My Juanes Post
I live in Colombia, and I blog, so I must blog about Juanes. Just this once.
Juanes is a Colombian musician who’s sold over ten million albums and won a record 17 Latin Grammy awards. He’s widely considered the most successful Latin musician of his generation. For his personal philanthropy, Juanes campaigns against anti-personnel mines, which are a serious issue in Colombia. Juanes was selected by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2005.
Despite all this, nobody really listens to Juanes in Colombia. Everybody listens to salsa, vallenato, and a little reggaeton. And gringo music of course. But Juanes appeals to the Latin rock fans worldwide so he’s a big deal. I first heard of him in the States in 2003, when I worked for Anheuser-Busch and he was the face figure of the Bud Light brand in the Latino markets (think Dale Earnhardt for Budweiser in the South or Midwest). But nobody really listens to him here.
Juanes was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia – a paisa in the land of the paisas (see my paisa stories). He learned to play guitar at seven years old, becoming familiar with the various genres of traditional Latin music. In his teens, Juanes was heavily influenced by Metallica and played in the heavy metal group, Ekhymosis. Ekhymosis was a successful band with a strong following in Colombia, releasing seven albums from 1988 – 1998.
In Latin America, Metallica has a following similar to what it had in America when I was a kid in the 80s. You see dudes wearing black leather jackets and jeans with long, dark hair. It’s weird. Every time I’ve tried to explain to Peruvians or Colombians that all the Latin rock I’ve heard is shit (including Juanes) and that they should stick to cumbia and salsa (just as gringos shouldn’t do salsa in English and white people should NEVER do reggae), they get a resentful look on their face and I drop it. I don’t try to make that point anymore.
Anyway, back to Juanes.
Juanes left Ekhymosis to start his solo career in 1998. His debut album, Fijate Bien (Pay Attention) in 2000, received seven Latin Grammy nominations and won four, including Best New Artist. In 2002, Juanes released Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), which won five Latin Grammy awards including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. In 2004, Juanes released his third solo album, Mi Sangre (My Blood). Mi Sangre fetched three more Latin Grammys, bringing his total to twelve and tying Alejandro Sanz for the highest number of Latin Grammy awards. In 2007, Juanes released La Vida … Es Un Ratico (Life … Is A Moment), which one five more Latin Grammys and established the new record at seventeen.
Juanes sings in Spanish (as opposed to fellow Colombian, Shakira) and incorporates the traditional Latin music he learned as a kid. He’s often compared to Sting, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen for how his music can be deeply emotional, romantic, and socially-conscious (and fuckin’ poxy). Quincy Jones said of Juanes, “He is an artist whose music comes straight from the genuine spirit of his soul and, because of that, an artist that I think more and more of the world will embrace.”
Before releasing the entire Un Dia Normal album, his label released the lead single, “A Dios Le Pido” (I Ask God). The song became an emotionally-charged anthem throughout Latin America, winning the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2002.
In 2004, Juanes released Mi Sangre, which won L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres – the country of France’s highest cultural award – and spearheaded Juanes’ nomination to the TIME Magazine list of 100 most influential people for 2005.
Juanes founded the Mi Sangre Foundation as a non-profit organization to promote awareness and discourage the use of anti-personnel mines. Anti-personnel mines are aimed with the intention of wounding so many people that it undermines the opposition’s logistical support by overwhelming its medical units. Due to its ongoing civil war with FARC and other militant groups, Colombia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. The foundation estimates that three Colombians are killed every day. 40% of the casualties are civilians and half of those are children under the age of 14.
Juanes and his wife, Colombian model Karen Martinez, have two children.
There’s my Juanes post. No más. Here’s Juanes’ website.
Before the songs, here’s an AP story about recent threats of violence against Juanes from Cuban-Americans in Florida angry over his upcoming concert in Havana, Cuba.
A dios Le pido
La camisa negra
Un día normal
Fotografía ft. Nelly Furtado
La Tierra by Ekhymosis
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4 Responses to “My Juanes Post”
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Latin American rock music? Have you realized that maybe that rock doesn’t exit? I mean, in Latin America there are a few people who really listen to rock music (and sometimes form a rock band) but that’s it. We never experienced all the events and process that happened in the developed world and influenced people, in one way or another, to make up rock music. That is huge difference. I hope this situation change someday.
As you said most people listen to salsa music and this is precisely the problem, don’t you think?
“You see dudes wearing black leather jackets and jeans with long, dark hair”.
Where did you see that? It seem like there are a lot of people doing this. I’m from Perú and that’s not true. It’s so small the people who listen to Metallica if you compare with people who listen salsa or cumbia. You should do a little research if you want to say things like that.
@ Ian -
You’re right, you don’t see that so much in Peru as in Bogota, Colombia – especially in La Candelaria and Chapinero. There are a handful of metal bars a couple blocks from my apartment.
I agree that chicha reigns supreme in Peru, but there is a strange following for rock bands that are near-extinct in the States. For example, I was in Lima when KISS came through last year and it seemed like almost as big of a deal as Daddy Yankee. On the other hand, nobody under 40 listens to KISS in America. And there’s a specific arequipeño friend of mine who was heavy into Iron Maiden, ACDC, and other groups that were popular when I was a kid.
Manuel – are you high? You must have been when writing your response to come to the conclusion that rock music does not exist in Latin America. Los Enanitos Verdes, Soda Estereo, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Mana, Babasonicos, Bersuit Vergarabat, Kruks en Karnak, Los Rodriguez, Panda, Caramelos de Cianuro, etc.! Your assertion that Latin American countries never went through the “processes” necessary to create or develop rock music is so unsubstantiated, making it clear that you lack any education in the field of transnational music movements (hint! take a class). I don’t know if you are blind or just oblivious, but please have some solid proof to support your outrageous claims before you make them.