Spanish Pop - The New Rock

With the popular Spanish-speaking singer Juanes' new album just reaching stores in Singapore recently, Tan Haoyi looks into the Columbian singer's past achievements and discusses why his works are so well received in not just in South America but throughout the world as well.

Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez was born in Columbia. His father called him 'Juanes', a contraction of 'Juan Esteban', which he would later use as an alias for his singing career. Juanes was influenced by heavy metal music in his youth, and set up his own metal band.

Having received limited success with metal, Juanes disbanded his band and pursued his own solo career. Juanes was on his road to fame immediately with his debut album, Figate Bien (Look Well/Take a Good Look), in 2000. The album earned him 3 Latin Grammy Awards and spent nearly 3 months as the number 1 album in Columbia. He received mainstream popularity in Latinoamérica with his 2002 album, Un Dia Normal (A Normal Day). Juanes won every single award he was nominated for in the 2003 Latin Grammy Awards with the songs and his efforts put into this album. The lead single particularly, A Dios Le Pido (I Ask God), topped singles charts in numerous Spanish speaking countries, spent a whopping 47 weeks on BillBoard Hot Latin Tracks and was awarded the Best Rock Song award at the 2002 Latin Grammy Awards. A tribute to the destruction and horrors he had experienced in his native Columbia, the song is an introspective plea to God to listen to the plight of mankind. The deeply profound lyrics and evocative music touched the hearts of many and the song has become an anthem to which all Latinos unite and seek peace.

Mi Sangre (My Blood) was released in 2004 and received similar success to previous works. Breaking the tradition of releasing an album every 2 years (2000, 2002 and 2004), Juanes' newest album, La Vida... Es Un Ratico (Life... is a Moment), was released only last month.

Having taken up the Spanish language when I was younger, I received certain exposure to Spanish pop music. One of the first artistes I found whose works could actually be purchased in Singapore (No mean feat by all means, considering the almost non-existent Spanish speaking community here) was Juanes. He is a very prolific songwriter with incredibly poetic lyrics. His love songs, when translated, can be a great resource for anyone who wishes to write highly original yet touching love letters. Also, his ingenuity to create melodies that suit the verses impeccably is unmatched. What makes him a great musician however is that he usually has socially conscious messages embedded in his songs, such as discouraging people from violence. The theme of his songs is never fantasy. He imbues a sense of realism so strong that people can relate to the songs easily and understand without fail the happiness or suffering behind the meaning he is trying to convey. He also constantly tries to use his position as an influential singer to make a difference to the world, setting himself apart from peers who merely wish to make a living.

Juanes also cherishes life and those around him very much as he had lost many people close to him, such as his father, from cancer, his cousin who was kidnapped and killed even when the ransom was paid and his close friend who was gunned down in Columbia. He thus encourages people to do the same with intense sincerity.

Overall, Juanes's works are always worth a listen as the melodies he crafts are very expressive and beautiful. With the help of translation for those who do not understand Spanish, his songs become true gems, sparkling with earnest clarity among the myriad of songs done by other singers. His sincerity, his pathos and his creativity, evident in all his songs, ultimately places him on the highest pedestal in the business.

A mi familia que son mi tesoro, a mis amigos y a cada uno de los que me han abrazado y he podido abrazar. Hoy y siempre gracias yo les doy por existir.

To my family- they are my treasure, to my friends and to each one of those who have embraced me and I could have embraced. Today and always I thank you for existing.

-Juanes (written at the back of his 2004 album, Mi Sangre)

By Tan Haoyi