La Mona Jiménez

Juan Carlos Jiménez Rufino (born 11 January 1951), known as La Mona Jiménez, is a cuarteto singer and songwriter, heralded as one of the most prominent performers of the genre.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Jiménez and the second or maternal family name is Rufino.
La Mona Jiménez
Mona Jiménez in La Falda (2008).
Mona Jiménez in La Falda (2008).
Background information
Birth nameJuan Carlos Jiménez Ruffino
Born (1951-01-11) 11 January 1951
Córdoba, Argentina
GenresCuarteto
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Juan Carlos Jiménez Rufino was born on 11 January 1951 in Córdoba, Argentina.[1] He is of Afro-Argentine descent.[2][3] He earned the nickname La Mona ("the she-monkey") from his parents, who noted his resemblance to Cheeta the Chimpanzee from the Tarzan TV series.[4]

Musical career

He started singing with Cuarteto Berna when he was 15 years old after winning a contest among 40 other singers. With this group he recorded five albums.[5]

His first hit was La flaca Marta ("Skinny Marta") from the album Para toda América ("For All America"), released in 1984. His success allowed him to buy three brand-new cars and a house in the barrio of Cerro de Las Rosas, and to pay off a mortgage.[1]

In 40 years of musical career Jiménez has recorded more than 85 CDs and sold more than 36 million copies all over Argentina. His 62nd CD, titled Beso a beso con La Mona ("From kiss to kiss with La Mona") sold more than one hundred thousand copies just in Córdoba. He received the Platinum Konex Award for best Cuarteto soloist/band of the 1985–1995 decade in 1995 and of the 1995–2005 decade in 2005.[6]

He has two daughters, Lorena and Natalia, and a son, Carli, who is also a cuarteto musician.[5][7]

References
  1. Cuadrado, Jorge (2010). Juan Carlos Jiménez Rufino, La Mona (in Spanish). Córdoba: Raíz de dos. ISBN 9789872471767.
  2. Ramírez, Agustín (2018). "Córdoba es afrodescendiente": Etnografía sobre la emergencia de identificaciones "afrocordobesas" y la organización de la Mesa Afro Córdoba (PDF) (Licenciatura) (in Spanish). Córdoba: National University of Córdoba. p. 98.
  3. ""África en Córdoba", algo más que un tostado en la piel". El Diario de Córdoba (in Spanish). 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. "Internaron a la "Mona" Jiménez". La Gaceta (in Spanish). 2 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
  5. Playo, José (25 February 2016). "Carli Jiménez: heredero de la fuerza". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. "Carlos "La Mona" Jiménez". Fundación Konex (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. "La hija extramatrimonial del ídolo del cuarteto habló en televisión sobre un encuentro que mantuvo con Juana y reveló que el músico no la recibe". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 20 September 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
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