Spanish singer Manuel Arjona, a member of the original lineup of the band Locomía, which enjoyed great success in Spain and Latin America, died Wednesday at his home in Barcelona at the age of 58, his bandmate Xavier Font confirmed to EFE.
According to a report in the newspaper El País, the artist spent a quiet, normal day and died “peacefully” in his sleep.
With several gold and platinum albums to his credit, Arjona was part of the early days of Locomía, one of the first bands to raise awareness of the LGBTI community in Spain.
The band was formed in the late 1980s on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, led by Xavier Font, and also included his brother, Luis, and the Dutchman Gard Passchier.
That was the group hired by José Luis Gil, then president of the Hispavox record label, to turn them into a hit band in Spain at that time, with their energetic moves involving large fans, tailcoats with XXL shoulder pads, and pointed-toe shoes. Soon, however, disagreements arose that led, for example, to Xavier Font’s departure.
Arjona was indeed part of the group—which also included Carlos Armas, Juan Antonio Fuentes, and Francesc Picas—that released Locomía’s first album, *Taiyo* (1989), which featured standout tracks such as “Loco Mía” and “Rumba, Samba, Mambo (S.R.M.)”. Their success propelled them into the British music “top 10” and to Latin America.
In 1992, the late musician left the band after having experienced the band’s heyday—a period marked equally by immense success and constant internal strife, with members constantly coming and going.
In 2013, Arjona spearheaded an effort to bring Locomía back together, something he said in statements to EFE had him “very excited,” the agency reported.