Move over, Taylor. It’s American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars’ turn to take the spotlight as he lands in Singapore for three nights of sold-out concerts at the National Stadium on 3, 5 and 6 April.
Chances are, someone in your family or circle of friends would’ve managed to get hold of tickets to the Grammy Award-winning musician’s shows – which probably means it might be in your best interest to brush up on your Bruno Mars knowledge before attempting to sing along to them.
You can start with simple conversation fodder, such as his greatest hits – which range from the soulful ballad When I Was Your Man to the infectiously laid-back pop hit The Lazy Song – to avoid looking like a fuddy-duddy in front of friends and fans.
Those who’d like to score extra brownie points with the grandkids might want to invest some time in picking up lesser-known trivia about Bruno Mars, including his real name, heritage, early career and even his favourite food.
Read on for a cheat sheet of 10 interesting facts to wow your friends and family with when talking about Bruno Mars’ concerts, ranging from the intriguing to the downright obscure.
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Bruno Mars’ real name is…
Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. In fact, that’s still his official name – Bruno Mars is his stage name.
Both his parents are performers too
Performing runs in the blood. His father, Peter Hernandez was a percussionist of Puerto Rican-Jewish heritage, and mother, Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, a hula dancer with Filipino and Spanish ancestry.
Bruno Mars first performed at just three years of age
As one of six children in a musically inclined family, he was exposed to rock ‘n’ roll, reggae, hip hop and R&B (rhythm and blues) throughout his childhood.
He performed in front of a live audience from as early as three years of age, egged on by his uncle (himself an Elvis Presley impersonator).
Young Bruno was said to be so convincing that he earned himself the nickname of “Little Elvis”, despite a mishap or two like peeing on stage at age 5 while performing Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love.
The boy can do more than sing
Bruno Mars doesn’t just sing and dance. He also plays the piano, drums, bass and guitar.
How did he come up with his stage name?
The singer earned the first part of his stage name, Bruno, from his dad, who likened his chubby son (then two years old) to retired pro wrestler Bruno Sammartino.
As revealed in an interview, the reason for Mars is a little more flattering – it only came about after many girls told him he was out of this world. And men are, after all, allegedly from Mars….
Bruno Mars has 15 Grammy Awards (and a whole bunch of other accolades) to his name
Across his 20-year career, Bruno Mars has released songs spanning the genres of pop, funk, soul, disco, rock, hip hop and R&B. As a result, his music has reached a massive audience, with more than 130 million records sold worldwide.
Along the way, he managed to nab 15 Grammy Awards and more than 150 other accolades from other organisations. Eight of his songs have also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Some of his most noteworthy hits include:
- That’s What I Like
- When I Was Your Man
- Uptown Funk
- Just The Way You Are
- Marry Me
- Grenade
- Talking To The Moon
His fans are called Hooligans
While Tay-tay has her Swifties (meaning Taylor Swift and her rabid supporters), Bruno Mars’ fans are known as Hooligans – a reference to the singer’s own backup band and dancers of the same name.
What is Bruno Mars’ favourite food?
It turns out that even for an international superstar, comfort food you grew up eating will always taste the best.
Bruno Mars has said in multiple interviews that his favourite food in the world is chicken adobo, a tangy, punchy stew that’s considered the national dish of The Philippines.
Did you know?
Forever Young, a local remake of a classic production staged back in 2021, included one of Bruno Mars’ songs, Uptown Funk, in their 90-minute, star-studded performance.
