Kiko Rodriguez

by Evan C. GutierrezBachata star Kiko Rodriguez was born in Tamboril, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. From his earliest years, Kiko exhibited an interest in music, first experimenting with percussion instruments around the age of 12 before moving to guitar. He began giving concerts shortly thereafter, performing publicly throughout his early teens. After moving to the town of Canca Arriba, Kiko organized a group of friends and relatives to accompany him, performing under the name Los Modernos del Amargue. The local record company Elvin Productions/Discomania signed a deal with Rodriguez, ultimately releasing his debut album, Kiko Rodriguez y los Claveles Mios. Album singles such as "El Verde de Tus Ojos" and "Ya Te Olvide" introduced Rodriguez to a larger audience via tropical radio both stateside and abroad. Epidemia de Amor and Sentimientos y Mas followed, and were similarly well received by the bachata-listening public. With three well-liked original albums to his credit, Rodriguez began receiving invitations to perform internationally. He toured throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and the States, performing for bachata fans worldwide, a fan base that grew with each passing year. Rodriguez's fourth studio album, Directo al Corazon, proved to be a breakthrough success for the artist, with a long string of singles to its credit. As the bachata style has experienced a groundswell in popularity, the folkloric style has carried a number of young and talented artists such as Rodriguez to recording industry success. Artistically active, with a number of collections of his work available, Rodriguez is popular throughout the tropical music listening community.