Juanes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juanes
Juanes in 2023
Born	Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (1972-08-09) 9 August 1972 (age 53) Medellín, Colombia
Occupation	Singer musician
Years active	1988–present
Notable work	Discography
Spouse(s)	Karen Martínez ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Latin rock rock en español Latin pop cumbia hard rock heavy metal thrash metal
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Universal Latino
Associated acts	Ekhymosis Nelly Furtado Laura Pausini Colbie Caillat Juan Luis Guerra Morat

Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (born August 9, 1972), known as Juanes, is a famous singer and musician from Colombia. He used to be part of a rock band called Ekhymosis.

Since he released his first solo album, Fíjate Bien, in 2000, Juanes has won many awards. He has received 26 Latin Grammy Awards and has sold over 15 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the top-selling Latin music artists ever.

Juanes was born and grew up in Colombia. He started playing piano when he was just two years old. When he was 17, in 1988, he formed his first band, Ekhymosis. The band released eight albums and became well-known in Colombia. Their song "Solo" from the 1992 album Niño Gigante was very popular.

After Ekhymosis broke up in 1997, Juanes began his solo career. In 2000, he released Fíjate Bien, which won him three Latin Grammys. His next album, Un Día Normal, came out in 2002 and became very successful across America. Juanes' third album, Mi Sangre (2004), became a worldwide hit, especially with the song "La Camisa Negra".

He has continued to release many successful albums, including 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).

Besides his 26 Latin Grammy Awards, Juanes has also won three Grammy Awards. He is also known for his important work helping victims of anti-personnel mines in Colombia through his organization, Fundacion Mi Sangre. In April 2013, Juanes shared his life story in an autobiography called Chasing The Sun.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Juanes was born in Medellín, Colombia. When he was seven, his father and brothers taught him how to play the guitar. His love for the guitar led him to explore different types of music, like traditional tango and vallenato, and even Russian folk music.

He grew up in Medellín during a difficult time. This period made Juanes very aware of social issues. He once said that Colombia has faced so much, and the only way to move forward is to imagine a better country.

As a teenager, Juanes was inspired by rock and metal bands such as The Beatles and Metallica. In 1988, he started his rock band, Ekhymosis. They released their first album, Niño Gigante, that same year. The band released seven studio albums and performed with other artists like Alejandro Sanz and Ricky Martin. However, Juanes felt the band stayed "very local" to Colombia. In 1998, he decided to leave the group to start a solo career.

Juanes' Solo Music Journey

First Solo Albums: Fíjate Bien and Un Día Normal

In 2000, Juanes released his first solo album, Fíjate Bien (which means "Take a Good Look"). This album did very well in Colombia, staying at number one for ten weeks. It also won him three Latin Grammys for Best New Artist, Best Rock Solo Vocal Album, and Best Rock Song.

His next album, Un Día Normal (A Normal Day), came out in 2002 and was a huge success in America. It became gold in Colombia on its first day of sales and later went platinum in countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. The album stayed on Billboard's Top Albums chart for two years, setting a new record.

The song "A Dios le Pido" ("To God I Pray") from this album was number one in twelve countries. The album also included "Fotografía" ("Photograph"), a duet with singer Nelly Furtado. Juanes later worked with Nelly Furtado on other songs too. At the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards, Juanes won all five awards he was nominated for, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.

International Success with Mi Sangre

Juanes performing on the 'Unplugged' tour

Mi Sangre (My Blood) was released in September 2004 and quickly reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. Three songs from this album became number one singles, staying at the top for a total of six months. The song "La Camisa Negra" ("The Black Shirt") became very popular worldwide.

At the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards, Juanes won three more awards. He won 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"). In December 2005, Juanes performed "La Camisa Negra" at a big event in Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2006, he sang a duet of "The Shadow of Your Smile" with Tony Bennett.

New Music and Peace Efforts

Juanes performing in 2008

In June 2006, Juanes took a year off to spend time with his family. He was also working on a new album, La Vida... Es Un Ratico (Life is a Little Moment), which was released on October 23, 2007. The first song from this album was "Me Enamora" (I fall in love).

On December 11, 2007, Juanes performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. This concert was shown live in over 100 countries. In November 2008, Juanes re-released the album with new songs and live versions from his tour.

P.A.R.C.E. and MTV Unplugged

Juanes FPML

In 2010, Juanes performed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Kickoff Concert and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. He also released his album P.A.R.C.E., which included the hit song Yerbatero. This album sold 1 million copies around the world.

In February 2012, Juanes recorded a special live album called Juanes MTV Unplugged, directed by Juan Luis Guerra. A new song from this album, "La Señal", was released in March.

Loco de Amor and Mis planes son amarte

On March 11, 2014, Juanes released his sixth studio album, Loco de Amor. This album won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop/Rock Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2014. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2015.

Juanes also contributed to the 2017 animated movie Ferdinand. He wrote the song "Lay Your Head On Me" and voiced the character Juan. On May 12, 2017, Juanes released Mis planes son amarte. This album came with a space-themed visual album, filmed in Colombia and Mexico. Juanes explained that the album connects ancient roots with the universe. Mis planes son amarte won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop/Rock Album in 2017. It was also Juanes's first album to include a song in English, "Goodbye for Now". In June 2017, Juanes worked with Chilean singer Mon Laferte on the song "Amárrame".

New Sounds: Más futuro que pasado and Origen

In 2018, Juanes started exploring new sounds. He released "Pa' Dentro" and "La Plata" in 2019, which featured Colombian singer Lalo Ebratt. He also collaborated with Canadian singer Alessia Cara on "Querer Mejor" and with Sebastián Yatra on "Bonita".

In December 2019, Juanes released the album Más futuro que pasado. This album mixed traditional Colombian music like vallenato and cumbia with modern styles. Juanes said the album was about being hopeful for the future and continuing to try new things.

On May 28, 2021, Juanes released his 10th studio album, Origen. This album features twelve cover songs that influenced him, including music by Bruce Springsteen, Juan Luis Guerra, and Bob Marley. Juanes said these songs had a big impact on his youth. The album includes many styles, from tango and merengue to reggae and heavy metal. A documentary about the album was also released on Amazon Prime. Juanes also covered the Metallica song "Enter Sandman" for a charity album in September 2021.

Music Style and Influences

Growing up in Colombia, Juanes was first exposed to music like cumbia, salsa, vallenato, and guasca. All these styles have influenced his music. When he was younger, Juanes loved the rock group Metallica and tried to play like them. He says his musical tastes are very varied. He enjoys listening to different artists like Slayer, Residente, Ruben Blades, and Caetano Veloso. He also admires singers like Rosalía, J Balvin, Billie Eilish, and Travis Scott.

Juanes' first album, Fíjate Bien, talks about sadness and difficult times. Juanes himself described it as "dark and depressing." His next album, Un Dia Normal, was more hopeful and also included songs about romantic love. Mi Sangre continued to discuss social issues.

Romantic love is a common theme in Juanes' songs. His album Mis planes son amarte is full of "gleaming, tuneful, good-natured songs about love." Even though most of his songs are in Spanish, he has also sung in Italian, Portuguese, German, and English.

Helping Others

Juanes often speaks out in his music and interviews about problems in Colombia. He established the Mi Sangre Foundation to help people affected by land mines. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people. In November 2005, he was honored for his work as a Goodwill Ambassador for United for Colombia, an organization that helps people understand the impact of land mines in Colombia.

On April 19, 2006, Juanes performed for the European Parliament to raise awareness about land mines. He was the first singer to perform there. The Parliament gave a symbolic gift of €2.5 million to help clear land mines in Colombia and help victims. To honor his work, he received an escopetarra (a guitar made from a decommissioned AK-47). He later sold it at a fundraiser for US$17,000. Juanes held a benefit concert in May 2006 that raised about US$350,000 to help injured children and provide them with prosthetics and wheelchairs.

In July 2006, France gave Juanes a high cultural honor, L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for his social work. In December 2006, work began on a park in Medellín called "Parque Juanes de la Paz" (Juanes Peace Park) to help people with disabilities.

In June 2013, Juanes appeared in a public service announcement in Spanish for the HIV/AIDS organization Lifebeat. He encouraged people to get tested for HIV.

Peace Concert in Cuba

Juanes during the 2009 Peace Concert in Havana, Cuba

Juanes believes that "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."

On September 20, 2009, Juanes held his second "Peace Without Borders" concert in Havana's famous Plaza de la Revolución in Cuba. Before the concert, some people in the Cuban-American community in Miami were concerned, thinking it might be seen as supporting the Cuban government. Juanes explained that he had no connection to the government and saw it only as an artistic performance.

Juanes considered canceling the concert due to safety worries for himself and his family. However, he went ahead with it. He performed with 15 other artists, and over one million people attended the concert.

Personal Life

Juanes met model and actress Karen Martínez while filming his music video "Podemos Hacernos Daño". They got married on August 6, 2004. They separated for a short time in 2007 but got back together four months later. They have three children: two daughters, Luna (born 2003) and Paloma (born 2005), and one son, Dante (born 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)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Juanes has won many awards for his music.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are given in the United States to recognize great achievements in music. Juanes has been nominated nine times and has won four Grammy Awards.

Latin Grammy Awards

The Latin Grammy Awards recognize great achievements in Latin music. Juanes has received 27 awards and 47 nominations. In 2019, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

See also

In Spanish: Juanes para niños

• Music of Colombia
• Colombian rock
• Life (2009 TV series) narrated by Juanes
• List of best-selling Latin music artists