Juanes

Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (born 9 August 1972), known professionally as Juanes (), is a Colombian musician and singer, a former member of the rock band Ekhymosis. Since releasing his solo debut album Fíjate Bien in 2000, Juanes has won 26 Latin Grammy Awards and sold more than 15 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.

Born and raised in Colombia, Juanes began playing piano at age two. When Juanes was 17, he started his first band, Ekhymosis, in 1988, which went on to release eight albums, achieving recognition in his native Colombia. The track "Solo" from the album Niño Gigante in 1992 was very popular. In 1997 after the band broke up, Juanes continued solo and in 2000 he released the album Fíjate Bien which earned him three Latin Grammys. His follow-up album, Un Día Normal, was released in 2002 and was later certified platinum throughout America. Juanes' third album, Mi Sangre (2004), became an international bestseller, managing to position well in a number of countries around the world. It achieved success due to the single "La Camisa Negra".

He has since released La Vida... Es Un Ratico (2007), P.A.R.C.E. (2010), Loco de Amor (2015), Mis planes son amarte (2017), Más Futuro Que Pasado (2019), Origen (2021), and Vida Cotidiana (2023).

Juanes has won 26 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. He received the BMI President's Award at the 2010 BMI Latin Awards. Juanes is also known for his humanitarian work, especially with aid for Colombian victims of anti-personnel mines through his NGO Fundacion Mi Sangre. In April 2013, Juanes released an autobiography titled Chasing The Sun in which he tells his story through narratives and pictures. He is

one of the best-selling Spanish-language artists.

Early life and career

Juanes was born in Medellín, Colombia. When he was seven years old, his father and brothers began to teach him how to play guitar. His passion for the instrument led him to discover simple genres of music such as traditional sounds such as tango and vallenato, as well as Russian 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. During his childhood, Juanes witnessed a civil war in which hundreds were killed. His cousin was killed by kidnappers, and gunmen also executed a close friend. To add further to Juanes' grief and desperation, his father died from cancer. This period shaped Juanes' social consciousness, saying "Colombia has suffered so much that the only way to go forward is to imagine a better country." The band released seven studio albums during its career and shared the stage with acts including Alejandro Sanz, Aterciopelados, and Ricky Martin; however in Juanes' words, the band "couldn't get out of Colombia" and remained "very local and confined to the Colombian market." Juanes disbanded the group in 1998 so that he could pursue a solo career. The album spent 92 weeks in the top ten of Billboards Top Albums chart,

"A Dios le Pido" topped the singles charts of twelve countries and spent 47 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks.

2006–07: Mi Sangre

Mi Sangre (My Blood), was released in September 2004 and debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. 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. In response, left-wing media network Indymedia called for a boycott of the song. 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."

left|thumb|Juanes performing on the 'Unplugged' 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"). On 9 December 2005, Juanes performed "La camisa negra" at an international gala in Germany celebrating the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final Draw evening. In 2006, he recorded a duet of "The Shadow of Your Smile" with Tony Bennett for Bennett's Duets: an American Classic.

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. He was working on an album that was released on October 23, 2007. He was also working on a new album, titled La Vida... Es Un Ratico (Life is a Little Moment).

240px|thumb|Juanes performing in 2008

La Vida... Es Un Ratico was released on 23 October 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 11 December 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.

On 24 November 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 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.

2010–2013: P.A.R.C.E and his Juanes MTV Unplugged

thumb|Juanes FPML

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 No. 1 Billboard hit Yerbatero and the top-ten hit Y No Regresas. 17 February, 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.

In February 2012, the Colombian singer Juanes took the stage at Juanes MTV Unplugged to record a live album at the direction of Juan Luis Guerra. Loco de Amor was nominated for Lo Nuestro Award for Pop Album of the Year. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2015.

2016–2017: Mis planes son amarte

Juanes contributed to the 2017 animated film Ferdinand. In that production, he both wrote the original score "Lay Your Head On Me" and played the voice of Juan (Nina's father). On 12 May 2017, Juanes released Mis planes son amarte. The album was accompanied by a space-themed visual album. The visual component was filmed in Colombia and Mexico and represents a spiritual journey through challenges and victories. Juanes explained that the album alludes to "the connection between our most ancestral, indigenous roots and the universe and its planets. Those points are even more closely tied than we can imagine." The album is also Juanes's first to feature a song in English, "Goodbye for Now". In June 2017, Juanes collaborated with Chilean singer Mon Laferte on the cumbia-influenced single "Amárrame". On 23 May 2018, Juanes performed with Mon Laferte as part of National Public Radio's Tiny Desk Concerts series.

2018–2019: Transition to urban genre and Más futuro que pasado

In 2018, the Mexican singer Raymix included him in a version of his song "Oye Mujer". In 2018 he performed at Starlite Festival presented "Pa' Dentro" -the first official single from the then upcoming album-, which was officially released on 31 May 2018. On 10 January 2019, he released his first single of the year, «La plata», which has the participation of Colombian singer Lalo Ebratt. On 23 May, he presented his single "Querer Mejor" alongside Canadian singer Alessia Cara. In July, he collaborated on the song "Todo bien" by the Trapical Minds collective alongside Lalo Ebratt, Skinny Happy, Yera. Then, in August he collaborated on the Greeicy single "Minifalda". On 5 September, he released his single "Bonita" with his compatriot Sebastián Yatra, which was positioned at the top of the American music charts. Later, on 7 November, he presented "Aurora", which he interprets with Colombian rapper Crudo Means Raw. In November, he released his single "Tequila", which features the collaboration of the Mexican singer Christian Nodal. The next day, he presented his new album Más futuro que pasado, where it emphasizes his transition to the urban genre without leaving aside his classic rock and pop musical style. On 5 December, he released his latest single "Más futuro que pasado".

In December 2019, Juanes released the album Más futuro que pasado. The album features Colombian musicians Sebastián Yatra, Crudo Means Raw, and Lalo Ebratt as well as regional Mexican singer Christian Nodal, Dominican-American MC Fuego, and Canadian singer Alessia Cara, who sings in Spanish for the first time on the song "Querer Mejor". The album was inspired Juanes' optimism for the future of Colombia and highlights the diversity of the country, featuring a variety of traditional musical genres such as vallenato and cumbia combined with modern musical styles. The album consists of twelve covers that span his musical influences, including Bruce Springsteen, Juan Luis Guerra, and Bob Marley. Juanes described these songs as having a significant "impact on the memory of my youth, my adolescence, my childhood." Like much of Juanes' discography, the album encompasses many styles from tango, merengue, and vallenato to reggae, folk, and heavy metal. The release of the album was accompanied by a documentary released on Amazon Prime, in which Juanes explains why he chose each song, speaks with several of the songwriters he covers, and performs music videos that channel the era in which they were written. Juanes contributed a cover of the Metallica song "Enter Sandman" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist, released in September 2021.

Musical style and influences

Growing up in Colombia, Juanes' first musical exposure included cumbia, salsa, vallenato and the rural Antioquian genre known as guasca, all of which influence his music. In his youth, Juanes was a fan of rock group Metallica and attempted to emulate the group's style, but recalls that "after many years I just realized that I was not gonna be like James Hetfield". The album reflected grief in Juanes' personal life, including the deaths of his cousin and father, and Juanes himself described the record as "dark and depressing". In 2005, he was named by Time as one of the world's 100 most influential people. On 15 November 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.

On 19 April 2006, Juanes performed before the European Parliament, as part of a campaign to increase awareness against the use of landmines 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. The Parliament gave a symbolic gift of €2.5 million to demine Colombia and to rehabilitate victims of the landmines. 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. Juanes held a benefit concert on 24 May 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. In December 2006, work began on a recreational park for the rehabilitation of the handicapped named "Parque Juanes de la Paz" in Medellín. 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. Guillermo Chacon, president of The Latino Commission on AIDS, commented that "Celebrities like Juanes are crucial to raising awareness, which is one of the most important ways for people to understand that HIV infection can be prevented."

On 5 August 2009, it was announced that Juanes would hold his second "Peace Without Borders" concert in Havana's storied Plaza de la Revolución on 20 September 2009.

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.

On 20 August 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. Juanes closed it along with 15 other Cuban and international artists and with more than one million people attending the concert." They have three children together, two daughters: Luna Aristizábal Martínez (born 6 September 2003), Paloma Aristizábal Martínez (born 2 June 2005), and one son, Dante Aristizábal Martínez (born 12 September 2009).

Juanes is a vegetarian and lives in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Discography

Fíjate Bien (2000)
Un Día Normal (2002)
Mi Sangre (2004)
La Vida... Es Un Ratico (2007)
P.A.R.C.E. (2010)
Loco de Amor (2014)
Mis planes son amarte (2017)
Más futuro que pasado (2019)
Origen (2021)
Vida Cotidiana (2023)
JuanesTeban (2026)

Filmography

{| class="wikitable"

! Year !! Title !! Roles !! Ref.

| 2017

| Ferdinand

| Juan

| rowspan="2" | 2024

| Captain Avispa

| Sergeant Picadura

| Pimpinero: Blood and Oil

| Moisés

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

A Grammy Award is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Juanes has received nine nominations and won four.

| 2002 || Fíjate Bien || rowspan="3"| Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album ||

| 2003 || Un Día Normal ||

| 2005 || Mi Sangre ||

| 2009 || La Vida... Es Un Ratico || rowspan="3"| Best Latin Pop Album ||

| 2013 || Juanes: MTV Unplugged ||

| 2015 || Loco de Amor ||

| 2022 || Origen || Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album ||

| 2024 || Vida Cotidiana || Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album ||

Latin Grammy Awards

A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Juanes has received twenty-seven awards and forty-seven nominations. In 2019, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7"| 2001 || Juanes || Best New Artist ||

|Fíjate Bien || Best Rock Solo Vocal Album ||

|Fíjate Bien || Best Rock Song ||

|Fíjate Bien || Album of the Year ||

|Fíjate Bien || Song of the Year ||

|Fíjate Bien || Record of the Year ||

|Fíjate Bien || Best Short Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2002 || A Dios le Pido || Song of the Year ||

|A Dios le Pido || Best Rock Song ||

|A Dios le Pido || Best Short Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5"| 2003 || Un Día Normal || Album of the Year ||

|Es Por Ti || Song of the Year ||

|Es Por Ti || Record of the Year ||

|Un Día Normal || Best Rock Solo Vocal Album ||

|Mala Gente || Best Rock Song ||

|style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2005 || Mi Sangre || Best Rock Solo Vocal Album ||

| Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor || Best Rock Song ||

| Volverte a Ver || Best Short Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="5"| 2008 || La Vida... Es Un Ratico || Album of the Year ||

| Me Enamora || Song of the Year ||

| Me Enamora || Record of the Year ||

| La Vida... Es Un Ratico || Best Male Pop Vocal Album ||

| Me Enamora || Best Short Form Music Video ||

| 2009 || Pombo Musical || Best Latin Children's Album ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="4"| 2012 || Juanes: MTV Unplugged || Album of the Year ||

| Azul Sabina (feat. Joaquín Sabina) || Song of the Year ||

| Azul Sabina (feat. Joaquín Sabina) || Record of the Year ||

| Juanes: MTV Unplugged || Best Long Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| 2014 || Loco de Amor || Best Pop/Rock Album ||

| Mil Pedazos || Best Rock Song ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="1"| 2015 || Loco de Amor: La Historia || Best Long Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2017 || Mis planes son amarte || Best Engineered Album ||

| Mis planes son amarte || Best Long Form Music Video ||

| Mis planes son amarte || Best Rock/Pop Album ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="1"| 2018 || Pa' Dentro || Best Short Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2019 || Querer Mejor (feat. Alessia Cara) || Record of the Year ||

| La Plata (feat. Lalo Ebratt) || Record of the Year ||

| Querer Mejor (feat. Alessia Cara) || Song of the Year ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2020 ||rowspan="2"| Bonita (feat. Sebastián Yatra) || Song of the Year ||

|| Best Pop Song ||

|Más Futuro Que Pasado || Best Pop Vocal Album ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2021 ||rowspan="2"| Origen || Album of the Year ||

|| Best Rock/Pop Album ||

|| Origen (Documental) || Best Long Form Music Video ||

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| 2023 ||rowspan="2"| Vida Cotidiana || Album of the Year ||