David Bustamante says his perfume business could support him without music income. He now has 14 fragrances, claims one sells every 15 seconds and says more than 10 million bottles have been sold.
During his latest appearance on El hormiguero, Bustamante said he will soon appear in the musical El Zorro in Madrid and set aside Monday through Wednesday for studio work and new music.
He also described the perfume business that now sits alongside his music career. The collection has 14 fragrances, and Bustamante said one bottle sells every 15 seconds. He presented that as a current sales rate, not a joke.
The singer said the perfumes are sold at an affordable price and credited customers for keeping demand strong. He added that the business may cover his living costs, although it is not necessarily his biggest source of income after years of professional work.
Bustamante said the latest fragrance in the collection is called Inédito, the same name as one of his musical albums. He identified Muy mío, the first perfume, and the latest release as his personal favourites.
The comments gave a commercial edge to a career usually linked to music and television. Bustamante came through the first class of Operación Triunfo and has continued to combine recording work with stage and television appearances.
His next major role will be in El Zorro. The Madrid production will allow him to perform only four shows a week, so he plans to use the first three days of the week for studio sessions and new music.
The programme also recognised Bustamante as an Infinity guest, a status reserved for people who have appeared more than twenty times. He arrived with a new haircut and received a watch from the programme. Those details belonged to the television segment, but the perfume figures became the interview's clearest business story.
ABC, Infobae and 20minutos reported Bustamante’s claim that more than 10 million bottles had been sold. The figure was attributed to the singer’s conversation with Pablo Motos, and the available reports do not include an independent sales audit or financial statements confirming it.
Bustamante also defended musical theatre performers during the broadcast. He said they must sing, dance and act, and argued that audiences sometimes undervalue the work despite its demands and popularity.
The rest of the appearance mixed promotion with entertainment. Bustamante discussed learning to handle a sword for El Zorro, spoke under the effects of helium with Esperansa Grasia and Pablo Motos, imitated auditions from La voz and raced the presenter in remote-controlled cars.
His comments about the fragrances offered a closer look at how tightly the venture is tied to his name. He joked that the bottles fill part of the bathroom at home and said he is building a lit wall niche for them in his new house. Instead of Grammy awards, he said he would display his own perfumes.
One sale every 15 seconds would point to a sizeable operation, but the interview gave no revenue figures or sales breakdown. The narrower point is clear from Bustamante's account: he has put together a 14-fragrance range that he considers capable of covering his expenses, while music and musical theatre remain part of his working life.
Antena 3's recording of the full interview is the closest available primary-source confirmation of the statements. ABC also reports that El Zorro, created by John Cameron, is scheduled to open at Madrid's Teatro La Latina from 25 November. The story is set between Spain and Los Angeles during the period from 1805 to 1815.
Bustamante is not presenting perfume as a replacement for his artistic career. He has built a second business around his name and continues to work on stage and in the studio. His Madrid schedule allows four performances a week, with Monday through Wednesday reserved for studio work.
