Ricardo Arjona has always been a storyteller. For over three decades, his songs have combined irony, social criticism, and love in all its forms. However, the Guatemalan artist seems to have entered a new, more intimate, more vulnerable, and more powerful creative stage. In his latest albums, 'Blanco y Negro', recorded between London and Antigua Guatemala, the musician moved away from sonic artifices to seek something deeper: the emotional truth behind each verse. In this new phase, Arjona sets aside the pop orchestras and grandiose arrangements that characterized his 2000s hits like 'Dime que no' or 'Te conozco'. In Antigua, his hometown, he set up a craft studio that served as a refuge and musical laboratory. Far from the trend charts, the singer-songwriter has solidified a community that continues to sell out tickets on every tour and streams his tracks millions of times on digital platforms. At 61, Arjona lives between Mexico and Guatemala and dedicates much of his time to writing and producing new talent. In their place appear soft guitars, minimal percussion, and a vocal register that prioritizes closeness over spectacle. The result is a warm and contemplative atmosphere. Tracks like 'Morir por vivir' or 'El Amor Que Me Tenía' show a more grounded Arjona, capable of writing about old age, loss, or the passage of time with a moving maturity. The creative process for 'Blanco y Negro' was born in two opposite, yet symbolically complementary, spaces. In London, at the legendary Abbey Road studios, Arjona recorded the songs with a live band, prioritizing spontaneity over technical perfection.
