Juanes

Juanes Brings Latin Pop to the Erwin Center

For those of you not familiar with Latin pop, you are missing out on an amazing musician! Juanes has been described as “the rockero with a folk singers heart” and “the Boss of Latin pop.” The singer/guitar player from Medellin, Colombia has enjoyed great success mixing soulful rock with Colombian folk to produce an interesting and unique sound.  Juanes began his musical career at 13 when he started a heavy-metal band, which signed to a local music label in 1988. Juanes says he got “crazy with metal” at that age. “Music was our refuge,” he says of the metal and punk underground. “Medellin in the 1980s was very violent… through music, I saw what was happening to our country. We found a way to take the anger out.” Although the band did not last long, it helped Juanes establish important contacts within the music business.

Juanes was born in Medellin in 1972 and learned to sing and play the guitar at age seven from his father who owned a cattle ranch. His musical influences include the sounds of rural Antioquia, including tango, and those from Colombian’s coastal blend of African, Iberian and Amerindian cultures. In 2000, Juanes released his first album Fijate Bien (Look Closely). Reflecting on the album he said, “I left everything, family and friends, to start from scratch. I was depressed; the album shows the darker side of my soul.” When Juanes’ second album was released in 2002, he had met his wife and had a hit with the single “A Dios le Pido.” To date, he has sold over 11 million solo albums and holds 12 Latin Grammys as well as a French knighthood. The LA Times has said Juanes “is the single most important figure of the past decade in Latin music” and the Associated Press has stated he is “the first truly international rock star to emerge from Latin America.“

Juanes has also used his influence through music to become a global activist and his work can be seen in the philanthropic organizations to which he dedicates much of his time and effort. He has long been an activist in spreading the word about the dangers of landmines in both his native Colombia and around the world.  Juanes’ commitment to landmine awareness has included speaking and performing in the main chamber of the EU Parliament and helping raise over 2.5 million dollars for landmine victims. He has also helped put on other various concerts to help raise funds for injured young children.

Juanes’ passionate vocals and exciting guitar playing make this a can’t miss concert! Be sure to catch Juanes at the Theatre at the Frank Erwin Center to experience one of the best in Latin pop!