About Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , 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 and sold more than 15 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time.
Born and raised in Colombia, 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 "Dos" 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 , 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 , P.A.R.C.E. , Loco de Amor , Mis planes son amarte , Más Futuro Que Pasado , Origen , and Vida Cotidiana .
Juanes has won 26 Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. 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 mines 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.
Juanes was born in Medellín, 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 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 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."
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