Ricardo Arjona

Ricardo Arjona, who has represented his country in the OTI's Festival and recorded 5 albums, has been qualified as a controversial and talented artist, a fantastic one, a revolutionary one with the guitar and as the poet of modern music by the worldwide media. He's the guatemalan artist who got the stardom in an incredible way.

Edgardo Ricardo Arjona Morales born January 19th, 1964 in Antigua. Since his childhood developed a great passion for the music; Ricardo's first instrument was the guitar, a gift from his father. He was educated in strict schools; the first one was a Catholic School, then in a semi-military one, and finally he finish his studies in the Rafael Aguechi Institute, the most disturbed one in Guatemala's history because there was the place where students' national strikes were organized. However, those places never pacified his strong spirit and dreamer soul. At 12 Ricardo debuted in 'Juventud 74 Children's Festival', organized by Don Bosco Salesian School in Guatemala. He won that event because of his song 'Gracias al Mundo', written by his father but Ricardo convinced everybody that was from his own inspiration. Then he participated and won 4 more school festivals, resorting to the same cheat. Ricardo admitted later that he started to write in order to have a clear conscience. In fact, he returned to compete in the same festival with a song written by himself and got the first place once again. Then he continued singing with a partner and they became known as protest performers. Next, he participated in the OTI Festival, in Spain.

When Ricardo had 21, his first single 'Dejame decir que te amo' appeared. After the failure in sales of it he decided to study a professional career in San Carlos University, but he didn't decide what he would study; first, Ricardo started in Arquitecture, then in Systems Engineering. Finally he majored in Comunications and at that time he got the national record of the highest score in a basketball game and selected as the best basketball player in his country (he is 192 cm/6'4'' tall).

His fist job after college was as a teacher in a rural school (following his father's steps); so, he became 'the kind of master rejected by the school system, but adored by their pupils'. Although his responsibility as a teacher, he never abandoned his dream to become a great artist. Ricardo traveled to Buenos Aires and had to work as a street performer for some coins the people let him in his guitar case. Then, he met who'd become to be his wife and mother of his two children (Ricardo Jr. and Astrid), Leslie Torres.

Ricardo's trip around South America gave him a lot of self-confidence and decided to travel to Mexico after returning to Guatemala. During a stay in a hotel and with a telephone guide, he searched directions and numbers of every record company where he could present his work. Meanwhile, he sang at a bar called 'El Chato', located in the 'Pink Zone' of Federal District of Mexico. Was composing for other singers in order to get more incomes. One of his compositions was recorded for a soap opera 'Alcanzar una estrella' starring Eduardo Capetillo (also a singer and former member of Timbiriche). The song 'Mas que alcanzar una estrella' became one of the first places in mexican rankings. Next, a producer invited him to act in a soap opera. Ricardo participated oly in 25 chapters and got the determination of never return to drama.

In 1992, Ricardo got admitted in a 'pack' for a record company which had the policy to sign with three artists, two importants and a third one unknown for to have his chance. As any company invest in his first album, he decided to record thirty songs which later he pawned to several companies and for he was gaining regales in advance. Only two of them wasn't reconized as written by him, one recorded by Yuri and another one by Marcos Llunas. Ricardo's first album, called 'Animal Nocturno' became from those works and got a good difussion in Mexico in part for the support of Luisito Rey, a famous mexican DJ who was impressed by the quality of Ricardo's work. The most listened songs from it was 'Jesus Verbo no Sustantivo' and 'Mujeres'.

His next album 'Historias' was released in 1994 and got Double Platinum Disc in Argentina, where he returned for his first stage presentation in Buenos Aires. In the same year Guatemalan media designated him 'Personality of the Year'. On February 1995 he returned to Argentina in order to participated in the 1st Music Festival in Mar del Plata, after a brief trip to Chile where he was acclaimed in the 36° Viña del Mar Festival. Two years later, he released his third album, 'Si el norte fuera el sur' defined by himself as the exactly product of TV images in tons, excess of information and every event from the streets. Is a chronicle of the reality in a point of view from a witness who is able to turn critics in songs. Is, definitely, an album of protest defending his right of being latin american.

'Sin daños a terceros', as its name sign, is the contrary. The most relaxed album of Ricardo's career and in which he invest most time composing it. His words about the one of its song, 'Desnuda': Almost always when men share a room with a woman we get so close that we forget to see her. 'Millonario de Luz' is a song totaly autobiographic which tells the moment he came to Mexico.

In 1999, Arjona's new album was 'En Vivo', recorded during his last tour around Latin America, where he displayed his strenght as a latin songwriter in front of his fervent audience. One of the four new songs included in this work is 'Historias', a simple theme expressing his whole passion for the life.

In the middle of the year 2000, Ricardo started a new turn in his eternal romance with the music, when he released his last production 'Galería Caribe' where this songwriter achieved the magic which keep awake every artist: combine passion and experience. Colaborated in this work Cuco Peña (Grammy Award Winner), Sergio George, Guaco Group, Arturo Sandoval (this one in trompets) and Giovanni Hidalgo (this one in drums). Experts agree this is the most musical album he ever recorded.

Ricardo Arjona is already a great artist of latin music, knowing how to combine good lyrics with excelent melodies.

Bruno daniel Calero Lopez

Guatemalan singer/songwriter Ricardo Arjona is one of the more respected Latin artists, mostly for his social conscience and his integrity in writing and performing songs. Born in Antigua, he was interested in music from an early age but later decided to become a rural schoolteacher. He also played basketball for the Guatemalan national team, but continued to play his guitar and write songs in his spare time. After realizing that music was his one true love, he moved to Mexico City; once there, he began looking for a record contract and played at many student festivals, increasing his status as a protest singer.

Arjona finally found a contract through PolyGram, but the label attempted to market him as a Latin-lover type on his debut album, Dejame Decir Que Te Amo (Let Me Say I Love You). Predictably, the album failed, and Arjona spent the next five years teaching and occasionally writing songs recorded by other artists. He moved to Buenos Aires, began playing again, and soon returned to the recording sphere with material more suited to his experiences as a protest singer, namely "Jesus Verbo No Sustantivo," a controversial song about his experiences at a Catholic school as a child. It gained him a contract with Sony, which released many of his most popular albums, including Animal Nocturno. Adentro, released in late 2005, was nominated for a 2006 Grammy in the Latin Pop Album category. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide