Ariel Camacho

José Ariel Camacho Barraza (July 8, 1992 – February 25, 2015) was a Mexican musician and singer-songwriter. He predominantly performed regional Mexican music, mainly corridos. He was the lead singer and lead guitarist of his group, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho. In 2013, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho signed to JG Records where they frequently played in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In 2014 they signed with DEL Records, which allowed them to play their music in the United States.

Early life Camacho was born to Benito Camacho and Reynalda Barraza on July 8, 1992, in Guamúchil, Sinaloa. By age seven, he began playing the guitar and singing by age 12. He became known as "La Tuyía"efn-ua|A nickname meaning "you've made that guitar yours".

Death On 25 February 2015, Camacho and four other people were in a car accident on the road from Angostura, Sinaloa. Camacho was returning from a music festival, Carnaval de Mocorito. Camacho and two others died and two other people were injured. They were riding in a 2004 Honda Accord when Camacho lost control. The accident reportedly occurred at two in the morning on highway Angostura–La Reforma. Camacho died on impact. It is unclear whether he was driving intoxicated although it was reported he was driving at excessive speed. He died at the age of 22.

Legacy Following his death, his group's song "El Karma" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in March and the album hit the top five of the Latin albums chart. Shortly after his death, Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho changed their name to Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho to tribute Camacho. The band continues to make albums in honor of Camacho, like "Recuerden Mi Estilo", alongside Camacho's father, Benito Camacho. Many have paid tribute to Camacho through the use of songs such as Virlán García with "Hasta el Cielo", Los Traviezoz de la Zierra with "Mis Últimos Momentos" and "Un Mentado Ariel". An album in tribute to Camacho was also released in 2017 called "Ariel Camacho Para Siempre" that features artists such as Gerardo Ortiz, Regulo Caro, and Revolver Cannabis. Each year on 25 February in memory of Camacho, his band, family members, fans, and other artists come together at his grave to commemorate him. Ariel is now known by many as "el Rey del Requinto", "el Mentado", "el Rey de Corazones" and "la Tuyía".

Many later artists making regional Mexican music including in the corridos tumbados scene cite Camacho as a source of inspiration, some of these artists include Natanael Cano, Junior H, Gabito Ballesteros, among several others.

Discography El Karma (2014) Hablemos (2015)