Guanahani was the name the natives gave to the island that Christopher Columbus called San Salvador when he arrived at the Americas. Columbus reached the island on 12 October 1492, the first island he sighted and visited in the Americas. Guanahani is one of the islands of the Lucayan Archipelago in the Bahamas, but the exact island is a matter of some debate.

Candidates[link]

Landfall theories

Prominent candidates[link]

• Modern San Salvador Island; it was in fact known as Watlings Island before 1925, but renamed after some historians made what was then considered a persuasive case that it was Guanahani. This hypothesis was first proposed by Juan Bautista Muñoz (1793).^[1] It was resurrected by A.B. Becher (1856) and forwarded strongly by James Murdock (1884).^[2] Notable defenders of the theory include the influential historians Richard Henry Major (1871) and Samuel Eliot Morison (1942).

• Grand Turk Island, was first proposed by Martín Fernandez de Navarrete in 1825,^[3] but soon fell out of favor^[4] until it was resurrected by Robert Power in 1924.

• Samana Cay, first proposed in 1880 by Gustavus V. Fox, a US Navy captain.^[5] Fox's theory was little known until revived in a 1986 issue of National Geographic Magazine.^[6]

• Plana Cays, proposed by Ramon Juan Didiez Burgos in 1974, Keith A. Pickering in 1994.^[7]

Other suggested candidates[link]

• Cat Island, was long believed to be Guanahani and identified as such on many nautical charts from the 18th Century. In light of the competing new theories of Muñoz and Navarrete, Washington Irving (1828), with the asssistance of Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, set out the case for Cat island, and was supported by the weight of Alexander von Humboldt (1837).^[8] The hypothesis lost traction after the publication of Bartolomé de las Casas' abstract of Columbus's on-board journal (1875–1876), which argued strongly against the identification.^[9]

• Mayaguana, proposed by Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen in 1864.^[10]

• Conception Island, proposed by R.T. Gould in 1943

• East Caicos, proposed by Pieter Verhoog in 1947.^[11]

• Egg Island, proposed by Arne Molander in 1981

• Lignum Vitae Cay, proposed by John Winslow in 1989

Primary Sources[link]

The Letter of Columbus[link]

Upon his return to Spain in the spring of 1493, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis de Santangel, one of his patrons at the Spanish court. The letter was printed widely and translated into many languages, spreading the news of the discovery throughout Europe. In the letter, Columbus mentions Guanahani as the name of the first island he discovered, but provides no other details. Nevertheless, this single mention in a widely printed letter would have been enough to make the name Guanahani widely known at an early date.

Map of Juan de la Cosa[link]

Juan de la Cosa was owner and master of the Santa María, and as such sailed with Columbus on the first voyage. He was also a cartographer, and in 1500 de la Cosa drew a map of the world which is widely known as the earliest European map showing the New World. The Caribbean portion of the map shows Cuba and Hispaniola clearly, and a much more confused rendering of the Bahamas. Nevertheless, Guanahani is drawn in Bahamas in a form that appears to show a group of islets rather than a single island, lying due north of the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti.

[edit] The Diario, or log, abstracted by Las Casas

The so-called log of Columbus, more properly referred to as the Diario, is an abstraction made by Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish monk and friend of the Columbus family, probably sometime in the 1540s.

When Columbus returned to Spain after the first voyage, he reported to the royal court at Barcelona and presented his original log to the Spanish Sovereigns. Queen Isabel ordered that the log be copied. The original soon disappeared, but the so-called Barcelona copy was returned to Columbus prior to his second voyage and was in his possession at the time of his death in 1506. It then passed to his son Fernando and remained in his vast library for many years. At some point, Las Casas got his hands on the Barcelona copy and made the abstraction we today call the Diario. Although most of the Diario is written in the third-person of Las Casas, nearly all of that portion dealing with Columbus's movements in the Bahamas is in the first person of Columbus himself, and is (according to Las Casas) a direct quote from the Barcelona copy. The Barcelona copy disappeared late in the 16th century, but Las Casas' Diario was discovered intact in 1795 by Ferdinand de Navarette, and published 30 years later.

The Diario remains our most authoritative and detailed account of Columbus's movements and activities on the first voyage.

The biography by Fernando Colón[link]

In 1571, a biography of Christopher Columbus, written in Italian, was published in Venice. The book was a translation of a Spanish manuscript written by Columbus's second son, Fernando Colón, between 1537 and 1539. The Spanish manuscript eventually was translated into Italian and published by Alfonso Ulloa, a Spaniard making his living in Venice as a professional translator.

It is clear from the context that Fernanado must have been working from the Barcelona copy when he wrote the first-voyage portion of his biography, as many details in the biography agree precisely with the Diario. In that sense, the primary utility of the biography is as a validity check on the Diario, a test which vindicates Las Casas in many respects.

However, there are a few descriptions in the biography that are not already in the Diario. Most importantly, the biography asserts that Guanahani was fifteen leagues (60 miles) long, which seems contrary to Columbus's implication in the Diario that he had seen the entire island on a single day's boat trip.

Trans-Atlantic track[link]

The first way to locate Guanahani is to follow the distances and directions Columbus gave in his log. This procedure is difficult because of the uncertainties in knowing the length of Columbus's league, the speed and direction of ocean currents, and the exact direction his magnetic compass would have pointed in 1492.

John McElroy^[12] was one of the first to attempt this in 1941, using a speculative magnetic chart for the year 1500 and currents from pilot charts. His vast overrun in distance was corrected by a fudge factor, leaving his endpoint in the vicinity of Watlings Island. This result was substantially confirmed by Doug Peck's sailing voyage^[13] of 1991.

In 1986, Luis Marden^[14] of the National Geographic Society applied currents to the first half of the voyage (but not the second half) and determined Samana Cay as the most probable landfall.

In 1992, Goldsmith and Richardson^[15] used vector average currents (rather than prevailing currents) along with an updated magnetic field, and found a track that ended in the vicinity of Grand Turk Island.

In 2004, Keith Pickering^[16] applied magnetic declinations from a more modern source and found a track that ended in the vicinity of the Plana Cays.

Light seen on the evening preceding the discovery[link]

At 10 p.m. on October 11, Columbus saw a light "like a small wax candle that rose and lifted up".^[17] He pointed it out to other people on board, some of whom were able to see the light, while others didn't. The actual landfall was about 35 miles from the location Columbus saw the light, so if taken that the light was from a ground-based source, then it could not have been from Guanahani, but must have been from another island farther east. For the Plana Cays theory, the light would have been on Mayaguana. For Conception, it could have been on Cat Island, Watling/San Salvador or Rum Cay. For Caicos it could have been on Grand Turk. For Cat Island it could have been Watling/San Salvador and for Lignum Vitae Cay it could have been Eleuthera Island. The Watlings, Grand Turk, and Egg Island theories have no ready explanation.

Description of Guanahani[link]

Columbus calls the island "very flat and with very green trees",^[18] which is true for all of the proposed islands. His next statement is more problematic. He says Guanahani has "muchas aguas y una laguna en medio muy grande"^[19] – many waters and a laguna in the middle (or "in between") very big. The word laguna creates many problems. It is uncertain whether it means lagoon or pond. In any case, most of the proposed islands have either a lagoon or pond; only East Caicos lacks one.

On October 14, Columbus made a boat trip to "the other part, which was the eastern part"^[20] of Guanahani. Therefore he went the length of the island in a North-northeast direction. This is only possible at Plana Cays, Conception and Egg, and to a very minor extent at Samana Cay. Columbus noticed a reef that completely surrounded the island. All proposed islands have a reef, but the ones on Cat and Watlings don't completely surround the island. Between the reef and the island was a harbor "large enough to store all ships of Christendom." Of course this is an exaggeration, but the harbor on Egg is definitely too small. Columbus went on land and saw "a piece of land, that looked like an island, but actually wasn't one." This is difficult to track, because it may have become a real island in the past 500 years.

Island or islands[link]

One question in dispute is whether Guanahani was one island or more than one. Evidence is said to be inconclusive. Columbus never says specifically that Guanahani consisted of more than one island, something which is surely worth noting. But he does say that Guanahani had "another part, which is the eastern part"; and to explore that eastern part, he used a boat rather than walking, which may be significant.

On reproductions of the map of Juan de la Cosa, who was with Columbus, Guanahani looks to some researchers like a string of small islands.

Inter-island track[link]

Besides the transatlantic track, the other important method for determining the location of Guanahani is the inter-island track, which can be traced either forward (from Guanahani to Cuba) or backward (from Cuba to Guanahani). Given the numerous descriptions of courses, distances, and directions in the log, this method seems more likely to pinpoint the location, and has been by far the most frequently used method of historians.

It was common practice among 20th century historians to refer to the various Bahamian islands visited by Columbus by Roman numerals to avoid confusion: Island I being Guanahani, Island II being the second island visited by Columbus (which he named Santa María de la Concepción); followed by Island III (named Fernandina by Columbus) and Island IV (called Samoete by the Indians and renamed Isabela by Columbus).

Following these four islands, Columbus next visited a string of seven or more islands in a line running north-south (which historians generally agree must be the modern Ragged Island Range) before landing on the north coast of Cuba. A successful inter-island track must therefore navigate from Guanahani to the Ragged Islands in a way that fits the descriptions of the log without serious infidelity. Strictly speaking this is impossible, as there are a few places where the log seems to contradict itself.

Island II[link]

Leaving Guanahani late on October 14, Columbus said "I saw so many islands I did not know how to decide which one I would go to first".^[21] Aiming for the largest, he estimated its distance by eye at five leagues, while other islands were both nearer and farther than that.

He arrived at Island II around noon, delayed by a contrary marea (usually translated as "tide", although "breeze" is possible), re-estimating the distance as seven leagues rather than five. Island II had a coastline facing Guanahani that ran north-south for five leagues, and another coastline ("which I followed", says Columbus) that ran east-west for more than ten leagues.

At this point comes a contentious passage in the log: "And since from this island I saw another larger one to the west, I spread sail to go forward all that day until night, because [otherwise] I would not have been able to reach the western cape of the island".^[22] From this it is unclear whether the "western cape" at which Columbus anchored that night was on the island with the five- and ten-league coastlines, or the larger island to the west; in other words, it is unclear whether Columbus was adjacent to one or two islands on October 15. Those who prefer the two-island interpretation call these Island IIa and Island IIb.

Island III[link]

The log gives two descriptions of the sail from Island II to Island III on October 16: in the first version, Columbus leaves at 10 AM and sails nine leagues east-west to reach Island III;^[23] in the second version, Columbus leaves at noon and sails eight leagues "almost east-west" to reach Island III.^[24]

Columbus also gives somewhat contradictory information on the size of Island III, saying at first (before actually exploring the island) that it "may well be" more than 28 leagues long;^[25] but later saying only that "I saw quite 20 leagues of it but it did not end there."^[26]

But Columbus does give quite detailed information on the coastline of Island III, more so than any other island he visited. On the evening of October 16, he arrived at a cape where the coastlines ran NNW and SSW^[27] (though some scholars see a possible transcription error here). The following morning (October 17) he followed the coast NNW, and when he was two leagues distant from the end (or "the cape") of the island he found a "wonderful harbor" with a small island in its mouth forming two narrow entrances. Going into the harbor with boats he found it too shallow for use and put the boats ashore for water instead. Leaving the harbor after two hours, he then sailed northwest (rather than the previous NNW) "so far that I viewed all that part of the island as far as the coast that runs east-west".^[28]

Columbus ran into foul weather on the night of October 17–18 and gained sea room to avoid running onto a lee shore. He returned to Island III on the 18th, but the log does not specify where on the island he anchored that night. The following morning, October 19, he split his fleet to search for the island of Samoete that his kidnapped Indian guides had told him about.

Island IV[link]

Leaving his Island III anchorage at dawn, Columbus sent Niña SSE and Santa Maria SE, while Pinta was sent "east and southeast" (contrary to the ESE mentioned in some sources). Thus the ships were able to sweep a large area of ocean in search of the island whose position was only vaguely known. The Santa Maria herself raised the island before 9 AM, and signalling the other ships to rejoin, Columbus reached Island IV before noon, arriving at the northern point.^[29] Columbus describes this point as being surrounded by a reef, with a small island nearby.

Columbus's descriptions of Island IV are, at best, confusing. He describes Island IV being "on an east-west course" from Island III (which contradicts his previous description of the fleet's movements in the search), and he also asserts that from the northern point the coast ran west for 12 leagues, to its western cape, Cabo Hermoso.^[30] The direction of this coastline running west contradicts both Columbus's own arrival at the island (since he arrived at the north point by sailing east, and did not arrive at Cabo Hermoso first) and his later description of his departure from this northern end of Island IV (as he departed sailing SSW and yet did not run aground).

From Cabo Hermoso, Columbus described a "great bight" to the northeast. Further confusing the issue, Columbus then says that he believes Cabo Hermoso is on a separate island from Samoete.^[31] The following morning (October 20) he tried to enter the bight in order to circumnavigate the island. That attempt soon proved futile because it was too shallow, and Columbus reversed course and returned to the northern end, awaiting the arrival of the King which his kidnapped Indian guides had told him about.

After two days of fruitless waiting for the King and another day becalmed, Columbus departed from the northern end of Island IV at midnight on October 24, setting his sights on Cuba, the large island to the south he had been told about. He sailed WSW until dawn on the 24th, then was becalmed again until noon, making scant progress in the afternoon. At some point he fixed his position at seven leagues southeast of Cape Verde, which he describes as being "in the western part of the southern part" of Island III.^[32] From that point he made two leagues on a doubtful course under a rising wind; then, the morning of October 25, he made five leagues WSW and another 11 leagues west when they sighted the Ragged Islands, which he called the Islas de Arena (Sand Islands) running north-south at a distance of five leagues.^[33]

See also[link]

• Columbian Exchange

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Becher, A.B. (1856) The Landfall of Columbus on his First Voyage to America. London: Potter. online

• Dunn, Oliver, and James E. Kelley, Jr. (1989). The Diario of Christopher Columbus's First Voyage to America, 1492-1493. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press.

• Fox, Gustavus V. (1880) "An Attempt to solve the Problem of the First Landing Place of Columbus in the New World", Report of the Superintendant of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey. Appendix No. 18, June 1880). Washington, DC: Government Printing office. offprint

• Fuson, Robert (1961) "Caicos: Site of Columbus's Landfall", Professional Geographer, vol. 13 (2), pp. 65–97.

• Humboldt, Alexander von (1837) Examen critique de l'histoire de la géographie du nouveau continent et des progrès de l'astronomie nautique aux quinzième et seizième siècles, Paris: Gide, vol. 3, p.169ff.

• Irving vol VI, App. 16, p. 238-71

• Irving, Washington (1828) "Appendix XVI: Route of Columbus in his First Voyage", in vol.IV of A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus. London: Murray. App. XVI, pp.239-71

• Judge, Joseph (1986) "Our Search for the True Columbus Landfall", National Geographic, vol. 170 (No. 5, November), pp. 566–71.

• Link, E.A. and M.C. Link (1958) A New Theory on Columbus's Voyage through the Bahamas. Washington DC: Smithsonian institution.

• Major, Richard H. (1848) Select Letters of Christopher Columbus, with other original documents relating to his four voyages to the New World. London: Hakluyt. online

• Major, R.H. (1871) "The Landfall of Christopher Columbus", Report of the Fortieth Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science - Notices and Abstracts, London: Murray. p.171-72

• Molander, Arne (1983) "A New Approach to the Columbus landfall", Terrae Icognitae, vol. 15, pp. 113–149.

• Morison, Samuel Eliot (1942) Admiral of the Ocean Sea. 2 vols. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.

• Muñoz, Juan Bautista (1793) Historia del Nuevo Mundo, Madrid: Ibarra. v.1

• Murdock, J.B. (1884) "The Cruise of Columbus in the Bahamas, 1492", Proceedings of the US Naval Institute, Vol 10, pp.449-86.

• Navarrete, Martín Fernández de (1825–37) Colección de los viages y descubrimientos que hicieron por mar los españoles desde fines del siglo XV: con varios documentos inéditos concernientes á la historia de la marina castellana y de los establecimientos españoles en Indias, 4 vols., Madrid: Imprensa Real.v.1 (1825), v.2, v.3 (1829)

• Peck, Douglas T. (1993) Christoforo Colombo, God's Navigator, Columbus, WI: Columbian Publishers

• Peck, Douglas T. (post-1996) "The Navigation of Columbus and the Controversy over his landfall island in the New World", New World Explorers, online

• Pickering, Keith (1994) "Plana Cays as the Landfall of Columbus in 1492", Dio, Vol. 4 (1), p..15-32.

• Pickering, Keith (1997, rev. 2010) "The Columbus Landfall Homepage: Just where did Columbus first see the New World?" online

• Roukema, E. (1959) "Columbus Landed on Watlings Island", American Neptune, vol. 19, pp. 79–113.
• Varnhagen, F.A. (1864) "La verdadera Guanahani de Colon", Anales de la universidade de Chile, vol. 26. offprint

• Verhoog, Pieter (1947) "Columbus Landed on Caicos", Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute, 80, 1101-1111.

External links[link]

• Site of Keith Pickering, advocate of Plana Cays

Ricardo Arjona
Ricardo Arjona at Viña del Mar 2010.
Background information
Birth name	Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales
Born	(1964-01-19) 19 January 1964 (age 48)
Origin	Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
Genres	Latin pop, ballad, rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1985–present
Labels	PolyGram (1985–1989) Sony Music (1991–2008) Warner Latina (2008–present) Metamorfosis (2011–present)
Associated acts	Gaby Moreno, Intocable, Chenoa, Marta Sánchez, Marc Anthony, Tommy Torres
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 singer-songwriter and former basketball player and school teacher. In 1993, he received the Rafael Álvarez Ovalle Order from the then President of Guatemala, Ramiro de León Carpio, for his international merits.^[1] Arjona began his music career in 1985 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 gained him significant popularity throughout the United States and Latin America, 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 won both a Latin Grammy Award and a 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 independently founded his own record label, Metamorfosis, through which he released his thirteenth studio album, Independiente, in 4 October 2011.

Ricardo Arjona is considered to be one of the most successful Latin American artists of all time, with more than 20 million albums sold to date.^[2] He is often called El Animal Nocturno (The Nocturnal Animal),^[3] 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 noted for his lyrical style, and often addresses topics such as love, homosexuality, kidnapping, rape, interracial racism and immigration.

As of 2011, Arjona has released a total thirteen studio albums, one live album and nine compilation albums. He has also released forty-three singles. Four Arjona albums have 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. His work has earned him numerous awards and accolades, including one Grammy Award, one Latin Grammy Award, the "Latin Heritage" Award^[4] as well as 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.

Early years and personal life[link]

Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales was born on 19 January 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.^[5] At the age of 8, young Ricardo could already play the guitar.^[6] At age 12, he participated in the contest "Festival Infantil Juventud 74" with "Gracias al Mundo", a song composed by his father, finally winning the event.^[7]

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).^[8] At USAC there is a library hall that bears his name.^[8] There is also a street named after him in his birthplace, Jocotenango, Guatemala.^[9] Ricardo Arjona was a talented basketball player, and he played for the team Leones de Marte and TRIAS.^[6] 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.^[10]

He spent some time as a teacher at a primary school (called Santa Elena III),^[8] where he claimed to have spent six hours giving lessons and the rest of the day playing soccer.^[10] 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.^[9] 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. From 2010, Arjona has been dating Venezuelan model Daisy Arvelo, with whom he has a child.^[11]

Career[link]

1980s: Beginnings and early breakthrough[link]

Arjona began his musical career at age 21,^[6] when he found a contract with record label PolyGram through exchange^[12] and released his debut album Déjame Decir Que Te Amo in 1985. With the album, the label attempted to portray Arjona as a stereotypical Latin-lover type.^[13] Only one single were released from the album, being the title track, "Déjame Decir Que Te Amo". This album failed on charts and received moderate critical success, with Allmusic awarding the album 3 stars out of five.^[14] Because of his negative experiences while recording the album and its commercial failure, he decided to abandon the music industry and become a schoolteacher.^[8]

At age 24, Arjona sought the opportunity to represent his country on the OTI Festival with the song "Con Una Estrella En El Vientre".^[8] The experience convinced Arjona to follow his music career,^[8] and then he started recording, from which sessions "S.O.S Rescátame" was recorded.^[5] His sophomore studio album, Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo brought him commercial and critical success over Latin America and the U.S. and became one of the best-selling records in many Central American territories.^[5][8]

[edit] 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.^[6] His third album still stands as one of the least successful out of the Guatemalan singer. Animal Nocturno, Arjona's fourth studio album, was released in 1993. It became the one which took him to fame,^[15][16] with the help of the work the artist made in Mexican telenovela Alcanzar Una Estrella, in which he showcased his songwriting and singing skills and garnered him media attention.^[5] The album contained the hit singles "Mujeres" (No.6 on Billboard Latin Songs) and "Primera Vez" (No.6 on Billboard Latin Songs) and received thirteen platinum and one diamond certifications.^[17] He then consolidated his reputation as a well-known singer 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,^[6] 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 it, 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."^[14] Arjona have claimed many times that his fourth and fifth studio albums are the best-selling of his career.^[18]

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 Él"). 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 Él" (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."^[14] Si El Norte Fuera El Sur received multiple Platinum certifications in the United States^[19] and Argentina.^[20] 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."^[14] 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^[19] and Argentina.^[20] More than 700,000 copies of the album has been sold.^[1]

On 5 December 1998 and in front of a live audience of more than 100,000 people on the Hippodrome of Guatemala City, Arjona records his first live album, Vivo, released in 1999.^[17] 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.

[edit] 2000–2005: Galería Caribe, world tour, 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 singer commented that twelve months were needed to make the album, stating that he "had least friends before starting with the project."^[21] He also mentioned he "lived in love with Caribbean culture and music since my childhood."^[21] 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."^[14] 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,^[22] Argentina^[20] and the US.^[19] 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. To promote the album, which sold more than one million copies, Arjona embarked on his Galería Caribe Tour.^[23][24] The tour began in Mexico in 2000 and finished in 2001.^[21]

"Mesías" was directly associated with the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

	"Mesías" noicon A sample of "Mesías", displaying the first chorus of the controversial song, investigated by the FBI.[25]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Mesias" became a subject of some controversy by its theme, and the FBI issued an investigation over Arjona, after the attacks of September 2001, months after the release of the song.^[25] Arjona later commented his song has no relationship with such attacks, and that the lyrics on the song were pure coincidence.^[26] The singer also stated the FBI never spoke directly to him, but instead to somebody on his team.^[26] In the song, Arjona's messiah appears in the form of a wealthy, well-armed magnate with a Harvard degree, a penthouse in Paris and some sinister plan for the world. Some critics argue it's "a metaphorical attack on capitalism and imperialism, classic Arjona targets."^[27]

On 19 November 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),^[22] 160,000 in Argentina (quadruple Platinum status)^[20] and 200,000 in the United States (double Platinum certification).^[19] The album also received certifications in Venezuela (Platinum), Colombia (double Gold), Uruguay (double Platinum) and Chile (Platinum).

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.^[28] 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."^[14] Aside from that, the album received a Gold certification on Mexico,^[22] and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

On 6 December 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."^[29] 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.^[30]

Five singles were released from Adentro: the lead single, "Acompañame A Estar Solo" (No.7 on Billboard Latin Songs, No.1 on Latin Pop Songs), "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), "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.^[31]

[edit] 2006–2007: Adentro Tour and Quién Dijo Ayer

In 2006, Arjona started the first leg of his 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 world tour.^[9] The tour was officially closed on 14 September 2007 on the mainland city of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, during the International Fair, in front of more than 100,000 people.^[9]

Also, in 21 August 2007, Arjona releases his fifth compilation album, Quién Dijo Ayer. The album is a two-disc 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 Ramazzotti 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 on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart. "Quiero" the secong single, reached No.12 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, and No.8 on 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";^[32] and receiving double Platinum certification in Argentina^[20] and the United States,^[19] and Platinum certification in Mexico.^[22] Also, it received Gold certification in Colombia, Chile and Venezuela.^[33] To date, the album has sold more than two million copies.^[34]

[edit] 2008–2010: New label, Quinto Piso, world tour and Poquita Ropa

Ricardo Arjona in Laredo, Texas during Quinto 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.^[35] The deal was closed in September 2008.^[35] 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."^[35]

Closed the deal, Arjona then announced he would release his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso, on 18 November 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 his past releases, moved approximately 200,000 copies in its first month at retail and received Gold an Platinum certifications in Mexico,^[22][36][37] United States,^[19][38] Spain, Argentina,^[20][39] Venezuela,^[40] Colombia, Guatemala, and many other countries.^[41] It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, becoming his second chart-topper con that list, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.^[42] The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album and a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Singer-Songwriter Album.^[43] The album received critical positive response, with Allmusic's Jason Birchmeier giving 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."^[32]

While Warner Music released his 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.^[44] Simplemente Lo Mejor contains hits taken from his past albums, namely Sin Daños a Terceros, Si El Norte Fuera El Sur, among others. This compilation received Gold certification in Mexico,^[22] and Platinum certification in Argentina.^[20]

"Sin Ti... 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 24 April 2009, Ricardo Arjona started his world tour, the Quinto Piso Tour to promote his then just released album. The tour included 123 shows between the United States,^[45] Spain,^[46][47] Argentina,^[48][49] Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, among many other countries in Latin America, and ended on 18 June 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.^[51] Also, he received in 2010 the "Latin Tour of the Year" Billboard Latin Music Award for the tour.^[51] On 26 February 2010, he participated in the 2010 Viña del Mar International Song Festival as one of the top performers.^[52] His performance was followed by that of Colombian singer Fanny Lu. One hour after Fanny Lu's performance, a 8.8 magnitude massive earthquake affected the area and the total south-central regions of Chile. On social networks, Arjona was jokingly blamed of the earthquake, commenting that "earthquakes go where he goes", making reference also to the earthquake felt in Mexico having the singer just arrived to that country.^[53][54]

Just finished the tour, Arjona announced his twelfth studio album, Poquita Ropa, which was released on 24 August 2010.^[55] It was preceded by the genre-mixing track "Puente", an ode to Havana, Cuba's largest and capital city.^[50] The song failed to break in the upper tier of Billboard charts, and was also reportedly prohibited for airplay in Cuba.^[56] The album became his 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 and Argentina.^[57]

The album marked a change on Arjona's sound, which himself called a "stripped-down version" of his music.^[58] Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review, saying that it was a "stripped-down acoustic effort" yet considering it "impressive".^[32] Two more singles were released from Poquita Ropa, "Vida", a song the singer dedicated to his recently dead father;^[59][60] and "Marta", an auto-biographical song in which music video stars Edith González.^[61] Both, like the lead single, failed to gain much airplay in the U.S., and failed to reach high positions on Billboard charts.

[edit] 2011–present: Independiente, Metamorfosis and world tour

Arjona released his thirteenth studio album, Independiente, in 4 October 2011. 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 22 October; 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.^[62] 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.^[63] Although, the album is being distributed by Warner Music.^[64] 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.^[65]

The first single off Independiente is "El Amor", being released in 23 August 2011.^[64] 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.^[67] 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 another world tour, the Metamorfosis World Tour,^[68][69] beginning on 27 January 2012 on Mexican city of Toluca,^[70] 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.^[70]

In 22 March 2012, a controversy surrounded a supposed Iranian law that forbid Iranian people to listen Arjona's music,^[54] as disclosed by Venezuelan television channel Globovisión, and other regional newspapers.^[3][71] Later, this information turned out to be false, and only a joke by an entertainment website, confused with real news.^[72] Globovisión later issued an apology on the matter.^[73] On 29 March, Billboard confirmed that Gaby Moreno, who is featured on second single "Fuiste Tú", has signed with Arjona's record label, Metamorfosis.^[74] "When I turned 17, I was signed by a very important label in the United States, [...], but I didn't feel comfortable when they told me which songs had to go into production", the singer said in a statement.^[74]

Between 31 March and 1 April, Arjona toured Guatemala, his native country, as part of his worldwide tour. The two concerts he presented in the Mateo Flores stadium were both sold out performances, becoming the first artist in Guatemalan history to achieve this feat.^[75] On April 9, 2012, American telecommunications corporation AT&T begun airing a commercial promoting the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone, and featuring the singer on it.^[76] Titled "The Shoot", the spot shows how a teenage boy uses his Nokia smartphone to record Arjona's performance, and then showing it to his mother. It also features the song "Mi Novia Se Está Poniendo Vieja" from the album Independiente, and is released to coincide with Mother's Day.^[77]

As of 16 April 2012, his Metamorfosis World Tour has reached more than 400,000 fans, from which about 160,000 were only from his Buenos Aires tour dates on April 12–15.^[78] On April 25, Arjona's show on Mendoza, Argentina accumulated an attendance of 24,000 people, breaking the record set by Luis Miguel 10 years prior, and thus becoming the highest-grossing artist ever on that province.^[79] Hours before his performance on Mendoza, the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in which the concert was held, a fire burned close to one of the entries of the complex.^[80]

Artistry[link]

Music and style[link]

Arjona's main music style is Latin pop. Mainly, he sings without the help of featured or additional singers. Only longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Tommy Torres had provided notable background vocals where needed. Five Arjona albums, with one of them being a compilation album, feature additional artists. The first of them is Galería Caribe, which features vocals from artist Ednita Nazario on the song "Porque Hablamos". Adentro features vocals from Spanish artist Chenoa on second single "Pingüinos En La Cama"; and from American Tejano band Intocable on third single "Mojado". The third 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 Ramazzotti on "A Ti". The fourth is 5to Piso, in which Paquita la del Barrio collaborates on the track "Ni Tú Ni Yo". The fifth album is Independiente, in which fellow Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno stars alongside the singer in the second single "Fuiste Tú".

Marc Anthony sang along Arjona on the salsa version of "Historia de Taxi".

In contrast to Déjame Decir Que Te Amo, on which he was treated as a balladeer, in the latter two albums Arjona experimented 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.^[81] 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.^[82] 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,^[83] and are performed acoustically with Caribbean touches, and besides a couple rockers, the songs are all fairly even in tone and tempo.^[83]

In Galería Caribe, Arjona brings a collection of Afro-Caribbean sounds, exploring traditional rhythms such as guaracha, bachata, merengue, and salsa.^[84] 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.^[85] This album included the song "La Nena (Bitácora de un Secuetro)", in which Arjona relates the story of a girl who is kidnapped by her uncle.^[86] 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".^[87] On this album, Arjona included more Latin sounds, like some Mexican and Tejano music on "Mojado",^[88] a song about immigration;^[89] 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.^[90] "Historia de Taxi" was transformed into a salsa song, and saw the help of American singer Marc Anthony^[90] and pianist Sergio George,^[91] who commented that "It's been interesting to work with to figures from different music worlds on the interest of making good music."^[92] He further stated that "every time a reunion of this kind happens, it a reason to celebrate."^[92] 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."^[90] "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 4 January 2010.^[93] This album included three new songs. The lead single, "Quién" was written by Arjona and produced by himself and Tommy Torres.^[94] "Quiero" and "Espantapájaros" are the other two new songs on the album.

Paquita la del Barrio sang along Arjona on ranchera "Ni Tu Ni Yo".

5to Piso is mainly driven by the use of piano and strings.^[95] Exceptions are "La Bailarina Vecina", crafted with pure orchestral arrangements; and "Ni Tú Ni Yo", a ranchera style song featuring Paquita la del Barrio.^[95] The album also includes a song called "Que Nadie Vea", in which the artist sings about homosexuality.^[96] 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."^[97]

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."^[58] Production was handled by Arjona himself and Dan Warner, who has also worked with Shakira, Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera.^[98] Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review, saying that it was a "stripped-down acoustic effort" yet considering it "impressive".^[99] 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."^[99]

	"Fuiste Tú" noicon A sample of "Fuiste Tú" from Independiente, displaying the first chorus sang by Arjona and Gaby Moreno.
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"Puente", the lead single, is the only notable exception. It is crafted in eight and a half minutes and is divided in three parts. The first one is a cappella song, sang mainly with a piano. The second part is a ballad with Caribbean and Latin sounds, with some salsa and Cuban influences.^[100] The third is a mixture of salsa and merengue, with Cuban influences. "Puente" is mainly similar to Arjona's work on Galería Caribe.^[99] 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.^[101]

Criticism and controversy[link]

Arjona, throughout his career, has been subject of criticism, both to his songwriting skills and as a singer. He has also been called "heater of old ladies" and "frustrated poet".^[102] Jaime Andrés Monsalve, music journalist from Cromos magazine, commented that "Arjona, effectively, is at the level of the singer-songwriters, it's to be said. We could even be more condescending and place him in what is used to be called 'author's music'. And he achieved it thanks to a prefabricated scheme in which they make tabula rasa, equivocately, the situations affecting human beings souls and the most prosaic materialism."^[103] Music producer Iván Benavides stated that "Arjona fills stadiums surely for the same reason that self-help books sell more than good literature. Some of his 'verses' could be part of an anthology of the worst of the Latin American song of all time. His music is poor but pretentious."^[103]

Controversy arised bewteen Arjona and Fito Páez (left) for a series of concerts on Buenos Aries, and with Juanes (right) for the benefit concert in Havana, Cuba.

Argentinian musician and multi-instrumentalist Fito Páez has also criticized Arjona. During an interview with newspaper Clarín, Paez commented that "If the city [Buenos Aires] gives 35 Luna Parks to Ricardo Arjona and only two to Charly García, then you have to think what does mean the politics, the newspapers, in that city, in which exist some values that have been annihilated."^[104][105]

Arjona responded to the commentary sending a letter to the newspaper, commenting that "On a suspicious way he signs the beginning of this issue in his country almost at the same time with the obvious fall of his artistic capacity", also stating that "it is from an epic beauty the panic that represents to him to send a new musical production to his own people." The singer finally called Páez a "false and reckless intellectual" and a "disrespectful dictator" that "believes he is the owner of popular decisions."^[105][106]

Mexican singer Alejandro Filio was also critical over Arjona. He commented that "there are some technical requirements to make music. Artists who write music without having a notion of the rhythmic and the metric would not achieve well-structured verses, and, as a result, neither well built songs. That's the case of Arjona."^[107] He also stated that he is "against who wants to apparent what it isn't."^[107]

Colombian singer Juanes also rose to controversy with the singer when the latter cancelled a concert in Cuba, the place where Juanes was to make a benefit concert, "to avoid generating a circus around this". Juanes, on an interview, commented that he wasn't aware that to go to the island, he "needed permission from Arjona."^[108] On the 2010 Viña del Mar International Song Festival, a controversy arose over a comment Arjona made during his show as a response to the show made hours before by Tito El Bambino, who was asking for the awards. Arjona said that "trophies aren't asked but deserved."^[109]

Juan Carlos Garay, music critic from Semana magazine, stated that Arjona is, as an artist, "more simple of what people believes. He is a guy that in every song repeats the same thing but in a thousand different ways, [he] doesn't develop thematics, but indeed a tone that easily gets confused with poetry. When the common people notes they can get easily close to this type of songs, they feel like members of an 'exclusive club'."^[103] He also said that "the conflict point is on the definition. Himself, or the people around him, had tried to classify him as a social singer-songwriter to the likes of Joan Manuel Serrat or Joaquín Sabina, but the truth is other: he is a baladeer", also stating that Arjona is "missclassified" and named it the successor of José Luis Perales.^[103]

Discography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Grammy Awards[link]

Latin Grammy Awards[link]

Billboard Latin Music Awards[link]

Lo Nuestro Awards[link]

See also[link]

	Guatemala portal
	Biography portal
	Latin America music portal

• Ricardo Arjona discography
• List of Guatemalans
• Music of Guatemala

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ricardo Arjona

• Official site