From a sandwich vendor to a frustrated footballer: All the secrets of Maluma

 Maluma started working at a young age to support his family.

[Juan Luis Londoo Arias aka Maluma]

Thanks to successes like "Sobrio," "Felices los cuatro," "Hawaii," "Borró tape," and "Nos eat alive," Juan Luis Londoo Arias, better known as Maluma, is regarded as one of the most powerful exponents of the urban genre on a global scale. Throughout the course of his artistic career, he has amassed a large number of followers—on Instagram, he has already surpassed 62 million followers, and on his YouTube channel, he is about to reach 30 million—among whom are those who have followed his career ever since he rose to fame, as well as those who have been added as it positioned itself among the first places on the popularity charts.

Because of this, not many people are aware of what Maluma was up to before bursting onto the scene. And it is that the musician who was born in Medellin, Colombia, did not always succeed in winning over the audience with his interpretations. This is due to the fact that when he was younger, his primary goals were almost entirely unconnected to music. According to an interview he made in 2019 to the publication Gente magazine, while he was a youngster, he was required to help financially support his parents by selling sandwiches at his school.

I told my mum that we need to find a method to get ahead of the game. Give me what little money you have in your pocket so that I may purchase some candy and sandwiches to sell at school (...) I spent two dollars on a bag of candies and immediately began selling each individual item for the same amount. In addition to that, I would make sandwiches and sell them at my school, which was managed by wealthy individuals.

Maluma, who was just ten years old at the time, had to deal with his family's financial difficulties as well as the breakup of his parents' marriage. In addition to allowing him to contribute to the day-to-day costs that he, his mother, and his sister incurred, the ability to sell candies and sandwiches at a young age instilled in him an appreciation for the importance of hard work from an early age.

During the conversation he had with that medium, he revealed his true feelings and proudly promised her that his love and support for his family would never be conditional. In point of fact, he believes that maintaining the unity of his loved ones is the most important thing he can do with what he has, and he is aware that the monetary success he has achieved with his artistic career will always be in the background. Nevertheless, he has acknowledged that the love and admiration he consistently receives from the public is also exceptional.

"The real success is to be able to keep my family together (...) Then the fame and the money are a bonus." Being successful also means making a livelihood from your passion, but relatively few individuals are able to share that tale. She said, "Being able to do what I love for a career while being surrounded by the people I love is the secret to my happiness and good fortune."

Every every second of life was breathtaking. Because hardships, whether physical or financial, have helped my family become more resilient. As I have done and continue to do to this day, I would do everything for them.

However, when he was a child, not only did he sell sandwiches and sweets in the hallways of his school, but he also took advantage of his artistic skills by writing romantic letters of love and forgiveness for his classmates who wanted to conquer someone or needed to redeem their guilt. In addition, he sold sandwiches and sweets in the hallways of his school.

Maluma's soccer passion

Before beginning a career in the music business, the Colombian was successful in achieving a goal that he and many other Latinos have in common: becoming a soccer player. According to his statements to CNN, he was less than 10 years old when he began to experience the passion he has for this sport. This passion, in a certain way, also helped to strengthen his relationship with his father, who supported him by taking him to play whenever he could. According to his statements, he began to experience his passion for this sport when he was less than 10 years old.

I remember my father taking me to play on the fields there, in Medelln, and of spending time with other colleagues who had dreams in common; we all wanted to be soccer players in Medelln, that was a very big dream in the city as it is repeated in several Latin American countries. When I started playing soccer, which I repeat was one more dream (I had) since I was a child, I was about seven or eight years old, and I have those memories of my father taking me to play on the fields there.

As a result, Maluma spent around nine years playing for Atlético Nacional and Equidad Club Deportivo. All indications point to the fact that he was a valuable contributor, which is likely the reason for his longevity and consistency. However, one day he made the decision to walk away from his chances in the world of football in order to finally follow his second passion, which was to become a famous musician on a global scale.

As Maluma recounted during his visit to El Hormiguero Spain, the words "I'm here, I don't want to play football anymore, I want to produce music" were the ones he spoke to his father when he chose to quit his career as a player. He wanted to pursue a career in music instead of football.

As was to be anticipated, his father let out an uncontrollable scream in heaven because he did not want his son to lose out on the athletic chance that was presented to him since he was talented. The Colombian, on the other hand, was certain in his choice, and luckily for him, the circumstances worked in his favor.

His father called him a fool and said, "Huevón, you're insane." "I look at him and tell him, 'Suddenly maybe a bit, but it's what I want to do in my life. I'm sorry,'" she said. Initially, it was an extremely terrible experience for him, as is clear. I still vividly recall the moment when he pulled over the vehicle, glared at me with an angry expression, and told me, "You're insane, what do you want to do with your life, and apart from reggaeton, why don't you sing pop?', I'm sorry."

Even though it was clear that he would not be successful, his family eventually realized that it was his goal and that he would do all in his power to make it a reality. The fact that he is enjoying such success in her career as a result of the songs he has written for her is evidence that the choice she made was the correct one. 

Maluma's first steps in the music industry

According to information from his biography that is available on his official website, he released Magia in 2012, which was his first studio album. With this album, he was able to achieve a gold record in his home country and was nominated for his first Latin Grammy in the category of "Best New Artist." Magia was released in 2012.

Three years passed before he released a new record production called Pretty Boy-Dirty Boy. On this album, he successfully combined ballads and reggaeton. He also made his first collaborations with other artists who are considered to be representatives of the urban genre. These artists include Farruko, Arcángel, Consculluela, and Alexis & Fido.

The aforementioned production was successful in that it sold 5 million copies, received 16 nominations, and stood at number 1 on the popularity rankings for almost one month. FAME, 11:11, and Papi Juancho were the next three to accomplish this feat.