Another Amazing Colombian Artist #1 - JUANES

The story of the first time I saw Juanes in concert is actually quite sad. I had a boyfriend in college, a serious one, and somehow I fell into Juanes' music. I found out he was coming to perform at Jazzfest in New Orleans. And so on Valentine's Day, my boyfriend at the time gave me 2 tickets to Jazzfest to see him play. I was so excited, I couldn't wait. Unfortunately, we broke up a few days before the concert, and since he wasn't a fan, he let me have his ticket. I didn't have anyone to go with. As it turned out, I went last minute with a Colombian classmate of mine, which was then the start of something spectacular...ly life-changing... But I'll never forget that day. I think it was one of the last times I was happy, you know, that pure, carefree kind of happy.

A little about Juanes... he is really amazing. Like many other Colombian singers I love, Juanes is a Leo (August 9) born in Medellin, Colombia. His interesting name actually comes about when his father used to call him Juanes, a short form of his name Juan Esteban. During the 1980s and 1990s, Juanes was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis but disbanded the group in 1998 to pursue a solo career. Juanes is also known for his humanitarian work, especially with aid for Colombian victims of anti-personnel mines. And among other things, he is an activist for the Spanish language and will not himself sing in English in order to best express himself (since he thinks and feels in Spanish) and to promote the Spanish language. One exception was his duet with Tony Bennett for the song "The Shadow of your Smile."

To watch Juanes perform live is truly a soul-lifting experience. I hope that I can recreate some of the magic here.

Juanes - "Me Enamora"

Juanes - "A Dios Le Pido"