a "stripped-down acoustic effort", considering it "impressive". 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." "Puente", the lead single, is the only notable exception. It lasts eight and a half minutes and is divided in three parts. The first is sung mainly with a piano. The second part is a ballad with Caribbean and Latin sounds, with some salsa and Cuban influences. The third mixes salsa and merengue, with Cuban influences. "Puente" resembles Arjona's work on Galería Caribe. This album was the first since Adentro, that Arjona worked without Torres. In Independiente, Arjona returned to his trademark sound, which Torres helped craft. David Jeffries of Allmusic gave the album a somewhat positive review. He compared the production values and musical style of Independiente with those of past albums Animal Nocturno and Historias, stating, "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. Discography Déjame Decir Que Te Amo (1986) Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo (1988) Del Otro Lado del Sol (1991) Animal Nocturno (1993) Historias (1994) Si El Norte Fuera El Sur (1996) Sin Daños a Terceros (1998) Galería Caribe (2000) Santo Pecado (2002) Adentro (2005) 5to Piso (2008) Poquita Ropa (2010) Independiente (2011) Viaje (2014) Apague la Luz y Escuche (2016) Circo Soledad (2017) Blanco (2020) Negro'' (2021) Awards and nominations In 1993, he received the Rafael Álvarez Ovalle Order from the then President of Guatemala, Ramiro de León Carpio, for his international accomplishments. At USAC a library hall bears his name. His birthplace, Jocotenango, named a street after him. In 2017, Arjona received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Arjona is also a recipient of the Order of the Quetzal, Guatemala's highest condecoration. See also List of Guatemalans Music of Guatemala References External links Official site 1964 births Guatemalan male singer-songwriters Guatemalan people of Spanish descent Guatemalan men's basketball players Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music songwriters Living people People from Sacatepéquez Department Sony BMG Norte artists Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala alumni Rodven Records artists Warner Music