Ricardo Arjona

Ricardo Arjona
Ricardo Arjona at Viña del Mar 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales
Born	(1964-01-19) 19 January 1964
Origin	Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala.
Genres	Latin pop, ballad
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1985–present
Labels	PolyGram (1985-1989) Sony Music (1991-2008) Warner Latina (2008-present)
Website	www.ricardoarjona.com

Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, (born 19 January 1964, in Jocotenango near Antigua, Guatemala), known as Ricardo Arjona (Spanish pronunciation: [arˈxona]), is a Guatemalan Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award-winner singer-songwriter and former basketball player and school teacher. In 1993, he received from the then President of Guatemala, Ramiro de León Carpio, the "Rafael Álverez Ovalle" Order for his international merits.

Arjona begun his music career at age 21, when he released Déjame Decir Que Te Amo. He rose to prominence in 1989 with his sophomore album Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo, which garnered him media attention and moderate success. After joining Sony Music in 1990 he released, in 1993, his fourth album Animal Nocturno, which turned him an international popstar, and paved the way for subsequent albums Historias, Si El Norte Fuera El Sur and Sin Daños a Terceros.

In 1999 he released his first live album Vivo, which garnered him his first number-one hit on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, "Desnuda". In 2005 he released his tenth album, Adentro, which made him the winner of one Latin Grammy Award and one Grammy Award. In 2008, he abandoned Sony Music and signed a record deal with Warner Music, through which, the same year, he released his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso. In 2011, after 26 years within the music sphere, Arjona went independent and founded his own record label, Metamorfosis, through which he released his thirteenth studio album, Independiente, in October 4, 2011.

Ricardo Arjona has become the most successful guatemalan and Central American act of all time, with more than 25 million albums and 5 million singles sold to date. He is often called El Animal Nocturno (The Nocturnal Animal), thanks to his breakthrough success with his fourth studio album which bears the same name. His music ranges from ballads to Latin Pop, Rock, Pop Rock, Cuban music, and more recently a cappella performances and a mixture of Tejano music and Norteño music, and other afro-American and Latin sounds. Arjona is best known for his skills as a lyricist and themes on his songs, including love, homosexuality, kidnapping, raping, interracial racism, immigration, and overt sexualism.

As of 2011, Arjona has released a total thirteen studio albums, one live album and eight compilation albums. he has also released forty-three singles. Four Arjona albums had debuted and/or reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums, and ten had reached the No.1 position in Argentina. Also, four albums had charted inside the Billboard 200. Four of its singles had reached No.1 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart and seven had done the same on the Latin Pop Songs.

Arjonas' work has earned him numerous awards and accolades, including one Grammy Award, one Latin Grammy Award, the "Latin Heritage" Award and some other awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; a silver and golden torch and two silver seagulls from the 2010 Viña del Mar International Song Festival, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, and a "Latin Trajectory of the Year" Award at the Orgullosamente Latino Awards of 2010.

Biography and personal life

Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales was born on January 19, 1964 in Jocotenango, Guatemala, to parents Ricardo Arjona Moscoso and Mimi Morales de Arjona. He lived most of his childhood and began his musical instruction in Guatemala City. At the age of 8, young Ricardo could already play the guitar. He kept studying and went through a teenage rebel phase which became a problem for him at school, but never put music aside, the only thing that he enjoyed. Time went by and he never forgot the idea of becoming a professional singer.

Although he initially enrolled in architecture and engineering subjects, he eventually graduated with a degree from the School of Communication Sciences at the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC). At USAC there is a library hall that bears his name. There is also a street named for him in his birthplace, Jocotenango, Guatemala.

Ricardo Arjona was a talented basketball player, and he played for the team Leones de Marte and TRIAS. He also toured Central America as a member of the Guatemalan national basketball team. Until recently, he held the record for the most points scored (78) in a single game by a Guatemalan player.

At 21, Ricardo Arjona got the opportunity to record his first album, Déjame Decir Que Te Amo. He spent some time as a teacher at a primary school (called Santa Elena III), where he reputedly said he spent six hours giving lessons and the rest of the day playing soccer. This earned him a visit from a Ministry of Education representative, who was sent to evaluate the level of education amongst Arjona's pupils. The representative found that the students' level of education was actually above average.

In the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, he met Puerto Rican Leslie Torres and had two children with her: Adria and Ricardo. Later in 2005 they separated. Recently, Arjona has been dating Venezuelan model Daisy Arvelo, with whom he has a child.

Career

1980s: Beginnings and early breakthrough

Arjona begun his musical career at age 21, when he found a contract with record label PolyGram through exchange and released his debut album Déjame Decir Que Te Amo in 1985. The label attempted to make Arjona a Latin-lover type and then, the album failed on charts. Only one single were released from the album, being the title track, "Déjame Decir Que Te Amo", which was a moderate success on Latin charts. This album received moderate critical success, with Allmusic awarding the album 3 stars out of five. Because of his experiences on the music industry while recording this album, he decided not to make an album again.

At age 24, Arjona seek the opportunity to represent his country on the OTI Festival with the song "Con Una Estrella En El Vientre". The experience convinced Arjona to follow his music career, and then he started recording, from which sessions "S.O.S Rescátame" was recorded. His sophomore studio album, Jesus, Verbo No Sustantivo brough him commercial and critical success over Latin America and the U.S., and also the album became one of the best-selling sets in some Central American territories.

1990s: International breakthrough, Si El Norte Fuera El Sur and Sin Daños a Terceros

Ricardo Arjona started the new decade as a known singer, and then he released in 1991, through Sony Music, his third studio album, Del Otro Lado del Sol. His third album still stands as one of the least successful out of the guatemalan singer, but became the inflection point of his career and the predecessor of what will become the work that garnered him international breakthrough, his fourth album.

Named Animal Nocturno and released in 1993, Arjona's fourth studio album became the one which shot him to fame, with the help of the work the artist made in Mexican telenovela Alcanzar Una Estrella, in which Arjona showcased his songwriting and singing skills and garnered him media attention. The album contained the hit singles "Mujeres" (No.6 on Billboard Latin Songs) and "Primera Vez" (No.6 on Billboard Latin Songs) and went on to sale more than two million copies worldwide.

He then consolidated his world stardom with the release of his fifth studio album, Historias. The album sold 2 million copies throughout Latin America and received twenty-seven platinum and two diamond certifications, including quadruple Platinum certification in the United States and Argentina. Historias reached No.43 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. Several hit singles were released from the album, including "Te Conozco" (No.3 on Billboard Latin Songs) and "Señora De Las Cuatro Décadas" (No.7 on Billboard Latin Songs). The Allmusic review by Jason Birchmeier awarded the album 4.5 stars stating that "If you were to pick only one Arjona album for your collection that wasn't a greatest-hits compilation, this should be the one. Historias was a career-defining success for Arjona." Arjona has claimed many times that his fourth and fifth studio albums are the best-selling of his career.

In 1996, he released his sixth studio album, Si El Norte Fuera El Sur. This was the first album in which Arjona mainly explored beyond the theme of love, to include nationalism and globalization ("Si El Norte Fuera El Sur"), the Cuban situation and interracial relationships ("Ella y El"). Four singles were released from this album, namely "Si El Norte Fuera El Sur" (No.9 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs), "Tu Reputación" (No.18 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.2 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs), "Me Enseñaste" (No.18 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs), and "Ella Y El" (No.24 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.8 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs). The Allmusic review by Jason Birchmeier awarded the album 4.5 stars stating "All in all, it's Arjona's third classic album in a row, each distinct from its predecessor." Si El Norte Fuera El Sur received multiple Platinum certifications in United States and Argentina and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

In 1998, he released his seventh studio album, Sin Daños a Terceros. The Allmusic review by Terry Jenkins awarded the album 4 stars stating "Sin Daños a Terceros continues Ricardo Arjona's streak of accomplished, affecting albums that spotlights both his melodic skills and his sharp social consciousness." His fourth consecutive album to receive critical success, Sin Daños a Terceros also enjoyed a huge commercial success, debuting at No.6 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums, the first to reach the top 10. It also reached No.3 on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles "Dime Que No" (No.6 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.3 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs), and "Mentiroso" (No.22 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.5 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs). The album received multiple Platinum certifications from the United States and Argentina. Over one million copies of the album has been sold.

In 1999, Arjona released his first live album, Vivo. The album had moderated success, being certified Gold in Mexico and Platinum in the United States and Argentina. It produced the hit "Desnuda", which became his first No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs.

2000-2005: Galería Caribe, Santo Pecado, hiatus and Adentro

After showcasing his live album Vivo, Arjona then released his eighth studio album, Galería Caribe. The album was preceded by the single "Cuándo", which became a commercial success and reached No.1 on both Billboard Top Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs. The Allmusic review by Jason Birchmeier awarded the album 3 stars stating "All in all, Galería Caribe is a curious entry in Arjona's catalog that most fans can overlook without missing much." The album became the first by Arjona to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 136, while charting at No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums. It was finally awarded Platinum certification in Mexico, Argentina and the US. Three more singles were released from Galería Caribe: "Lo Poco Que Queda De Mi"; "Mesías", which reached No.19 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs and No.11 on the Latin Pop Songs chart; and "A Cara O Cruz", which reached No.28 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart.

On November 19, 2002, Arjona released his ninth studio album, Santo Pecado. Preceded by its lead singles "El Problema", which reached No.1 on both the Billboard Top Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs chart; and "Minutos" which reached No.5 on both the Billboard Top Latin Songs and No.3 on the Latin Pop Songs chart; Santo Pecado became a huge commercial hit by Arjona, selling more than 300,000 copies only in Mexico (receiving double Platinum certification), 160,000 in Argentina (quadruple Platinum status) and 200,000 in the United States (double Platinum certification). The album also received certifications in Venezuela (Platinum), Colombia (double Gold), Uruguay (double Platinum) and Chile (Platinum). Santo Pecado has sold approximately 2 million copies worldwide.

Then, in 2003, Arjona released Lados B, his second compilation album including songs that were "not so commercial", and that he wanted to give them a second chance to sound on the radio. The album contained songs out from all his past studio albums. Critical reception from the album was mixed, with Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier saying that "This compilation is a misleading entry point into Arjona's catalog." Aside from that, the album received a Gold certification on Mexico, and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

On December 6, 2005, Arjona released his tenth studio album, Adentro. The album was citically acclaimed, with Evan C. Gutierrez from Allmusic giving it four starts out of five and commenting that "Be it for the stripped, natural production value, the confident performance of Ricardo Arjona, or his relevant-as-ever lyricism, he's got both his loyal fans and the execs at Norte smiling. While the instrumentation, performance, and overall sonic palette of this project are minimalist and unassuming, there is a depth and brilliance to them. The listener's ear does not tire or want for more, humble as Adentro is." Adentro became the second studio album by Arjona to chart on the Billboard 200, reaching No. 126. It also reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and No.2 on the Latin Pop Albums chart. The album marked the first time Arjona collaborated with fellow singer and producer Tommy Torres.

Five singles were released from Adentro: the lead single, "Pingüinos En La Cama" featuring Spanish singer Chenoa (No.44 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.19 on Latin Pop Songs); "Mojado", featuring American Tejano/Norteño band Intocable (No.34 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.30 on Latin Pop Songs), "Acompañame A Estar Solo" (No.7 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.1 on Latin Pop Songs), "A Ti" (No.14 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.3 on Latin Pop Songs) and "De Vez En Mes" (No.49 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.16 on Latin Pop Songs). The album finally sold more than a million copies worldwide.

2006-2007: First world tour and Quién Dijo Ayer

In 2006, Arjona started the first leg of his first world tour, named the Adentro Tour, to promote his tenth studio album, Adentro. The tour resumed on 2007 for a second leg, in which he visited more countries. Approximately, two million people attended his concerts throughout his first world tour. The tour was officially closed on September 14, 2007 on the mainland city of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, during the International Fair, in front of more than 100,000 people.

Also, in August 21, 2007, Arjona releases his fifth compilation album, Quién Dijo Ayer. The album is a two-dics set which contains, on the first disc, new versions of past hits, some of them including featured artists such as Marta Sánchez on "Tarde (Sin Daños a Terceros)" from Sin Daños a Terceros; Panteón Rococó on "Si El Norte Fuera el Sur", from the album of the same name; Marc Anthony on "Historia de Taxi", from Historias; Sandro on "Realmente No Estoy Tan Solo", from Historias; and Eros Ramazotti on "A Ti", from Adentro. The second disc contains remastered versions of those hits on the first disc, but on their original versions. it was the second time Arjona collaborated with Tommy Torres.

Two singles were released from the album. The first, "Quién", a previously unreleased song and one of those produced by Torres, became a commercial hit for Arjona, reaching No.1 on several countries through Latin America. Although, it failed to reach the top 20 on Billboard Latin Songs, standing at No.21, but reaching No.4 con the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart. "Quiero" the secong single, reached No.12 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, and No.8 con the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart.

The album became a critical and commercial success, with Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic giving a positive review of the album, commenting that "while only a couple of the new versions depart stylistically from the originals, the contemporary productions breathe new life into these songs, which should be well known by longtime fans."; and receiving double Platinum certification in Argentina and the United States, and Platinum certification in Mexico; Also, it received Gold certification in Colombia, Chile and Venezuela. To date, the album has sold more than two million copies.

2008-2010: New label, Quinto Piso, second world tour and Poquita Ropa

Ricardo Arjona in Laredo, Texas during 5to Piso Tour

After spending the majority of his career signed to Sony, and later, Sony BMG, Arjona signed a long-term recording deal with Warner Music Latina. The deal was closed in September 2008. Iñigo Zabala, chairman of Warner Music Latin America commented that "He's an artist that fits perfectly with our company," and that "We are a label that has a major catalog of songwriters and quality pop and rock from the likes of Maná, Alejandro Sanz, Laura Pausini, and now, Arjona."

Closed the deal, Arjona then announced he will relesase his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso, on November 18, 2008. The album was preceded by the first single, "Como Duele" on September, which reached No.2 on Billboard Latin Songs chart and No.1 on Billboard Latin Pop Songs. The album followed the success of Arjona's past releases, and moved approximately 200,000 copies in its first month at retail, and received Gold an Platinum certifications in Mexico, United States, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, and many other countries.

It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, becoming his second chart-topper con that list. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album and a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Singer-Songwriter Album. The album received critical positive response, with Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that "More typical than exceptional for Arjona at this point in his career, 5to Piso isn't as grand an album as his past few, [...], Yet it's a great album all the same, particularly the opening run of songs that culminates with "Cómo Duele," and it finds Arjona still at the top of his craft."

While Warner Music released Arjona's new studio album, his former label, Sony Music, released a compilation album, Simplemente Lo Mejor. This led to speculation both labels where in a fight to win Arjona's fanbase and sales. Simplemente Lo Mejor contains hits taken from the four past Arjona's albums, namely Sin Daños a Terceros, Si El Norte Fuera El Sur, among others. This compilation received Gold certification in Mexico, and Platinum certification in Argentina.

"Sin Tí.. Sin Mi" was released as 5to Piso's second single, and reached No.4 on both Billboard Latin Songs and Billboard Latin Pop Songs charts. In April 24, 2009, Ricardo Arjona started his second world tour, the Quinto Piso Tour to promote his then just released album. The tour included 110 shows between the United States, Spain, Argentina, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, among many other countries in Latin America, and ended on June 18, 2010. The Quinto Piso Tour has been one of the most successful tours made by a latin artist, with an attendance of more than one million people from 19 countries. Also, Arjona received in 2010 the "Latin Tour of the Year" Billboard Latin Music Award for the tour.

Just finished the tour, Arjona announced his tewlfth studio album, Poquita Ropa, which was released on August 24, 2010. It was preceded by the genre-mixing track "Puente", an ode to Havana, Cuba's largest and capital city. The song failed to break in the upper tier of Billboard charts, but the album became Arjona's third set to debut or reach No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Within two weeks of release, the album received a Gold certification in Chile, United States, Colombia and Puerto Rico; and Platinum certification in Mexico, Argentina. The album marked a change on Arjona's sound, which himself called a "sripped-down version of his music". Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review, saying that it was a "stripped-down acoustic effort" yet considering it "impressive". Two more singles were released from Poquita Ropa, "Vida", a song the singer dedicated to his recently dead father; and "Marta", an auto-biographical song in which music video stars Edith González. Both, like the lead single, failed to gain much airplay in the US, and failed to reach high positions on Billboard charts.

2011-present: Independiente and Metamorfosis World Tour

Arjona released his thirteenth studio album, Independiente, in October 4, 2011, through his recetly established label Metamorfosis. The album, as past Arjona releases became his fourth number-one set on the Billboard Top Latin Albums when it debuted atop the chart on the week ending October 22; and within a week of release, the album received a Gold certification in Chile, United States and Mexico; and Platinum certification in Venezuela and Argentina. Independiente is the first album Arjona releases as an independent artist. It was released through his own record label, Metamorfosis, a company he created to refocus his career. Although, the album is being distributed by Warner Music. Billboard notes that although other groups have decided to launch independently their works after having a contract with major record labels, Arjona is by far the most important artist in the Latin pop to follow this trend.

The first single off Independiente is "El Amor", being released in August 23, 2011. In the United States, the song reached No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs, becoming his fourth number-one hit on that list after "Desnuda", "Cuando" and "El Problema", and No.1 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs. It also became a hit in the rest of Latin America, reaching No.1 in several countries. The second single off the album is "Fuiste Tú", the collaboration with also Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno. As of February 2012, the song has charted within the top 20 on the Billboard Top Latin Songs, and has reached No.1 con the Billboard Latin Pop Songs.

To promote Independiente and his new status as an independent musician, Ricardo Arjona embarked on his third world tour, the Metamorfosis World Tour, beginning on January 27, 2012 on Mexican city of Toluca, the place in which all of his concert tours had begun. The tour is expected to visit Latin America, North America and several countries in Europe.

Music

Arjona's main music style is Latin Pop. Many of his songs have a similar sound, such as "Como Duele" (2008) and "El Amor" (2011). His recording are usually between the range of 90 beats per minute to 150 beats per minute. Mainly, he sings without the help of featured or additional singers. Only logtime collaborators Dan Warner and Tommy Torres had provided notable background vocals where needed. Four Arjona albums, with one of them being a compilation album, features additional artists. The first of them is Adentro, which features vocals from spanish artist Chenoa on the lead single "Pingüinos En La Cama"; and from american Tejano band Intocable on second single "Mojado". The second album is Quién Dijo Ayer, which features additional vocals from Marta Sánchez on "Tarde (Sin Daños a Terceros)"; Panteón Rococó on "Si El Norte Fuera el Sur"; Marc Anthony on "Historia de Taxi"; Sandro on "Realmente No Estoy Tan Solo"; and Eros Ramazotti on "A Ti". The third is 5to Piso, in which Paquita La Del Barrio colaborates on the track "Ni Tu Ni Yo". The fourth album is Independiente, in which fellow guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno stars alongside the singer in the second single "Fuiste Tú".

In contrast to Déjame Decir Que Te Amo, on which he was treated as a balladeer, in the latter two albums Arjona were experimenting with a range of pop/rock styles. Animal Nocturno has energetic rock songs that are interspersed with heartfelt ballads, and the instrumentation is heavy on guitar, synthesizer, and drums. On Historias, each song is stylistically distinct and the instrumentation is remarkably varied. There are around two dozen instruments used on the album, everything from saxophone and trumpet, to piano and Hammond B-3, to cello and bassoon, to violin and viola. On Si El Norte Fuera El Sur, he tried crafting a relatively low-key effort characterized by intimate songs about matters of life, in particular love, culture, and politics. Most of the songs were written over the course of 1995 while Arjona was touring Latin America in support of his fifth album. Most of the songs are performed acoustically with Caribbean touches, and besides a couple rockers, the songs are all fairly even in tone and tempo.

In Galería Caribe, Arjona brings a collection of Afro-Caribbean sounds, exploring traditional rhythms such as guaracha, bachata, merengue, and salsa. On Santo Pecado, Arjona explores the use of symphonic sounds on his ballads, amidst a couple of rock songs very similar in style with those on Sin Daños a Terceros. Then, in 2005, Arjona proved new sounds in Adentro. Evan Gutierrez from Allmusic considered the instrumentation, performance, and overall sonic palette to be "minimalist" and "unassuming". On this album, Arjona included more latin sounds, like some mexican and tejano music on "Mojado", some merengue and colombian tones on "Adiós Melancolía", and some rock on "No Te Cambio Por Nada".

In 2007 Arjona released Quién Dijo Ayer. On this compilation album, Arjona re-worked some of his past songs to fit them into a new style, or just masterize them. By example, his song "Si El Norte Fuera El Sur" was totally overhauled and transformed into a ska style, and performed with the aid of Panteón Rococó. "Historia De Taxi" was transformed into a salsa song, and saw the help of american singer Marc Anthony and pianist Sergio George. Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier commented on the album that "While only a couple of the new versions depart stylistically from the originals, the contemporary productions breathe new life into these songs." "Realmente No Estoy Tan Solo" was also re-recorded with singer Sandro. This turned out to be the last song recorded by the latter, who died in January 4, 2010. This album included three new songs. The lead single, "Quién" was written by Arjona and produced by himself and Tommy Torres. " Quiero" and "Espantapájaros" are the other two new sings on the album.

5to Piso is mainly driven by the use of piano and strings. Exceptions are "La Bailarina Vecina", crafted with pure orchestral arrangements; and "Ni Tu Ni Yo", a ranchera style song featuring Paquita La Del Barrio. on 5to Piso, Arjona commented he tried to recoup the freshness of his first albums, saying that he "tried to reconcile a little with the Ricardo Arjona from the first albums to let out some of that freshness that makes so good to the songs."

Poquita Ropa drastically changes the musical style. In this album, Arjona tried to use the least number of instruments as possible. The result was a production that seems to be a capella performances. Arjona has commented about this album that "music and women look better with little clothes." Production was handled by Arjona himself and Dan Warner, who has also worked with Shakira, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review, saying that it was a "stripped-down acoustic effort" yet considering it "impressive". He also commented that Poquita Ropa "finds Arjona at his most naked, backed by spare arrangements of acoustic guitar, piano, and Hammond B-3 along with occasional touches of strings, woodwinds, and chorus vocals." "Puente", the lead single, is the only notable exception. it it crafted in eight and a hald minutes and is divided in three parts. The first one is a acapella song, sang mainly with a piano. The second part is a ballad with caribbean and latin sounds, with some salsa and cuban influences. The third is a mixture of salsa and merengue, with cuban influences. "Puente" is mainly similar to Arjona's work on Galería Caribe. This album was the first since Adentro, that Arjona worked without Tommy Torres.

In Independiente, Arjona returned to his classic and trademark sound, which Torres has helped crafting, after the drastic change he made in Poquita Ropa. David Feffries of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review. He, as also Arjona and other media mentioned before, compared the production values and musical style of Independiente with those of past albums Animal Nocturno and Historias. Finally, he states that "Returning fans will revel in this combination of freedom and growth, and appreciate the return of producer Tommy Torres, the man who has been behind the boards for quite a few of Arjona's most popular releases", referring precisely to the absence of Torres in the production of Poquita Ropa.

Discography

Main article: Ricardo Arjona discography

Studio albums

• Déjame Decir Que Te Amo (1985)
• Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo (1990)
• Del Otro Lado del Sol (1991)
• Animal Nocturno (1993)
• Historias (1994)
• Si El Norte Fuera El Sur (1996)
• Sin Daños a Terceros (1998)

• Galería Caribe (2000)
• Santo Pecado (2002)
• Adentro (2005)
• 5to Piso (2008)
• Poquita Ropa (2010)
• Independiente (2011)

Compilation and live albums

• Vivo (1999)
• 12 Grandes Exitos (2003)
• Lados B (2003)
• Solo (2004)
• Canciones (2005)

• Quién Dijo Ayer (2007)
• Simplemente Lo Mejor (2008)
• Trópico (2009)
• Lo Esencial De Ricardo Arjona (2010)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2006	Solo	Best Latin Pop Album	Nominated
2007	Adentro		Won
2010	5to Piso		Nominated
2011	Poquita Ropa		Nominated

Latin Grammy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2003	Santo Pecado	Best Male Pop Vocal Album	Nominated
	"El Problema"	Best Music Video	Nominated
2006	"Acompáñame A Estar Solo"	Record of the Year	Nominated
		Song of the Year	Nominated
	Adentro	Best Male Pop Vocal Album	Won
	"Mojado"	Best Music Video	Nominated
2008	Quién Dijo Ayer	Best Male Pop Vocal Album	Nominated
2009	5to Piso	Best Singer-Songwriter Album	Nominated
	"Como Duele"	Best Music Video	Nominated
2011	Poquita Ropa	Best Singer-Songwriter Album	Nominated

Billboard Latin Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2006	Adentro	Best Male Latin Pop Album	Nominated
	"Por Qué Es Tan Cruel El Amor"	Male Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year	Nominated
2007	"A Ti"	Male Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year	Won
2008	Quién Dijo Ayer'	Male Latin Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
2009	5to Piso	Solo Latin Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
2010	Quinto Piso Tour	Latin Tour of the Year	Won
	Himself	Latin Pop Airplay Artist of the Year, Male	Nominated
	5to Piso	Latin Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
	Himself	Latin Pop Albums Artist of the Year, Solo	Nominated

Lo Nuestro Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	Santo Pecado	Pop Album of the Year	Won
	Himself	Best Pop Male Artist	Nominated
	"El Problema"	Pop Song of the Year	Nominated
2007	Adentro	Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
	Himself	Best Pop Male Artist	Nominated
	"Mojado"	Video of the Year	Nominated
2010	5to Piso	Pop Album of the Year	Nominated
	Himself	Best Pop Male Artist	Nominated
	"Como Duele"	Pop Song of the Year	Nominated
2011	"Puente"	Video of the Year	Nominated

See also

• Ricardo Arjona discography
• Grammy Awards
• Latin Grammy Awards
• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Songs of 2011
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2000
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2002
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2003
• List of number-one Billboard Latin Albums from the 2010s

External links

• Official site