The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Manigua was launched in 2025 by Ricardo Ramos Perfumes de Autor, with perfumer Ricardo Ramos credited for the composition. Its inspiration comes from José Eustasio Rivera's Colombian novel La Vorágine, first published in 1924. Ramos draws on the novel's literary image of the jungle as an epicenter where nature's forces converge, building the fragrance around this central idea. The composition layers aromatic green notes with earth, minerals and leather, giving the jungle reference a literary dimension. Lemon Verbena and Petitgrain bring brightness, Hemp adds a distinct green character, and Vetiver and Lichen introduce earthy depth. Berries and Nutmeg contribute fruit and spice, while Musk, Mineral Notes, Labdanum and Leather form a tactile, mineral-rich base.
The structure makes sense once the literary reference is clear. Lemon Verbena and Petitgrain introduce light through the composition, while Hemp contributes its own green edge. Vetiver and Lichen pull the fragrance downward into shaded earth. Berries and Nutmeg add a pulse of fruit and spice, stopping the green accord from becoming too clean or clinical. Musk, Mineral Notes, Labdanum and Leather then anchor it in something tactile and mineral-rich. The result is less a literal jungle postcard than a textured idea of jungle: aromatic, shaded, and unusually composed.
The evolution
The opening arrives with a cool, clarifying snap. Lemon Verbena and Petitgrain cut through Hemp like early light across leaves, giving the first impression a clean herbal snap rather than dense tropical fruit. As the bright citrus softens, Vetiver and Lichen replace brightness with damp shade. Berries add a dark, tart edge while Nutmeg introduces dry warmth, making the heart feel botanical and slightly spiced without becoming overtly sweet. The drydown changes the register again. Mineral Notes suggest cool stone, Leather adds a close, textured warmth, and Labdanum gives the base a resinous depth. Together, these notes create a progression from fresh citrus and green aromatics through earthy shades, fruit and spice. The final composition is earthy, lightly musky, and still recognizably green, with leather and minerals providing a restrained finish.
Cultural impact
Manigua connects fragrance directly with José Eustasio Rivera's Colombian novel La Vorágine, first published in 1924. This reference places the composition within the lineage of 20th-century Hispanic narrative, where the jungle functions as a setting for spiritual and psychological force rather than simple tropical scenery. The fragrance translates that literary framework into a sequence of aromatic green notes, earth, minerals, fruit, spice, resin and leather. Lemon Verbena and Petitgrain provide brightness at the opening, followed by Hemp, Vetiver and Lichen.
The House
Ricardo Ramos Perfumes de AutorRicardo Ramos Perfumes de Autor creates artistic fragrances from Granada, Spain. Each scent references Andalusian history, colonial trade routes, and the cultural mix of South American expatriates who live in Granada and Istanbul. The line balances vintage ingredients such as oud, ambergris, and citrus with modern laboratory techniques, offering collectors a narrative that feels both scholarly and sensual. Recent releases like HooDoo Blues (2023) and Manigua (2025) illustrate the brand’s ongoing dialogue between past and present, while older classics such as AGUA DE BARCELONA (2004) remain reference points for the house’s evolving language.
The Creator
Ricardo RamosRamos gravitates toward opulent, characterful compositions that refuse to disappear into the background. Oriental structures appear frequently in his work, as seen in Cristina la Veneno, an assertive unisex fragrance that takes its name from Spanish cultural iconography and wr…
