Growing up in the violence laden country
of Columbia, Juanes has experienced things most people
see only in the darkest moments of their nightmares. In
addition to losing a friend to a fatal gunshot, Juanes’
uncle was kidnapped and murdered; his father lost his
battle with cancer; and he watched as his fellow Columbians
were murdered in the waves of violence.
Instead of letting such grief overpower him, Juanes
poured his emotions into his music, penning songs that
have the critics comparing him to such superstars as
U2’s Bono. Before the whole world knew his name,
however, Juan Esteban Aristizabal was an aspiring musician,
from the tender age of seven, who learned how to play
the guitar with the help of his dad.
As a teenager his passion for music took a turn from
traditional Latin to a new genre: Juanes wanted to play
heavy metal. Determined to become a successful metal
musician, Juanes started a band that soon all of Columbia
would know: Ekhymosis. In the following seven years,
Ekhymosis released 11 albums, making the band a bona
fide success.
Despite his band’s success, Juanes wanted more.
With dreams of starting a solo career, he headed for
the American west coast. The move to Los Angeles proved
to be just what Juanes’ solo career needed.
Before making the move to the United States, Juanes
had recorded a demo, which he actively shopped when
he arrived in Los Angeles. The demo landed in the hands
of Argentine producer Gustavo Santaolalla, and Juanes
soon had a recording contract with Santaolalla’s
own label Surco.
Juanes’ first album, “Fijate Bien,”
was released in 2000, and was barely noticed. That all
changed with his sophomore release, 2002’s “Un
Dia Normal.” Overnight, Juanes became a Latin
sensation, and “Un Dia Normal” shot to the
top of the Billboard Latin charts, where it stayed in
the top ten for an impressive 24 months. Professional
acclamations also reigned on Juanes as he received eight
Grammy nominations, taking home five of the industry’s
most prestigious awards.
Since then, Juanes has released “Mi Sangre,”
which garnered almost as much excitement as his smash
offering “Un Dia Normal.” Following the
release of his third album, Juanes went on a world tour,
playing more than 200 dates, and making appearances
everywhere he could. He’s so hot that getting
Juanes concert tickets is a challenge, but millions
of fans the world over wouldn’t have it any other
way.