Dominican merengue star Kinito Méndez (born José del Carmen Ramírez) got involved in popular music at the age of nine while participating in a band called Pequeños del Ritmo. In 1988, he formed a tropical act called Cocoband along with Alfonso "Pochi" Vásquez. After that, he formed the group Rikarena, his second project. In the early '90s, the singer/songwriter, producer, and arranger joined Rokabanda, deciding to start his solo career in 1995