He joined the Spanish Army during his late teens and began playing in the infantry band, writing his own songs on the side. When Castro's mother died three years later, the 21-year-old decided to dedicate his life to writing and performing his own music, an emotional mix of piano ballads and flamenco. Local performances in Seville helped him gain enough confidence to record a debut album, the self-titled Fernando Castro, which was released in 2007. ~ Andrew Leahey