Richy Peña facts for kids

Richy Peña, whose full name is Richard Peña, was born on October 27, 1984. He is a very successful music producer in the United States. He helps artists create their songs and albums, making sure they sound great.

Richy Peña's Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Richy Peña was born in Santo Domingo, which is the capital city of the Dominican Republic. When he was 17, in 2001, Richy started his very first music group. It was a boy band called Alofoque, created for Latino teenagers in Boston. He also started a record label with the same name.

Moving to New York and Big Breaks

Later, Richy moved to New York City to chase his music dreams. There, he met a young producer named Nely “El Arma Secreta.” Nely was working with some of the biggest stars in Reggaeton music, like Daddy Yankee and Don Omar. Soon, Richy was also working on songs with famous artists such as Zion, Rihanna, and Don Omar.

Don Omar was so impressed with Richy's talent that he asked Richy to join his own music team. This happened after Nely moved to Miami.

Creating Hit Songs

One of Richy's first big successes was producing the song “Calm My Nerves” for Don Omar. Richy also helped Don Omar work with other artists, including Tony Dize and a group from Venezuela called Chino y Nacho. Richy produced two songs for Chino y Nacho early in their career. One of these was an early hit called “Dentro de Mi,” which also featured Don Omar.

In 2008, Richy opened his own music studio in downtown Boston.

Boston Music Conference

Richy Peña had a great idea to help new musicians. In 2008, he started planning the first Boston Music Conference (BMC). This event brought together new, talented artists, people who find new talent for big record labels, and famous artists like Lapiz and Sensato del Patio. The conference was held in September 2008.

Working with Chino y Nacho

At the end of 2008, Chino y Nacho came to Boston. While there, they wrote their super hit song Niña Bonita. Richy Peña played a big part in helping Chino y Nacho sign a deal with Universal Music, a major record company. After that, “Niña Bonita” quickly became a number one hit song!

Grammy Win and New Ventures

In 2010, Richy won a prestigious Grammy Award for “Niña Bonita”. This was a huge achievement! He also signed a special publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music. Around the same time, Richy helped start a company called Rich Republic. This company helps musicians with all parts of their career, from making music to marketing it.

In 2013, Richy was set to produce the first album for artist Somaya Reece.

Awards and Recognitions

Richy Peña has received many awards and honors for his amazing work in music:

• Winner of the 2010 Latin Grammy for Best Urban Music Album (for his work with Chino y Nacho)
• Winner of the 2011 Premio Lo Nuestro for Best Tropical Album Mi Niña Bonita (for Chino y Nacho)
• Nominated for 2011 Billboard Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year
• Nominated for 2011 Billboard Tropical Airplay Song of the Year
• Nominated for 2011 Billboard Latin Rhythm Album of the Year
• Nominated for 2011 Billboard Latin Digital Download of the Year
• Winner of the 2011 BMI Citation of Achievement for the popularity of Niña Bonita
• Powermeter Award for being one of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in both 2011 and 2012
• Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from Boston Latino TV
• Editor's Pick for Best Independent Music Conference by El Planeta Newspaper

In 2012, Richy was chosen as a "Power User" by Image-Line. This company makes the FL Studio software, which Richy uses to produce his records.