Mexican pop-R&B vocalist Kalimba (Kalimba Marichal Ibar) was born on July 26, 1982, in Mexico City. The young talent made forays into the performance world early on, interested in a variety of musical styles and taking work as an actor from a very young age. His work in the film industry flourished, and he appeared in such successful productions as the telenovela Carrusel de las Americas, and the stage role of Simba in The Lion King. At the age of 11, Kalimba decided to make music his artistic focus, a decision that led to his participation in La Onda Vaselina, one of Mexico's most successful youth pop groups. With a brief departure from his musical pursuits in favor of athletics, Kalimba spent many years in pop music, first with La Onda and second with OV7, a repackaging of the same group for a slightly older audience. Thanks to many years of work, Kalimba endeared himself to Latino adolescents, becoming a well-known and well-loved teenage performer. In 2004, at the age of 21, Kalimba released his debut solo record, Aerosoul, to much critical acclaim and respectable market response. The record's single, "Tocando Fondo," landed on the Billboard charts in a variety of Latin categories.