Reynaldo Armas

Known in his home country as "El Cardenal Sabanero" ("The Cardinal from the Savannah"), Venezuelan singer Reynaldo Armas began his career in the 1970s and quickly established himself as one of the most popular artists in the llanero genre. He was born Reynaldo Armas Enguaima on August 4, 1953, in Santa María de Ipire, Guárico, and moved from his hometown to the city of Zaraza when he was just 9 years old. At the age of 11, he began performing on local radio shows and, by the time he was 12, he had already written his first song, "Nadie Tiene Que Saber." After winning a handful of singing competitions, he relocated to Caracas, where he performed at several venues dedicated to llanero music. Mentored by singer Rafael "El Cazador Novato" Martínez Arteaga, Reynaldo Armas managed to land a record deal and issued his studio debut Yo También Quiero Cantar in 1975, a collection of songs that showcased his talent to a much wider audience and achieved success in both Venezuela and Colombia. However, his breakthrough came in 1978 with the seminal LP La Inspiración del Poeta, often cited as one of the most groundbreaking albums within the genre due to its seamless blend of traditional folk music and Latin pop. Throughout the 1980s, he continued to develop his radio-friendly brand of llanero on well-received releases like La Flor de la Amistad (1989), which featured the hit single "A Usted," El Indio (1981), and Mi Credo (1987). The next few decades found the singer reaping the fruits of his prolific labor by receiving some of the most important awards in the region, including the Guaicaipuro de Oro and the Meridiano de Oro. In 2013, his album El Caballo de Oro won Best Folkloric Album at the Latin Grammys; a feat he would repeat again in 2015 with La Muerte del Rucio Moro, named after his 1987 hit single.