Yamillette Aponte Yunqué (pseudonym Melina Leon) was born on 12 July 1970 in a Puerto Rican city Rio Piedras. Leon inherited the love for music from her mother, who often sang to the girl and her three brothers. Melina showed her talent when she was very young. By the time she became a teenager, she already performed with such bands as Las Cheris and Rubi. Leon performed in Puerto Rican clubs and bars, singing for different bands. Melina always loved merengue music and ballads.
During one of her performances, Melina was noticed by the representative of Tropix Music Records. She signed her first contract in 1997 and released the debut studio album Mujeres Liberadas. The LP jump-started the young woman’s career. It reached the ninth spot on Tropical Albums Chart. The songs “Mujeres Liberadas” and “Ya No Soy Buena” made it to the top positions on Puerto Rican radio stations.
In 1998, Melina released her second album Con los Pies Sobre la Tierra. The LP featured different love songs. It reached the 5th spot on Tropical Albums Chart and the 26th place on Billboard Latin Chart. The LP was very popular and turned Melina into one of the most successful Puerto Rican singers of that time. It was nearly impossible to book Melina Leon for any event. The LP brought Melina several awards from the local magazines and TV stations. She started traveling to other countries and participated in Florida and New York music festivals. Leon also visited Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
