courtesy of: Aruba-Daily News
Last weekend, the popular Colombian Latin Rock Entertainer Juanes put on a spectacular show for thousands of fans. His lyrics were known by all as he ripped out one great song after another. Juanes was truly a pleasure to see perform and Aruba hopes to see him back on the island again soon, if not to entertain, at least enjoy the fruits of the island. Juanes was the opening act of the Aruba International Film Festival Concert Series and was an absolute success.
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 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. 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. 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.” His father also died of cancer when he was a child, which caused him to further retreat into music.
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.
The band released five 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 which brings him to where he is today.
Come back soon Juanes!
