Think of Ricardo as a Tex-Mex blend of all that's enjoyable in modern music. His sounds sizzle like Santana, his message inspires like Salvador, and his personality is infectious. The Hispanic singer/songwriter/worship leader started out in a mariachi band as a child. By his teen years, he was into Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and The Beatles, embracing more pop styles. And as an adult, he's the worship leader at Scottsdale, Arizona's First Assembly Dream Center, a progressive and diverse congregation. Now he's written and recorded a project of his own, Unmerited (Waymaker Christian Music). We recently talked with Ricardo about his upbringing, his music, and how he hopes to share his beliefs with the Latino community and break down racial lines to unite all with the gospel. How did you first get exposed to Hispanic music?Ricardo By my father, who wanted to be a Hispanic artist but didn't have the pipes for it. He actually had great pipes, but very little control. So we grew up listening to Latin music while he played, and then my father incorporated me, my brother and sister into the act when I was five years old. We recorded our first record and sold them in the local Hispanic community, and when I was twelve we did another one. That one went to number three on local radio and we started touring a little bit.Where did rock and roll fit into the picture?Ricardo The Hispanic culture was a huge influence, but so was what my friends were listening to—Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Journey, and Earth, Wind & Fire. But when I was led to the Lord at 17 through Young Life, I got into Amy Grant, Keith Green and Michael W. Smith. Once the Young Life leaders heard that I sang and played, I immediately became a leader and played Young Life meetings. That led me to write songs that incorporated all those styles with my beliefs. Was there any culture shock going from mariachi music to youth-group pop?Ricardo Since I grew up in an Anglo community, I didn't realize I was Hispanic until someone told me in school sometime around the fourth grade. I asked him what that meant, and he said I should go ask my parents. What was I? Who was I? I never realized the culture was more to me than what I saw in the mirror. Now that I'm an artist, I've had Billboard call my music "Latin pop rock. " Obviously the majority of lyrics are in English, though I'm going to translate them to Spanish.In what ways do you hope to impact the Hispanic community?Ricardo My heart is to reach people of all kinds, including my own culture. I'm in that second generation of Mexicanos that didn't grow up speaking Spanish at home, but we were still being cultivated with the language and learning. I'm not out to exploit a culture, but rather to communicate love. When you see one of my concerts, you can see my heart and personality through the lyrics. I'm honored to be of Hispanic descent, so it's part of me in the natural ebb and flow of events. Out of my family, I was the first to [graduate] college, and I think some of them are fairly skeptical [about these musical and worshipful pursuits]. A lot of them are afraid of even Christianity and don't understand that.How did they react when you first received Christ?Ricardo I came home from the camp where I received Christ and my mom was in tears, thanking God I'd become a Christian. She could see there was something different in me from the world. In my family, they're very staunch Catholic, but they hear the message. My cousin tells me, "Man, God has done something in your life. I know you love Jesus and I love Jesus, so keep doing what you're doing!" Why make a worship record rather than a straight-out Christian rock record? Ricardo I didn't just want to sing. I wanted to say something and minister. I wrestled with whole idea of Christian music because of the whole artistry part. People can be very cynical and analyze you, saying, "How dare you be on the cover and make money?" But I've heard the Lord ask, "What makes you think this has anything to do with you man?" My goal is to make something that glorifies him and expands the kingdom. I want people to praise him, to worship and bow down before him, but also to let them know God loves them.How are you able to communicate your personal journey throughout such vertical lyrics?Ricardo My music is vertical and they're songs to God since he rescued me. Because of the transforming power of the kingdom, God takes people who were once lost and makes them found. "Rescue Me" is my testimony song, saying how I was saved from my life of previous sin by his grace and spirit. This whole record is made in honor of God. I've never been driven by sales or motivated by money. It's always been a motivation by people and the desire to keep their attention long enough to hear the eternal message.In what ways do you hope to break down racial barriers?Ricardo My whole approach is simply Christ. I always pray "Jesus, take it where you want it and remove it from where it shouldn't be." Basically that comes from book of Matthew, where Jesus said to go to all the nations. The word nation comes from "ethnos" or "ethnicity," so in [the] simplest form, Christ has commanded us to go into all the ethnicities and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I don't think about "Is this going to minister to Hispanics?" or "Is this going to influence Asians?" I simply ask God how he wants this to minister. The world is dying to know what we have inside us—young people killing themselves to find love and old people are jumping out of windows because they don't think anybody understands. Yet we have a peace in us, and I'm just believing the Lord will transcend all those stereotypes. Jesus transcends every race and nationality. By keeping that open mind to ministry, my prayer is that it connects with the Mexican community, as well as the Anglo community and ever other community out there!Learn more about Ricardo's music and ministry by visiting his official site, www.ricardomusic.com. Click here to read our review of his national debut, Unmerited. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and buy his music.© Andy Argyrakis, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.