El Chombo

by Drago BonacichWhen Rodney Clark arrived to Panama in the late '70s, he started attending a local school, getting the nickname of El Chombo (dark-skinned) from his classmates. In 1985, he became a professional disc jockey while working for a Panamanian radio station, making his debut in a local club soon after. After recording commercial jingles, El Chambo began working as producer, starting with a cover of the Latin classic "Perfidia," performed by Gringo Man and Natali V. In 1997, Rodney Clark recorded his first album called Los Cuentos de la Cripta, teaming up with la Mafia a year later. 2000's Cuentos de la Cripta 3 featured his first international hit, a Latin reggae song called "El Gato Volador."