Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (born 9 August 1972), known professionally as Juanes, is a Colombian musician who was a member of the rock band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. Since releasing his solo debut album '' Fíjate Bien'' in 2000, Juanes has won 26
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, 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
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
and three
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
. 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 mine
An anti-personnel mine or anti-personnel landmine (APL) is a form of land mine, mine designed for use against human, humans, as opposed to an anti-tank mine, which target vehicles. APLs are classified into: blast mines and fragmentation mines; ...
s 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
Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
, 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
Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
during the height of drug kingpin
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord, narcoterrorist, and politician who was the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed the "King of Cocaine", Escobar was one of the wealthie ...
'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."
As a teenager, Juanes was greatly influenced by rock and metal acts such as
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
and
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
. He started the rock band Ekhymosis in 1988, and it released its debut album, ''Niño Gigante'', that same year.Bonacich, Drago. Biography"">"Ekhymosis > Biography" Allmusic. Retrieved 23 January 2007. The band released seven studio albums during its career and shared the stage with acts including
Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. He has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Award ...
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
;"Hechos en la vida musical de Juanes" Eskpe.eltiempo.terra.com.co Retrieved 2 January 2007. 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.
Solo career
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
Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (; born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine composer, record producer and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Gustavo Santaolalla, numerous accolades for List of works by Gustavo S ...
. The album fared well in Colombia, spending ten weeks at the number one position, but was unsuccessful in other countries. 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.
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 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
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, and Spain."Juanes Biography" . Rockero.com. Retrieved 24 January 2007. The album spent 92 weeks in the top ten of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s Top Albums chart, setting a new record, and spent a total of two years on the chart. 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.
"A Dios le Pido" topped the singles charts of twelve countries and spent 47 consecutive weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks. The album also featured " Fotografía" ("Photograph"), a duet with Portuguese Canadian pop singer
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...
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
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...
'', and on " Te busqué" ("I Looked for You"), a single from her 2006 album ''
Loose
Loose may refer to:
Places
* Loose, Germany
* Loose, Kent, a parish and village in southeast England
People
* Loose (surname)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Loose'' (B'z album), a 1995 album by B'z
* ''Loose'' (Crazy Horse album ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
'' 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
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
.Martínez, Daniel. "Juanes en medio de polémica italiana" . BBC Mundo. 3 September 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2007. 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."Wilson, Scott. "From Colombia, Encouraging Sounds" ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
''. 14 October 2003: page C01.
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
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
In June 2006, Juanes began a year-long sabbatical to spend time with his wife, model Karen Martínez, and their daughters Luna and Paloma."Juanes invited Paul McCartney to Colombia" Quepasa. December 3, 2005. Retrieved January 24, 2007. He was working on an album that was released on October 23, 2007. 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." Juanes planned to launch his own music label, named 4J, in October 2007, to be distributed by the
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...
. He was also working on a new album, titled '' La Vida... Es Un Ratico'' (''Life is a Little Moment'').
'' 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)"'' eluxe Edition2 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
In 2010, Juanes performed in the
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
Kickoff Concert, as well as the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...
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
Juan Luis Guerra Seijas (born 7 June 1957) is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards including 28 Latin Grammy Awards, three
Grammy Awards, ...
.
On 6 March, Juanes will release " La Señal" as an unreleased song from his Unplugged.
2014–2015: ''Loco de Amor''
On 11 March 2014, Juanes released his sixth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by
Universal Music Latino
Universal Music Latin Entertainment, a division of Universal Music Group, is a record company specialized in producing and distributing Latin music in Mexico, the United States, and Puerto Rico. UMLE includes famous Latin music labels such as Uni ...
Ferdinand
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...
''. 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." It also explores the daily life and spirituality of the Kogi people, an indigenous group that resides in
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...
mountains in northern Colombia. ''Mis planes son amarte'' won
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
for Best Pop/Rock Album at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. 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
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
's
Tiny Desk Concerts
''Tiny Desk Concerts'' is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of former ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C.
The first ''Tiny Desk Concert'' came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music edit ...
series.
2018–2019: Transition to urban genre and ''Más futuro que pasado''
In 2018, the Mexican singer
Raymix
Edmundo Gómez Moreno (born 17 February 1991), better known by his stage name Raymix, is a Mexican musician and aerospace engineer. Nicknamed El Rey de la Electrocumbia ("The King of Electrocumbia"), Raymix started his music career in the ...
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. Juanes explained that "it gives me a lot of hope. Esperanza, you know — ''Más futuro que pasado'' is about having the drive to keep experimenting. I want to keep writing music, I want to live more. This is the point of my life when I want to live so much. But before I do anything, I start from the roots. And from there I build my vision."
2021: ''Origen''
On 28 May 2021, Juanes released his 10th studio album, ''
Origen
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...
.'' The album consists of twelve covers that span his musical influences, including
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
,
Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra Seijas (born 7 June 1957) is a People of the Dominican Republic, Dominican musician, singer, composer, and record producer. Throughout his career, he has won numerous awards including 28 Latin Grammy Awards, three
Grammy Awards, ...
, and
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
. 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
"Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist ...
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
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
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
James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his raspy voice and intricate rhythm playi ...
". He notes that his musical tastes are diverse: "It's good to have music for every moment. I can listen to
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicália, which encompas ...
. And then I go back to Metallica!" He has also expressed admiration for Spanish singer
Rosalía
Rosalia Vila Tobella (born 25 September 1992), known mononymously as Rosalía (, ), is a Spanish Pop music, pop and flamenco singer. She has been described as an "atypical pop star" due to her genre-bending musical styles. After being enthral ...
, Puerto Rican rapper Tego Calderón, Colombian reggaeton artist
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with 35 million records sold worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín. At age 17, he moved to th ...
, American singer
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...
, and American rapper and singer Travis Scott.
Juanes's debut album, ''Fíjate Bien'', contains themes on loss and violence, alluding to deaths caused by land mines. 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". His next album, ''Un Dia Normal'', takes a more optimistic approach while continuing to discuss themes of war and violence. The record also included lighter themes such as romantic love to reflect falling in love with his now-wife. ''Mi Sangre'' continued themes of social conflict, discussing topics such as terrorism and kidnapping. His song, "Rosario Tijeras" from ''Mi Sangre'' tells the story of a prostitute who becomes an assassin.
Romantic love is a common theme in Juanes' music. His album ''Mis planes son amarte'' was described as a collection of "gleaming, tuneful, good-natured songs about love". Though his songs are primarily in Spanish, he has performed songs in Italian, Portuguese, German, and English. On recording in other languages, Juanes noted in 2017, "It's hard when you have to change the way your muscles work," he said. "I don't want to go full crossover — that's not my plan — but I just wanted to do it someday."
Activism
Juanes is outspoken in both his music and the media about violence and inequality in Colombia. Addressing the topic of victims of the Colombian civil war, Juanes stated: "these are your people, young people, people with families, and four or five of them are dying every day." Juanes established the Mi Sangre Foundation to help victims of anti-personnel mines In 2005, he was named by ''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' 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
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
'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 mine
A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...
s within Colombia.
On 19 April 2006, Juanes performed before the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
, 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."After concert gave by Juanes, the European Parliament donate 2.5 million of Euros" .
Colombian Air Force
The Colombian Aerospace Force (FAC, ) is the air force of the Republic of Colombia. The Colombian Aerospace Force is one of the three institutions of the Military Forces of Colombia charged, according to the 1991 Constitution, with working to exe ...
. 20 April 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2007. In honor of his work and his music, he was given an '' escopetarra'' (a decommissioned
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
converted into a guitar) by peace activist César López; he later sold it at a fundraiser in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
for US$17,000. Juanes held a benefit concert on 24 May 2006, in conjunction with KLVE and
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
which raised roughly US$350,000 to care for injured children and provide
prosthetics
In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder). Prosthe ...
,
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
s, and
land rehabilitation
Land rehabilitation as a part of environmental remediation is the process of returning the land in a given area to some degree of its former state, after some process ( industry, natural disasters, etc.) has resulted in its damage. Many project ...
.
On 19 July 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
The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
, declaring him "Knight in the order of Arts and Letters" for his work in social activism. In December 2006, work began on a recreational park for the rehabilitation of the handicapped named "Parque Juanes de la Paz" in Medellín."Works Begin on Juanes’ Park" . VOY Music. 25 December 2006. Retrieved 25 January 2007. 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.
In June 2013, Juanes appeared in a Spanish-language public service announcement for the
HIV/AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
non-profit organization Lifebeat in partnership with the
Centers for Disease Control
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...
and
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
. In the video, the singer encouraged HIV testing and cited a statistic stating that there are a thousand new cases of HIV per month among people 13 to 24 years of age. 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."
2009 Peace Concert in Cuba
On 5 August 2009, it was announced that Juanes would hold his second "Peace Without Borders" concert in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Plaza de la Revolución on 20 September 2009.
Prior to the concert, Juanes received criticism by some in the
Cuban-American
Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States aft ...
/ 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.A Bridge without Borders: Efforts Underway to Turn Juanes Peace Concert in Cuba into Controversy by Margarita Alarcón, CBS News, 14 August 2009
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
Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and sout ...
.Juanes Receives Threats over Cuba Concert by Damian Grass, Associated Press, 20 August 2009 Juanes closed it along with 15 other Cuban and international artists and with more than one million people attending the concert."
Personal life
Juanes met model/actress Karen Martínez during the filming of his video " Podemos Hacernos Daño". On 6 August 2004, they were married. The couple separated in May 2007, after three years of marriage due to unresolved differences, but reconciled four months later. 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
Key Biscayne is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Located on the island of Key Biscayne, the village is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 14,809 at the 2020 United States census, 20 ...
Origen
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
is an accolade by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Juanes has received nine nominations and won four.
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2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
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Origen
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, ,
A Dios le Pido
"A Dios le Pido" (''I beg to God'') is the lead single from the Spanish studio album ''Un Día Normal'' by the Latin American music, Latin music singer and songwriter Juanes, released in 2002 in Spain and Latin America. In 2006, the song was re-re ...
A Dios le Pido
"A Dios le Pido" (''I beg to God'') is the lead single from the Spanish studio album ''Un Día Normal'' by the Latin American music, Latin music singer and songwriter Juanes, released in 2002 in Spain and Latin America. In 2006, the song was re-re ...
A Dios le Pido
"A Dios le Pido" (''I beg to God'') is the lead single from the Spanish studio album ''Un Día Normal'' by the Latin American music, Latin music singer and songwriter Juanes, released in 2002 in Spain and Latin America. In 2006, the song was re-re ...
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
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,
La Plata
La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
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Origen
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...
Origen
Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...