...

, Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...

, Kerli, and Oh land

Oh Land

Nanna Øland Fabricius , better known by her stage name Oh Land, is a Danish singer-songwriter and record producer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York City.-Personal life:...

.

External links

• EMI Music Publishing