Juanes
Juanes performing at Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California, September 15, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez
Also known as	Juanes
Born	(1972-08-09) August 9, 1972 (age 39)
Origin	Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Genres	Latin, pop, rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Guitar, keyboards, vocals
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Universal Geffen
Associated acts	Ekhymosis, Nelly Furtado, Laura Pausini, Colbie Caillat, Juan Luis Guerra
Website	http://www.juanes.net/

Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (born August 9, 1972), better known as Juanes (for the contraction of his first and second name) is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards. According to his record label, Juanes has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.^[1][2]

Raised in Medellín, Colombia, Juanes began playing guitar at age seven. He started his first band, Ekhymosis, in 1988, which experienced commercial success in Colombia but had difficulty achieving popularity outside of the country. In 2000, Juanes released his solo debut album, Fíjate Bien, which earned him three Latin Grammys. His follow-up album, Un Dia Normal, was released in 2002 and was later certified platinum in multiple countries throughout Latin America. Juanes' third album, Mi Sangre, achieved success due to the single "La Camisa Negra". He has since released La Vida... Es Un Ratico (2007) and P.A.R.C.E. (2010).

He has won seventeen Latin Grammy Awards and one Grammy Award. Juanes received the BMI President's Award at the 2010 BMI Latin Awards.^[3] Juanes is also known for his humanitarian work, especially with aid for Colombian victims of anti-personnel mines.

Early life and Ekhymosis[link]

Juanes was born in Carolina del Príncipe, Antioquia, Colombia. When he was seven years old, his father and brothers began to teach him how to play guitar.^[4] His passion for the instrument led him to discover diverse genres of music such as traditional Latin sounds such as tango and bachata, as well as Colombian folk music.

He grew up in Medellín during the height of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar's reign, when the city had the highest homicide rate in the world.^[5] During his childhood, Juanes witnessed a civil war in which thousands were killed. He was greatly affected by the violence; his cousin was executed by kidnappers, and his close friend was murdered by gunmen.^[4] This period of time shaped his social consciousness, saying "Colombia has suffered so much that the only way to go forward is to imagine a better country."^[5] His father also died of cancer when he was a child, which caused him to further retreat into music.^[4]

As a teenager, Juanes was greatly influenced by metal acts such as Metallica. He started the metal band Ekhymosis in 1988, and it released its self-produced debut album, Niño Gigante, the same year.^[6] The band released five studio albums during its career and shared the stage with acts including Alejandro Sanz, Aterciopelados, and Ricky Martin;^[7] however in Juanes' words, the band "couldn't get out of Colombia" and remained "very local and confined to the Colombian market."^[8] Juanes disbanded the group in 1998 so that he could pursue a solo career.^[6]

	Ehkhymosis 1988–1992 Early Juanes work in the Heavy/Thrast metal band Ekhymosis: "Escrito sobre el H2O"(1988) ; "Sólo"(1992)
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2000–present: Solo career[link]

[edit] 2000-03: Fíjate Bien and Un Día Normal

In 2000, Juanes released his solo debut Fíjate Bien (Take a Good Look), produced by Gustavo Santaolalla. The album fared well in Colombia, spending ten weeks at the number one position, but was unsuccessful in other countries.^[4] The album earned him three Latin Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Rock Solo Vocal Album, and Best Rock Song, and Juanes performed at the award show. Later that night, Juanes brought demos for over forty new songs to Santaolalla's studio, ready to begin work on another album.^[4]

	"A Dios le pido" (2002) noicon The lead single from Un día normal. "Fotografía" (2003) noicon
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The follow-up, Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), also produced by Gustavo Santaolalla who signed him with his first solo album, was released in 2002 and was highly successful in Latin America. The album was certified gold in Colombia during its first day of sales and was certified platinum and multi-platinum in countries including Colombia, Mexico, and Spain.^[9] The album spent 92 weeks in the top ten of Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart,^[4] setting a new record,^[9] and spent a total of two years on the chart.^[9] The album was released after the eligibility deadlines for the 2002 Latin Grammy Awards, but the advance airdate for the lead single, "A Dios le Pido" ("To God I Pray"), allowed it to be nominated for three awards and win Best Rock Song.^[9][10]

"A Dios le Pido" topped the singles charts of twelve countries and spent 47 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks.^[4] The album also featured "Fotografía" ("Photograph"), a duet with Portuguese Canadian pop singer Nelly Furtado about the isolation between lovers. Juanes later worked with Furtado on a remix of "Powerless (Say What You Want)", the lead single from her 2003 album Folklore, and on "Te busqué" ("I Looked for You"), a single from her 2006 album Loose. Juanes won the most awards at the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards, where he won each of the 5 awards for which he had been nominated, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.^[11]

Juanes performing at the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

[edit] 2004-05: Mi Sangre

	"Nada valgo sin tu amor" (2004) noicon The lead single from Mi sangre. "La camisa negra" (2005) noicon Juanes received criticism after his song was used in support of neo-fascism in Italy.
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Mi Sangre (My Blood), was released in September 2004 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums.^[12] The album produced three consecutive number one singles, which held the top chart position for a combined 6 months. The album's third single, "La Camisa Negra" ("The Black Shirt"), was used in Italy in support of neo-fascism by relating it to the uniform used under the regime of Benito Mussolini.^[13] In response, left-wing media network Indymedia called for a boycott of the song.^[14] Juanes later stated that "'La Camisa Negra' has got nothing to do with fascism or Mussolini... People can interpret music in all kinds of ways I guess."^[15][16]

Juanes performing on the 'Mi sangre' tour

At the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards, Juanes won three additional awards to his nine previous Grammy awards. He took the award for Best Rock Song for "Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor" ("I am Worthless Without Your Love"), Best Rock Solo Album for Mi Sangre and Best Music Video for "Volverte a Ver" ("To See You Again").^[17] On December 9, 2005, Juanes performed "La camisa negra" at an international gala in Germany celebrating the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final Draw evening.^[18] In 2006, he recorded a duet of "The Shadow of Your Smile" with Tony Bennett for Bennett's Duets: an American Classic.

[edit] 2006-09: La Vida... Es Un Ratico

In June 2006, Juanes began a year-long sabbatical to spend time with his wife, model Karen Martínez, and their daughters Luna and Paloma.^[19] He was working on an album that was released on October 23, 2007.^[19] When asked about the possibility of recording an album in English, Juanes responded, "singing in Spanish is very important because it's the language in which I think and feel. I respect people that sing in English, but for now I'll keep my Spanish."^[19] Juanes planned to launch his own music label, named 4J, in October 2007, to be distributed by the Universal Music Group.^[20] He also was working on a new album, titled La Vida... Es Un Ratico (Life is a Little Moment).^[21]

La Vida... Es Un Ratico was released on Oct 23, 2007 with the first single being "Me Enamora" (I fall in love). The second single was "Gotas de Agua Dulce" (drops of sweet water), and the third single became the vallenato fusion of "Tres" (three).

On December 11, 2007, Juanes performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast live to over 100 countries.^[22]

On November 24, 2008, Juanes re-released the album as "La vida... es un ratico (en vivo)" [Deluxe Edition][2 CD/DVD Combo]" The album aside the 14 original songs, contains two previously unreleased songs: "Falsas Palabras" (false words) and "Odio Por Amor" (hate for love) which is also the current single. This new re-edition also includes seven live versions of songs played during his U.S. La Vida Tour. As another bonus added, Juanes also included a duet of his song "Hoy Me Voy" (today I leave) with US singer Colbie Caillat. The DVD contains the music videos of the four singles of the cd as well as a few live video recordings of the US tour.

[edit] 2010-present: P.A.R.C.E and his Juanes MTV Unplugged

In 2010, Juanes performed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kickoff Concert, as well as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. In addition, he released his album P.A.R.C.E. which featured the #1 Billboard hit Yerbatero and the top-ten hit Y No Regresas. February 17, Juanes performed live on the third single from their fifth studio album Regalito in the delivery of the Premios Lo Nuestro. The album has sold 1 million copies worldwide.^[23] In February 2012, the Colombian singer Juanes will take the stage at Juanes MTV Unplugged to record a live album and you do so at the direction of Juan Luis Guerra. ^[24] In March 6, Juanes will release "La Señal" as an unreleased song from his Unplugged.

Activism[link]

Juanes has said that: "these are your people, young people, people with families, and four or five of them are dying every day."^[15] Juanes established the Mi Sangre Foundation to help victims of anti-personnel mines^[25] In 2005, he was named by Time as one of the world's 100 most influential people.^[26] Juanes has supported former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, stating that "with this new government of Álvaro Uribe my country seems in better shape."^[27] On November 15, 2005, he was honored at the annual benefit gala for Sir Paul McCartney's Adopt-A-Minefield for his work as a Goodwill Ambassador for United for Colombia, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about the impact of land mines within Colombia.^[28]

On April 19, 2006, Juanes performed before the European Parliament, as part of a campaign to increase awareness against the use of land mines around the world, including in his native Colombia. He was first singer to perform in the hemicycle where the European Parliament holds its plenary sessions.^[29] The Parliament gave a symbolic gift of €2.5 million to demine Colombia and to rehabilitate victims of the landmines.^[30] In honor of his work and his music, he was given an escopetarra (a decommissioned AK-47 converted into a guitar) by peace activist César López; he later sold it at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills for US$17,000.^[13] Juanes held a benefit concert on May 24, 2006 in conjunction with KLVE and Univision which raised roughly US$350,000 to care for injured children and provide prosthetics, wheelchairs, and land rehabilitation.^[30]

On July 19, 2006, French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres awarded Juanes with the highest cultural honor given by France, L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, declaring him "Knight in the order of Arts and Letters" for his work in social activism.^[31] In December 2006, work began on a recreational park for the rehabilitation of the handicapped named "Parque Juanes de la Paz" in Medellín.^[32] The 68,000-square-meter facility will cost COL$10.6 billion, financed in part by the government of Medellín, and is to be completed by May 2007.^[32]

Juanes is also an activist for his native Spanish language; he has stated many times that while he respects native Spanish-speaking artists who choose to sing in English (such as fellow Colombian singer Shakira), he himself will not sing in English in order to best express himself (since he thinks and feels in Spanish) and to promote the Spanish language. One exception was his duet with Tony Bennett for the song "The Shadow of your Smile." Also recently his new song "Odio por amor" includes one line in English: "It's Time To Change". He also sang a few lines of English during a duet performance with John Legend during the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.

On March 16, 2008, Juanes organized a free concert as a response to the 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis.^[33] This concert took place on the Colombia-Venezuela border. This was a free event and gathered an audience of 300,000 people. It was broadcast by Colombian and Venezuelan television stations. A Yahoo–Telemundo partnership webcast the event.^[34] The concert featured the well-known artists: Miguel Bosé, Alejandro Sanz from Spain. Juan Luís Guerra from the Dominican Republic, Ricardo Montaner from Venezuela, Juan Fernando Velasco from Ecuador and Juanes and Carlos Vives from Colombia. The concert became a reality with the help of many private companies from Colombia and Venezuela. As an important remark concerning this event, Colombian president Álvaro Uribe had expressed days before the concert that he would attend the event. Juanes' manager replied that since it was an artistic event with no political affiliations they preferred the president not to be present. President Uribe replied in an official letter that he accepted Juanes' manager's suggestion.

In 2011, Juanes showed support to indigenous rights organization Survival International.^[35] He modeled a t-shirt designed by the British artist Richard Long in support of indigenous peoples. Juanes has said, "By protecting tribal peoples, we are respecting our past, present and future".^[36]

2009 Peace Concert in Cuba[link]

Juanes during the concert in Havana, Cuba.

"Going to Cuba is a symbol that it's time to change people's minds, an opportunity to tell the world that people have to change."

— Juanes ^[37]

On August 5, 2009, it was announced that Juanes would hold his second "Peace Without Borders" concert in Havana's storied Plaza de la Revolución on September 20, 2009. The Cuban concert coincided with U.N. International Peace Day and planned to feature up to 12 artists from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Cuban folk legend Silvio Rodríguez and local salsa stars Los Van Van announced they would also be participating.^[38]

Prior to the concert, Juanes received criticism by some in the Cuban-American/Cuban exile community in Miami who believed it would be seen as an act of support for the communist government of Cuba. Juanes expressed in an interview for Univision that he had no affiliation whatsoever to the Cuban government or their political views and that he saw it only as an artistic performance and nothing more.^[39] Willy Chirino, a Cuban American performer who has not been to Cuba in over 45 years, however came out in defense of the right of Juanes and others to sing in Cuba, a move also supported by Puerto Rican artist Olga Tañón.^[40] On August 14, 2009, Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcón's daughter, Margarita Alarcón, spoke of the controversy to CBS News, remarking that:

"The past 50 years of U.S.-Cuba relations makes the War of the Roses seem like child's play ... embittered Cuban-Americans now direct their ire at Juanes and at those who want to join him for the concert in Havana. They hurl negative and insulting accusations at potential participants claiming that bringing their music to the Cuba public is equivalent to propping up a government with which they are at war. It seems that they want to limit the freedom of the Cuban people, censoring the type of music they can listen to."^[40]

On August 20, 2009, Juanes announced that he had considered canceling the peace concert citing "fears for his safety as well as his family", who reside with him in Miami on Key Biscayne.^[41] Such fears are contained in an August 15, 2009, police report, and are the result of threatening messages Juanes has received from those he describes as "a very small number of extremists." John Reilly, Juanes' New York-based spokesman, had stated that plans for the concert had not changed and that "the vast majority of communication Juanes is receiving from both fans on Twitter and everyday people he comes into contact with in Miami continues to be overwhelmingly supportive. The concert "Paz Sin Fronteras"(Peace Without Borders) was a total success. Juanes closed it along with 15 other Cuban and international artists and with more than one million people attending the concert."^[41]

While the concert was a total success, it wasn't free of setbacks. In a video aired by the network Mega TV from Miami, Juanes and other artists can be seen crying and ready to cancel the concert minutes before going on stage. The artists were complaining about the strong control, surveillance, and poor treatment they suffered at the hands of government officials and undercover agents. They also complained that they weren't allowing people to attend the concert, unless they were wearing a white shirt, as the organizers suggested as a symbol of peace.

Personal life[link]

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Juanes met model/actress Karen Martínez during the filming of his video "Podemos Hacernos Daño". On August 6, 2004 they were married. The couple separated in May 2007 after three years of marriage due to unresolved differences, but reconciled four months later.^[42][43]

Juanes is of Basque descent.^[44]

Band[link]

• Waldo Madera (drums since 2004)
• Felipe Navia (bass since 2000)
• Juan Pablo Daza (Guitar since 2010)
• Emmanuel Briceño (Keyboards and Vocals since 2002)
• Felipe Alzate (Percussion since 2000)
• Fernando Tobon (Guitar since 2002)
• Richard Bravo (Percussion since 2010)

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Fíjate Bien (2000)
• Un Día Normal (2002)
• Mi Sangre (2004)
• La Vida... Es un Ratico (2007)
• P.A.R.C.E. (2010)

Live albums

• Juanes MTV Unplugged (2012)

See also[link]

• Music of Colombia
• Colombian rock
• Life (BBC TV series) narrated by Juanes

References[link]

External links[link]

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Juanes

• Official website (Spanish)
  • English version
• Juanes to Twitter in Cuba Despite Exiles by Alfredo Prieto, Havana Times, August 26, 2009
• Official Universal Music Latino Website (Spanish)
• Mi Sangre Foundation website (Spanish)
• Juanes at Allmusic
• Juanes Interview
• Juanes Interview on CorrienteLatina.com
• English version