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RYKARDO

RETURNS HOME IN TRIUMPH!

Rykardo Hernández, a native of Tijuana, Mexico – a longtime protégé of mine since he was a struggling, teenage singer – has been starring in the musical, “Mentiras” (Lies) in Mexico City for most of the past three years. On November 4, the show will come to Tijuana for a one-night-, two-performance-stand. The venue will be the Grand Hotel Tijuana, a twin-tower, luxury lodging, unique in its grandeur in the State of Baja California.

My first contact with Rykardo was at the Tijuana family home of his uncle José López, a family of close association for many years. The then-Ricardo was a recent high school graduate whose singing talent was well known among his intimates and a few local-gathering venues. Already fluent in English, and with a vision beyond his immediate surroundings, Ricardo immediately became fascinated with my penchant to create true English-language versions of songs from his Spanish-language repertoire. The following day, Ricardo returned to his uncle’s house, where I had remained as an overnight guest, and sang from memory the lyric I had given him the night before – my English version of the perennial, “Sabor a mí” (You’ll Think of Me).

Soon after Ricardo became a U.S. citizen and was active on both sides of the border, he continued singing my lyrics, as my association took on the addition of confidant and consultant. We recorded locally, as well as to interview in San Diego, Los Angeles and Mexico City. When Ricardo was invited to sing the U.S. national anthem at a San Diego Padres baseball game, we got together to work out the lyrics. I have a recording of the cheers he got when he sustained the high note. I was with Jose Rosa when Ricardo, alone, with a mariachi band, kept a seaside amphitheater enthralled, up in Oceanside, just north of San Diego. The one vision Ricardo has always harbored – and still retains – is that of making a splash in Hollywood. That would have to be deferred, as Fate drew him toward Mexico City.

The now-Rykardo won a spot as a contestant with La Academia, a Mexico version of American Idol and Big Brother combined. The contestants live together in a big house for months, and study every facet of show business. Every Sunday, they would compete before a worldwide TV audience. After the competition was over, a caravan of the better contestants would be presented to live audiences throughout Mexico. Now a recognizable commodity, Rykardo became a host with Aztec-TV in Mexico City and Los Angeles. He then began to star in a prodigious number of sitcoms and soap operas. Then, his sidelined singing career came back into focus. About three years ago, Rykardo got the opportunity to star in the Mexico City musical Mentiras. For a time, simultaneously he appeared in the play Orgasmos.

With all of this success in Mexico, Rykardo still could not forget about Hollywood. About two years ago, on a visit to Tijuana/San Diego, Rykardo described how he had spotted a former Tijuana schoolmate on an MTV awards show. It was Héctor Jiménez, who had appeared with Jack Black in Nacho Libre. Sensing that Héctor’s Hollywood contacts might be helpful to him, Rykardo ask me to locate Héctor for him. Héctor’s Hollywood agent referred me to his Mexico City agent. Who in turn promised to follow through. That was the last I had heard of the matter, until a few months ago when I answered the telephone. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was speaking with Héctor Jiménez, who finally had gotten around to checking his email. It happened that both he and Rykardo were in Mexico City at that same time, unaware of each other’s presence. I was able, finally, to put them together. Who knows what might result from their dinner meeting.

In the meantime, Rykardo is coming home. It is certain the Grand Hotel Tijuana will be swarming with Rykardo’s screaming family, friends and fans. Rykardo is aggressive and outgoing onstage, before the camera and meeting with fans. Apart from that, he is extremely private, reserved, soft-spoken and retiring. True to his conservative and religious upbringing – despite his intimate association with show business -- he always has eschewed drinking, smoking and other such stimulants. You can bet that, with the swarms of humanity that will be all over him, Rykardo will be looking to play his most effective role: that of someone who makes an unannounced, unintrusive and successful getaway!

Welcome home, Rykardo! – !Bienvenido otra vez a tu pueblo!