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Enrique Iglesias hurt by terrorism, finds peace underneath

          Bangalore: As his mesmerising voice and sexy body swoons, delirious fans get electrified around the world. Dubbed the sexiest man alive by People's magazine, Enrique Iglesias is a rage among the youngsters. With six albums -- five platinum, the other nearing platinum; two in English, four in Spanish -- Enrique is a rare artist to have collected all the possible honours from around the world. Born on May 8, 1975, in Madrid, Enrique grew up immersed in three cultures -- Latin, European and American -- as the third child of celebrity couple Julio Iglesias and Isabel Preysler.

          But there's more to Enrique than charming looks and moving melodies; poke him a delving question and Enrique reveals the bottom of his mind. Life has been tough for this 27-year-old, who lived with a shadow of terrorism since his childhood, when his grandfather was kidnapped for ransom. "I grew up in Madrid and we grew up with terrorism...my grandfather was kidnapped when I was seven years old. So I have lived close to it. At the same time, but I think in this country, it (terrorism) goes to much higher levels," Enrique said in an interview on the sidelines of his concert in Bangalore on Tuesday. The latest terror attacks on Madrid, which killed more than 192 people have had an ever-lasting effect on him. Enrique, who follows Christianity, said he was sad to know that religion is killing so many people around the world. "But now, what's happened in Madrid, I think it goes out of all proportion. I don't think anybody expected that to happen in Madrid, and it is so sad. What's the saddest thing about it is (that) it is because of religion, and religion is supposed to unite people, it is not supposed to create wars...It is really very sad," he said.

          Enrique also performed in Indonesia last week, which also has a dent of terror attacks where 183 people, mostly foreigners, were killed in 2002 in a nightclub attack. But unfazed by this, Enrique says the ground realities were totally different there, as he was amazed by the communal harmony there. "It is amazing, for example in Indonesia, I was so amazed by the people, how peaceful they are, how nice they are....Whenever you go to a country, you can open up your mind in so many ways, because you sometimes, expect watching news that you are going to a warzone, and a lot of times, it is not like that...It is extremely exaggerated, and for example in Bali, it was amazing how well the Muslim people get along with the Hindu people...It is really amazing," said Enrique.

          Enrique's "Seven" world tour takes him around Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, China, Thailand, India, UAE, Bahrain, and South Africa. He will be performing in Dubai and Bahrain on the 17th of April and then around South Africa from the 27th of April to the 2nd of May. Enrique says much of "Seven" was written on the road, a first for him, who co-penned every song and co-produced a handful. He says the album's first single, the emotional, passionate ballad "Addicted," was composed during a stop in the Germany on a 100-date tour that took him throughout the U.S.and Europe. Known for his sleazy and provocative videos, Enrique's latest hit "Not in Love" brings him together with famous "The O.C." artist Mischa Batron, which insiders say is inspired by his real-life love Anna Kounikova. Enrique, a graduate in business from Miami University, has been seen quite often with the tennis star, with whom he has had an on-and-off relationship for three years.

          But sometimes, he says he feels quite disheartened when his personal life comes under torchlights. "At times it is difficult, it is my life, this is what I do. You go on the road, and you have got to bring your personal life and private life on the road. It is not that you have no personal life, no private life, it is not that you don't even have a life...Your life is the road, all the time, and so you try to make it as nice as possible, and you try to bring the people you care for close to you. And at times, if that person is known, and is popular, it can make it very difficult. But, at the end of the day, you look back and you say it is a simple sacrifice you have to make," he said. A truly international artist, Enrique was named Favorite Latino Artist at the 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Male International Artist of the Year at the CCTV-MTV Music Honors in China, 1996's Billboard Artist of the year.

          His debut album "Enrique Iglesias", sold more than a million copies in its first three months on store shelves To date, the album has sold more than seven million units worldwide. He followed in 1997 with "Vivir", which broke into the U.S. pop Top 40 and has enjoyed global sales of more than five million discs. In a mere three years, Enrique had sold more than 13 million albums, becoming the biggest-selling Spanish-language artist in the world. Though the music business is currently in the doldrums, Iglesias says it's just the right time for "Seven". And as the world says, Enrique may not be underestimated for long.