His big break came in 2001 when he made the cut for Operación Triunfo, a show that went on to achieve the highest audience ratings in the history of Spanish TV. Bustamante made it to the finals and was also considered as Spain's representative for Eurovision 2002, together with David Bisbal and Rosa López. Even if he did not end up the winner, by the time he released his solo debut, Bustamante, in 2002, his popularity was assured. A duet with Luis Fonsi and a second album produced by Emilio Estefan followed, as Bustamante quickly became an international Latin pop star. He spent the decade busy with non-stop touring, countless TV appearances ,and a steady flow of albums and DVD releases. By 2011, each of his seven albums had reached number one in Spain. ~ Mariano Prunes