Ricardo Arjona is one of the most successful and best-selling Latin American artists of all time, with more than 80 million records sold.
36 Facts About Ricardo Arjona
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Ricardo Arjona is often called El Animal Nocturno, thanks to his breakthrough success with his fourth studio album, which bears the same name.
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Four Ricardo Arjona albums reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums, and ten reached number one in Argentina.
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Ricardo Arjona's work earned him numerous awards and accolades, including one Grammy Award, one Latin Grammy Award, the Latin Heritage Award as well as awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; a silver and golden torch and two silver seagulls from the 2010 Vina 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.
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Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales was born on 19 January 1964, in Jocotenango, Guatemala, to parents Ricardo Arjona Moscoso and Mimi Morales de Arjona.
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Ricardo Arjona spent most of his childhood in Guatemala City, where he began his musical instruction.
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Ricardo Arjona was a talented basketball player who played for Leones de Marte and TRIAS.
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Ricardo Arjona toured Central America as a member of the Guatemala national basketball team.
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Ricardo Arjona taught at a primary school, where he claimed to have spent six hours giving lessons and the rest of the day playing football.
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At age 24, Ricardo Arjona reversed course and sought the opportunity to represent his country in the OTI Festival with the song "Con Una Estrella En El Vientre".
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Ricardo Arjona started the new decade as a regular in the Mexican telenovela "Alcanzar una Estrella", which assisted him in becoming a known singer throughout Latin America.
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Ricardo Arjona later covered the song in his compilation album, Tropico, alongside Melina Leon.
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Ricardo Arjona confirmed his reputation with the release of his fifth studio album, Historias.
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On 5 December 1998 and in front of a live audience of more than 100,000 people at the Hippodrome of Guatemala City, Ricardo Arjona recorded his first live album, the 1999 release Vivo.
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Ricardo Arjona further stated the FBI had never spoken directly to him, but instead to somebody on his team.
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On 19 November 2002, Ricardo Arjona released his ninth studio album, Santo Pecado, preceded by singles "El Problema", which reached No 1 on both the Billboard Top Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs charts, and "Minutos", which reached No 5 on the Top Latin Songs and No 3 on the Latin Pop Songs charts.
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In 2003 Ricardo Arjona released Lados B, his second compilation album, including songs that were "not so commercial", and that he wanted to give a second chance at radio airplay.
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On 6 December 2005, Ricardo Arjona released his tenth studio album, Adentro.
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In 2006, Ricardo Arjona started the first leg of his world tour, named the Adentro Tour.
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On 21 August 2007, Ricardo Arjona released his fifth compilation album, Quien Dijo Ayer.
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Ricardo Arjona moved approximately 200,000 copies of the album in the first month at retail, and it went Platinum in Mexico, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, and several other countries.
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On 24 April 2009, Ricardo Arjona started the Quinto Piso Tour.
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Ricardo Arjona received in 2010 the "Latin Tour of the Year" Billboard Latin Music Award for the tour.
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Ricardo Arjona's performance was followed by Colombian singer Fanny Lu.
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On social networks, Ricardo Arjona was jokingly blamed, with remarks such as "earthquakes go where he goes", making reference to the earthquake felt in Mexico after the singer arrived.
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Ricardo Arjona released his thirteenth studio album, Independiente, on 4 October 2011.
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Billboard noted that although other groups have decided to go independent after working with major record labels, Ricardo Arjona was by far the most important artist in Latin pop to do so.
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In September 2021, Ricardo Arjona announced a 25-date North America tour, named Blanco y Negro.
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In Galeria Caribe, Ricardo Arjona explored Afro-Caribbean sounds, employing traditional rhythms such as guaracha, bachata, merengue, and salsa.
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On Santo Pecado, Ricardo Arjona explored the use of symphonic sounds on his ballads, amidst a couple of rock songs stylistically similar to those on Sin Danos a Terceros.
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On 2007's Quien Dijo Ayer, Ricardo Arjona reworked past songs to fit a new style.
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The lead single, "Quien" was written by Ricardo Arjona and produced by himself and Torres.
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In Independiente, Ricardo Arjona returned to his trademark sound, which Torres helped craft.
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Ricardo Arjona compared the production values and musical style of Independiente with those of past albums Animal Nocturno and Historias, stating, "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.
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In 2017, Ricardo Arjona received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards.
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Ricardo Arjona is a recipient of the Order of the Quetzal, Guatemala's highest condecoration.