Yuri (born Yuridia Valenzuela Canseco on January 6, 1964) is a Mexican singer, actress, and television presenter whose career has extended from late-1970s teen pop to Latin pop, dance music, ranchera, tropical music, and gospel. Known simply as Yuri, she became one of the most recognizable female performers in Mexico and Latin America during the 1980s, combining a powerful voice with a highly visual stage style built around choreography, costume changes, and theatrical presentation.
Born in Veracruz, Mexico, Yuri began performing as a child. She studied classical dance and was encouraged by her mother, Dulce Canseco, to pursue singing. In the mid-1970s, she performed with a local group called La Manzana Electrica, whose repertoire included songs by artists such as Michael Jackson and Janis Joplin. Her work with the group brought her to the attention of arranger and record executive Julio Jaramillo Arenas, who helped her secure a recording opportunity.
Yuri's debut album, Tu iluminas mi vida, appeared in 1978. Although she was still a teenager, the release established her as a promising new voice. Her early albums, including Esperanzas (1980), Llena de dulzura (1981), and Yuri: Si, soy asi (1983), gradually expanded her audience throughout the Spanish-speaking market. She also began appearing on television and in films, building the broad public profile that would become a defining feature of her career.
A major breakthrough came in 1984, when Yuri represented Mexico at the OTI Festival with Tiempos mejores. She won the Mexican national selection, received the festival's award for best interpreter, and finished third in the international competition. The performance strengthened her reputation as a serious vocalist and gave her a signature song associated with optimism and emotional resilience.
Her commercial peak arrived in the second half of the 1980s. Albums such as Yo te pido amor (1985), Un corazon herido (1986), and Aire (1987) produced some of her best-known recordings. The single Que te pasa became one of the defining Latin pop hits of the era, spending 16 consecutive weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart. Other important songs from this period include Cuando baja la marea, Amores clandestinos, and El apagon. Her music balanced polished pop production with dramatic ballad singing, while her concerts emphasized movement and spectacle.
During the 1990s, Yuri continued recording and expanded into acting and television. She starred in the telenovela Volver a empezar alongside Chayanne and later appeared in additional television and film projects. She also explored ranchera music and, after a period away from secular pop, recorded Christian and gospel material. Albums such as Mas fuerte que la vida and Huellas reflected this change in direction.
Yuri returned to mainstream pop with Enamorada in 2002 and subsequently moved between Latin pop, Mexican music, live albums, and collaborative projects. She recorded with Mijares, appeared as a coach and host on Mexican television versions of The Voice and The Voice Kids, and played Grizabella in the Mexican production of Cats. Her later recordings and concert projects have revisited both her classic repertoire and regional Mexican styles.
In 2018, Yuri received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her lasting importance rests not only on her major recordings, but also on her ability to adapt across genres and media while retaining a distinctive vocal identity and a strong connection with audiences.