Rik Indio “Demasiado Fuerte”

Rik Indio is synonymous with talent, an unforgetable image, faith and a steel will. Strength and sensuality seems to contrast this “tough guy” image, who has endless stories not only tatooed on his skin, but in his soul. From your very first encounter, Rik Indio feels like a breath of fresh air and he arrives just in time to invigorate the pool of new talent in the genres of salsa, pop and ballad; so much so, that with his unique touch, Rik Indio earned his nomination for Tropical Revelation of the Year 2010 at the “Premio Lo Nuestro” Awards. Today, he is back with a more mature, intense and personal proposal.

His name exemplifies Puerto Rico’s ethnic fusion, where he is rooted and where the Taino, Spaniard and Black come together for a mix as unique as the music he plays. His real name is Ricardo Ramos and his story begins in Paterson, New Jersey, the same neighborhood where two of his biggest influences, Frankie Ruiz y Domingo Quiñones, also grew up.

Rik Indio is the son and nephew of traditional Puerto Rican musicians. His father recorded four albums in the tropical genre and it was he who embedded the passion for rhythm and sound. “The first song I remember singing with my dad is ‘La Ultima Copa.’ I sang it when I was about eight years old.” he recalls. His adolescence between Paterson and the little town of El Duque in Puerto Rico, solidified his style by intertwining timeless sounds and “nuyorican” urban influences with a classic flair from the past.

At a club in New York, when he was 19, Rik Indio met the leading salsa performer Domingo Quiñones and asked him to listen to his singing. Quiñones was able to discover the potential in Rik Indio and introduced him to the industry to start his own project. One month after their meeting, Rik Indio was in a studio recording his first album.  Although Rik never put the album out, it made enough of an impact on him to realize that his future was in music.

For nine years, Rik Indio battled many obstacles. Among them, a serious accident that nearly cost him his life and kept him bedridden for four years, with a lengthy and painful recovery.Rik Indio not only fully recovered against all odds with three surgeries and metal parts in his body, but also became an example of healthy living and playing sports.

Rik Indio has participated in a tribute to Hector Lavoe, produced by the late Ralph Mercado, owner of RitmoMundo Musical. He shared the stage with several legends of salsa such as Willie Colon, Oscar de Leon, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Miranda, India and Domingo Quiñones. He was also invited to be a guest at the famous Puerto Rican Day Parade on 5th Avenue in New York, among other events.

In 2009, Rik Indio’s debut album: TAINO, DE PUERTO RICO PARA EL MUNDO, was a surprise to the desiccated music industry, with his hit tracks  QUIERO AMAR A OTRA  and COMO SERIA climbing to the top position on the Billboard charts. His first single QUIERO AMAR A OTRA  managed to get to #6 on Billboard Hot 100, 7th in BDS (measuring radio broadcasts throughout the United States) and 4th in Radio El Zol Miami. His second single “COMO SERIA” also excelled in Tropical radio across the country, reaching #8 on Billboard.

He was invited to major television shows and his story appeared in newspapers and magazines across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Rik Indio proudly sports numerous tattoos and each one tells a story. “My body is not tattooed because it is a fad or because of an image. Each tattoo has a very deep meaning for me. My right arm has the Virgin Mary, the Bible, the symbol for cancer, Calvary, and an image of Jesus. The other arm has the symbol of Puerto Rico, a palm tree and an angel. On my back, there’s an angel with huge wings, and on my chest, the image of one of my sisters, who left us too soon.” he explains.

With hard experiences that have turned into inspiration, Rik Indio has returned to the recording studio. He brings his passion, his undeniable energy and the same team that accompanied him on his first album: the outstanding composer Jorge Luis Piloto, producer Junito Davila and singer/vocal coach Gianko Gomez, among others have brought forth Rik Indio’s second album TE VOY A ENAMORAR, which showcases “El Tiempo” as the third single. This is an intense and deep salsa written by Jorge Luis Piloto that talks about the loss and despair when you are not with the one you love; a topic and a sentiment that everyone can relate to.

TE VOY A ENAMORAR includes “Ella” holds Top 20 status on Billboards, Media Base and Monitor Latino and still rising on the charts and currently receives heavy rotation on national radio.   “Cupable de Amarte” the album’s bonus track which peaked at #7 on the Tropical Billboard chart.  “Te Voy A Enamorar” (this track gave the album it’s name and has earned Rik a Conga de la Salsa RD Award), “Lloras”, “Vivo” and “El Tiempo Sin Ti” (track that earned a spot among Billboards Tropical Top Ten).   “Demasiado Fuerte” earned Rik a Conga de la Salsa RD Award nomination in 2015 and topped Billboards Tropicales at #18.

“Demasiado Fuerte Reloaded” (2016) is his new promotional track, which was released was as a single this past Oct. entering Billboard charts at #37 and is still rising , as Indio is has figured out how to do this better than most by give his fans Salsa Romantica charged with.

For more info:

Itune Link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/demasiado-fuerte-reloaded/id1170605259